The Southern herald., 1911-05-26

I room N a Eat which bossted of five
and hath There was q bedroom q
equally dininutive proporuons and q
parlor with vail paper so loud thar Il
talked There vas scarcely enough
room 70 swing a cat around. The
thiu walls were cracked. the rooms
were earpeuess- Yet 1t showed the
care q q good housekeeper Floors
and windows were clean. the cover on
the table spotless. The furnishings
were as meager as they we're ingen.
lous. With their slender purse they
hae been able TO purchase only the
pare neeeSsities-a bed. & chair or
two, a dining room table, a few kitch-
en- utensils. When they wanted to sit
IN the parlor they had to carry =
chair from the dining room; when
meal times came the chairs had TO
travel back again. A soap box turned
upside down and neatly covered with
eh'ntz did duty as a dresser in the
bedroom, and with a few photographs
and taeks they had managed to i'm
part an aesthetic appearance to the
parlor. This place cost the huge sum
Of SIS q month 1t might just as wen
have cost 500 for all Howard's ability
to pay It. The past months rent was
long overdue and the janitor looked
more insolent every day. But they
did not care. They were young and
life was still before them.
Presently Annie came IN carrying
a steaming dish Of stew, which she
laid on the table. As she helped How.
ard to plate fun she said $50 you
had no luck again this morning."
Howard was too busy eating to an.
swer As he gulped down huge piece
Of bread. he growled:
Nothing, as usual-same old story,
nothing doing"
Annie sighed. She had been given
this answer so often that it would
have surprised her to hear anything
else. 1t meant that their hard hand.
tomouth struggle must go on. She
said nothing. What was the use? II
would never do to discourage How
ard. She tried to make light Of II
"Of course IT isn't easy, quite
understand that. Never mind, dear
Something will turn up soon. Where
did you go? Whom did you see? Why
didn't you let drink alone when you
promised me you would?"
THAT was Coxe's fault" blurted
out Howard, always ready to blami
others for his own shortcomings
"You remember Coke! He was al
Yale when | was A big, fair fellow
with blue eyes He pulled stroke 10
the varsity boat race, you remem
ber?"
81 think l do" replied his wife, in
differently, as she helped him to more
stew, What did he want? What's
he doing in New York;"
Hes got fine place in a brokers'
office in Wall street. | felt ashamed
to let him see me low down like this
He said that could make a good deal
of money If only had a little capital
He knows everything going on in
Wall street. II went in with him I'd
be on Easy street"
How much would II require?"
Two thousand dollars"
The young wife gave a sigh as she
answered.
"Fm afraid that's day dream. Only
your father could give you such an
amount and you wouldn't go to him
would you?"
"Not If we hadn't another crust IN
the house, snapped Howard savage
lily. you don't want me to, do your
he asked looking up at her quickly.
mo, dear" she answered calmly
81 have certainly no wish that you
should humble yourself At the SAME
time l am not selfish enough to want
to stand in the way of your future
Your father and stepmother hate me-
know that. l am the cause Of youi
separation from your folks. No doubt
your father would be very willing tO
help you If you would consent Il
leave me-"
Howard laughed as he replied:
We'll, if that's the price for the
$4,000 l guess I'll go without 1t.
wouldn't give you up for a million
times $2,000!"
Annie stretched her hand acrosi
the table.
Really" she said.
CTo BE CONTINUED)