The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-01-10
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behind the counter az

W W Stella Davis appeared
v v behind the counter az
ter an absence Of three years.
Got to cat, haven't r. Stella re-
tortcd, almost dc6antly. Her haggard
young face set in GRIM unyouthfuI lines
as she busted herself about the stock
"I'm glad to see you Nell began cor
daily when did you get back, and why
haven't you been to sec me-
The store had just opened and it was too
early for customers 50 the two girls might
converse with some freedom. Stella did not
look at her friend, although her face soitcncd
a little at the Others affcctionatc tone.
Nell, just hated to see you all, that S
why wouldn't have come back here
only there didn't seem to be anything else
to do had to have mother to look after
the kid if had to 60 to work.
Nclls sensitive mouth dropped little,
sympatheticaly. She read much in her
old friends look and tone, more than in her
words. i
"Why, what's the matter2' she asked
gently, Then, with some hesitation,
Where's Illn!
81 don't know" said the other drearily.
But after seconds pause, she burst out in
low-voiced vehemencc.
Its an or, dat that's what's the mattcrl
Tim and have quit for good and ALL And
lwish I'd never seen him."
ooh, Stellal" cried Nell :" I'm awfully
sorry. | thought YOU and Tim were going
to be 50 happy.
go did |, said the other girl Her
blue eyes sud icnly filed with tears, which
she angrily winked away. She was, how
ever, unable to resist the temptation TO re-
peat the story Of her wrongs TO sympathetic
ears, and the sordid little tale was soon
Nell's. a. r
Stella, prett,', gay, popular with the
boys" had falleu in love with Tim Davis,
good,looking clerk making fifteen dollars a
week, She was nineteen, he was twenty
two, They were married They went to
live with his mother, who resented this idea
Of taking care Of three with what had been
little enough for two. Still, Stella con-
tinued to work at the store and things went
on we'll enough for a while Until the baby
came. Then poverty began to make wry,
terrifying faces al lovc-not always, nor
even frequently, such very valiant spirit.
Stella was sick and irritable, the old
woman was tired and cross, the baby was
cxacting, the debts piled up. They owed
the doctor, the druggist, the grocer, the
butcher the mikman, the goldman, And
how when they were continually falling
behind in current expenses, were they ever
going to pay up all this back scoreP
Tim thought he could do better some
where else, 80 they almost surrcptitiously
went to another town, leaving in dcspera.
ton the old mother to shift for herself z
and most Of their debts unpaid But in it;
maddenng fashion history again repeated
itself They worked hard, yet were aIwayi
behind Tim gr,w careless and neglect
full, Stella was tired and unhappy. rhc)
quarrcled; they began secretly TO wisf
that they had never seen each other; caol
almost unoonsciously blamed the other TO
getting them into hateful situation
Then ono night Tim did not come home
and the next morning Stella received
letter from him mailed at the depot. II
had quit, he said, He had had enough
What was the use, anyway They ha,
been a pair Of fools to get married in th
first place. She had better 20 home to he
own people, and il he ever got any none
(which seemed unlikely he would try t
help take care Of the kid. Oh, he kne'
that he was a coward, a blackguard and
gutter, but he didn't care he was young
he wasn't going to slave away his Who'll
life- well, goodbye
1twas not spelled very well, but there wa
WEAKNESS and desperation in every linz
And the one that read it was weary an
desperate, too. She took the child an
came home to gfddgng family an
curious friends.
Here she was, after those three years
married life, back in her old place in Il
department store, wiser, bitterer, and Wit
the child to support on the wages that ha
barely sufheed for herself
eyes" She finished in self-scorn,
thought was going to be So happy! Tim
all right--he's lust where he was before, b
look at mel What We got to show for tn,
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