Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-05
Disapproves of

Mono one phoned." stammered Helen.
And with Thank you" Mrs Nor
rison went back TO her room and closed
the door. For q moment there was dead
silence.
Then Mrs. Curtis asked in a steel, cold
voice who she was.
''Mrs. Morrison" answered Helen. and
her voice was almost as cold.
''oh, you didn't say you had any one
visiting you" ieily. ss
II haven't" Then. desperately, THAT
Is a Mrs. Morrison who has rented my
spare room"
Rented your spare rooml why-why,"
almost suffering in her establishment
Does Warren know Of this?"
mo-
Then why have you done such .
thing?''
'F'or the eight dollars a week She pays
me. Warren has complained of the ex-
ptnses while he's been away, and / want
to reduce them 81.
But not by taking roomsr! No one
in our family, has ever rented rooms
He'll be furious when he knows.q -
Hell not know-unless you tell him.
never shall. And Mrs. Morrison will give
the room up before he returns."' t'
We'll. | certainly shall tell him. It's
my duty 20 tell him. Why. I'm surprised.
Helen, that you should do q thing like
this while warren's away-without letting
any Of rs know And who Is this woman
that you're taking into your home? Do
you know anything about her? DO you
know who she is7"
she's the buyer OF millinery at -,
suffiy. .." r..
well. she doesn't look like the kind OF
q woman for you to have here. Now
Warren should know Of this, and know OF
II at once. And II you won't write lin
shall have to-"
Very well, you may. But II doesn't
matter what anyone says-I shall keep
Mrs. Morrison until Warren returns.
shes been. very quiet and very little
trouble, and the IS a week will help
to get many things / need for wInifred
and myself"
That's nonsense. / know Warren is
perfectly willing TO get everything you
need. But you can't expect him 10
humor YOU in your extravagances"
"Evtravagancesl don't think. Mrs.
Curtis, anyone could be less ertravagant
than have since married Warren"
''0h. you may think that. but you
spend more money than You know. The
trouble Is you care too much for show.
you want to give the impression that
you're better off than you are. II you'd
been willing TO live simply in an mex
pensive neighborhood. as Mr.. Curtis and
! did when we were first married-then
you could have saved and laid something
away But we never took roomers."
severely. Our home, however simple,
was our own. don't know what War
ren's father will say when he learns you
have done this-without letting any Of
us know"
Il didn't think It concerned you"
gosded at last to a retaliation. 1T seems
to me the only interest you and Mr..
Curtis have ever shown is 20 call here
occasionally and find something TO crit.
icise."
For a moment Mrs. Curtis was too
sstonished to speak. Il was the first
time that Helen had ever really dis
played any resentment-and the I'M
expecteepess OF it was disconcerning.
We'll. OF course. II you take that
attitude" acidly. Il have nothing more
to say-nothing.'
And with a freezing 'Good-by' she
was gone
Helen had always before gone out
with her to the elevator. but now
she made no attempt TO do 50. Never
had she felt 80 bitterly resentful
towards his people. What right had
his mother to interfere In this wayf
What had she ever done for them.
that gave her the right to always crit
ieise?
And she had accused her Of being
extravagan< and Of spending money
for show, There was nothing that
could have made Helen more furious
She thought Of how she had "sklmpt"
snd saved and done without-an6 now
for his mother to accuse her Of this
And she had threatened to write
Warren about the room! All Helen's
/ pride rose in revolt. she was now
fercefy rebellious.
Still standing there IN the hall and
stili staring at the door which MIRA
Curtis had just closed after her. Helen
determined that no matter what oppo-
sition was brought to bear she would
rent Mrs. Morrison the room until
Warren returned.
/ Surely In this she had a right to
use her own judgment. For once she
would not submit to the dlctation Of
his people.