The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-06-08
Mabel answered in the same

you" Mabel answered in the same
key
altogether she made a good if faint
mpression-chief1y by the things she
ala not say and do. There was no
efaclng herself, just lack of forth
putting. And when the party broke
up she fairly dragooned Archer into
taking lomr Mrs. March, merry
widow. who had made a cundesaension
or coming He got back in vile tenn.
per- but said only to his wife:
II this is part of the programme,
when next you feed lions, | shall have
.business-in Buffalo or somewhere"
He did not mean it. Mabel under.
stood. She waited six weeks, then
called in the balance of the gang. BY
this speculation regarding her was on
edge. Arch had not once come back
tc dine at the old haunts, though he
had several times looked in, on his
way home after dining very far
downtown So he was not tied to an
apron-string. Moreover he looked
happy. Moreover further, he had land
ed a new play without scrap, in
spite of having written it at fever
neat. Every one thought he would
90 well to send his wife home to her
people when rehearsals began. Oddly
enough, nobody ventured to say So
there was something in his manner
which forbade.
The Willards felt that they should
show the gangs appreciation Of Mabel
they did 1t by special Marella din
ner
Next day but one Ada Ware ran in
to see Mabel. who herself opened the
dor. and held up a warning hand
III you come in. walk SOFTLY" she
said. Mary is sick-the doctor says
she has missed pneumonia by the mar
rowest squeak. She's asleep now
IN the living room-with all the win
dows open. Air is the great thing.
you know"
Anybody else would let her get 1t
In hospital" Ada said, with an odd
feeling In her throat. Mabel was as
neat as could be. but her face was
strained and lined, her eyes heavy.
The eyes became suddenly vivid.
III 1t had been me Ill, you couldn't
have driven Mary away-not If l had
had the plague" she said when she
Is we'll enough. we are going to send
her to see her people up-country-
Archer has promised 1t to me for my
birthday present"
What will you do without herr"
Ada asked-by this time the gang had
decided that the Sandfords had by
unheard-of luck found the one perfect
servant.
Mabel looked little thoughtful.
"Why, we shall get somebody" she
said. Until we do, Arch will put up
with my cooking. You know he's per-
fectly angelic"
The riddle remained until Mary
was leaving. Ada had volunteered to
go part Of the way with her-her own
people, 1t appeared, lived on the same
line, so there was talk between the
two girls despite their differing sta
ton. Ada was above the snobbery of
patronage to any clean and simple
minded human being.
why. 1t was Mrs. Sanford her.
self showed me the difference be-
tween bad ways and good Ones" Mary
explained. She knew a lot-and bent
her mind all the time to learning
more. But she was that shy of hav-
ing folks know it, most OF all her hus-
band. 1t helps a man so to think he
has something soft and helpless to
take care Of she told me once And
she'd laugh and say: Mary. we don't
know so much both of us put togeth.
er. but don't you think we can learn,
with love teaching us?
Yes. maam, she meant love of
everything-your work, your husband.
your home. She's the sort that will
make any girl worth her salt. You
just have to do the best that's in you
for lady that expects nothing else"
That night Ada wrote Linson a long,
long letter, and Mary's saying was
the text of 1t. He answered 1t in per-
son; they went back to town married.
Mabel then gave dinner, not up to
the double standard of herself, plus
Mary. but still more than passable.
AS Linson and Ada went away he
said, patting her hand softly:
Mabel is a real home missionary.
We'll go hunting an apartment with
a real kitchen tomorrow"