The herald., 1912-10-10


lnstallments. I've got TO pay:
Fathers coffin NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. I.VV
Doctors bill NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. I'VV
Ditto on shoes for Sammy ....... l.Oo
Ditto on wine for ma ........... l.Vo
Shingles for leak. .............'. 4.VV
Putting same I'VV
$500
Dear. dear" she sighed. The eggs
will only net enough TO pay those
things. not a cent over. even II | get
twenty cents for them. and likely's not
they won't fetch more than eighteen
cents a dozen" Mandy stared at the
list before her, but the items remained
fixed. not one vanished under her Sc
we're scrutiny. Well take IT. take II
all-you old figures you!" then turn
ing the card she began writing on the
other end Of It. Things / want:
want a new dimity dress with pink
rose buds in It.
want a big ribbon for my hair.
want q pair of stockings, absolute
iy 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, INDUCING 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 a vicious twist
which rent It In two and flung 1t 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 as
naturally as the morning sun shone
into the kitchen window, but-well,
Jim had gone to the city to advance
his fortunes. Jim had written. but
his letters were not a bit like Jim,
and 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
ed, and she peeled the potatoes fierce
", flung them into their rinsing with
q splash that splattered the water over
her face and on to the clean floor
beside her.
We'll, for the mercy's sake, Mandy
Harrison" chided a voice from the
doorway. What spite you got against
those potatoes? The way you're pun
ishing them, one would think you'd
mortal grudge against them!" Good
fat Mrs. Morris rolled into the htch
en-, drew a chair near the egg crate
sat down and lifted her basket to hel
ample lap.
i've Just got At Of the tantrun
grumps," Mandy explained lucidly.
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 watel
splashed into my face" Mandy retort
ed, plunging the potatoes into the ket
h tie Of boiling water with a dash.
he prl
~ or in the girls cheeks. shifted he
gaze to the basket she held, saying
gently, I'm wondering, Mandy, II 1
isn't about time you'll be shipping
crate Of eggs. I've few here DON
know what to do with. Mess you'll
let me tuck them into your box here
You can help me with my new dress
Mandy"
'Tn help you with your dress,
Mandy responded warmly, but 20
Just trade your eggs out for grocerie:
/ ship mine because I Just have I
have the money to pay my install
ments. II I ever do get things pait
I'll never get anything more this
way-though It has been awful goo
of the trades people to let me pay
Titles; but there's never a cent ahea
-never!"
There will BE-" Mrs. Morris a
sured comfortably. Now I'm to
penurious to pay for cutting my dresl
20 I'll Just slip these eggs into th
crate. You're Just born to cut an
1T"
She stopped heavily, as she cal
dously slid the eggs into the filler'
and after the last space was fllleG
she caught up the torn photograph
upon the back Of which Mandy ha
made her memorandum, and tucked
well down in the crate to tighten
CIARrER