The Irish standard., 1912-07-27


Ditto on shoes for Sammy ....... 100
Ditto on wine for ma ........... LOO
Shingles for leak. ............... LOO
Putting same on. 100
/; 5000
Dear, deeri" she sighed. 1.-THE eggs
will only net enough to pay those
things, not q cent over, oven II get
twenty cents for them, and Lkely's not
they won't fetch more than eighteen
cents a Dozen" Mandy stared at the
list before her, but the items remained
exed, not one vanished under her se.
we're scrutiny. well. take it, take 1t
a1l-you old figures you'll" then turn
Ing the card she began writing on the
other end of it. Things want:
want new dimity dress with pink
rose buds in it.
want big ribbon for my hair.
I want pair of stockings, absolute.
~ whole.
A pair of pumps with high heels.
A piece Of chiffon to fix my old hat.
want Jim Patterson to come back.
She wrote furiously, punctuating
each item with decisive period at the
end. indulging herself just once in her
bare life the luxury of mute express
sion. She paused after re-reading,
flushed to the heavy waves Of her dark
hair, gave the cardboard g vicious twist
which rent it in two and flung it aside,
crushed the remaining egg filters into
the untitled space Of the crate, gath
cred up her baskets, and rushed down
cellar. She came up with a pan of
Potatoes, which she proceeded to make
ready for dinner. So busy was she
with her thoughts Of the last item on
her list, that she forgot everything
else: lost in the remembrance Of her
simple happy life, before her father
had died and Jim Patterson had gone
away. Jim had come to see her az
naturally as the morning sun shone
into the kitchen window, but-well,
Jim had gone to the city to advance
bis fortunes. Jim had written, but
bis letters were not bit like Jim,
ind finally she had stopped answer
Ing them, not because she had ceased
to care, but because she cared too
much and felt too proud to continue
what seemed to her to be one-sided
correspondence. Mandy's face flush
ID, and she peeled the potatoes fierce
y. flung them into their rinsing with
I splash that splattered the water over
her face and on to the clean floor
beside her.
well, for the mercy's sake, Mandy
EIarrison!" chided voice from the
doorway. What spite you got against
those potatoes7 The way you're pun
lshing them, one would think you'd
mortal grudge against them!" Good.
fat Mrs. Morris rolled into the kitch-
en-, drew a chair near the egg crate.
sst down and lifted her basket to her
ample lap.
1--WE Just got fit Of the tantrum
grumps," Mandy explained luoidly.
you've been crying" Mrs. Morris
accused aghast, for she had never
seen the. brave. high-spirited Mandy
cry. you've never made fuss
about anything"
I'm not crying-it's Just the water
splashed into my face" Mandy retort-
I'd, plunging the potatoes into the ket.
lie Of boiling water with dash.
Mrs. Morris, noting the surging col
Or in the girls cheeks, shifted her
case to the basket she held, saying
gently, I'm wondering. Mandy, II it
Isn't about time you'll be shipping a
crate Of eggs. I've few here don't
know what to do with, Mess you'll
lot me tuck them into your box here.
You can help mo with my new dress.
Mandy"
I'll help you with your DRESS"
Mandy responded warmly. but you
Just trade your eggs out for groceries.
I ship mine because l just have to
have the money to pay my INSTALL
msnts. II I ever do get things paid,
I'll never get anything more that
way-though 1t has been awful good
Of the trades people to let mo pay by
titles: but there's never cent ahead
-never!"
There will be-" Mrs. Morris as
sursd comfortably. "Now I'm too
psnurious to pay for cutting my dress.
10 I'll Just slip these eggs into the
crate. You're just born to cut and
It,"
She stopped heavily, as she eau.
hously slid the eggs into the filters.
and after the last space was filled,
he caught up the torn photograph,
nron tho hack NJ which Mandv had
made her memorandum, and tucked 1t
veil down IN the crate to tighten .