Middletown transcript., 1912-03-02


ooked flushed and heated.
Soap club or no Soap club, !
got to get Miss Ransom's thin's
lone, she muttered. She'll be
after 'em today sure, for l sus-
picion she amt got many changes
declare, she added, pitifully, as
she surveyed the fine, lace-trim'
med garment on the ironing
board, 1t makes me feel bad TO
see how careful she's patched an
mended 'em. Ey'ry dud she's
got is most falling to pieces, but
I expect she amt got the money
to buy new ones. 1 amt a mite
surprised. 1 read one o. her
stories once an it was awful dull
to my thinkin'. I wish to the4an
she was smart enough to write a
reel good one like St. Elmo or
Lena Rivers. She looks half
starved. If wasn't afraid she'd
take it as an insult I'd ask her to
stay to the meetin' of the Soap
club. I'm going to have good
supper, if l do say it, an work
ed in one o. them cheap boarding
houses once an know what they
be. An to think that her folks
used to be as rich as mud! Imet
the old Judge jest a little while
before his death, steppin' out as
if he owned the earth-well, this
is a queer world! Goodness, gra-
cious me-there's Miss Ransom
now, ridin' in an autymobil! It's
stopped an she's comm in!
Hastily setting down her fat
iron, she ran to the door and ad'
mitted slim, pale girl dressed
in shabby mourning, calculating
as she did so:
Well, if 1 amt surprised to see
you ridin' in an autymobil', Miss
Ransom! Come right in-your
thin's is just ready, an while I'm
doing of 'em up, I want you to
look at the new premiums | got
since you was here last.
Glad to postpone, even for a
few moments. the irrevocable
step to which she had just pledg'
ed herself, Elinor Ransom follow
ed her hostess into room where
a table was laid with a brave ar,
ray of plated silver and a set OF
china decorated with flaming red
poppies.
It's my day to entertain our
Soap club, Mrs. Pickens explain
ed. Ten of us ladies clubs to-
gether an buys our soap O. Lally
an then we takes turns draw ng
for the premiums. He gives ele-
CANT ones, jest elegant! | gotall
that silver and that chiny set an
that picter frame for my share.
Amt that frame complete? Pic
kens thought I'd ought to put his
picter in instead O. Tins, but
Pickens is homely' enough to
scare the cat an. Tim was a reel
good-lookin' fellow, don't you
think so, Miss Ransom?
The large colored photograph
in the fiamboyant gilt frame was
the portrait Of a pleasant faced
young workingman, and in spite
of the crude colOring, the slicked
down hair, and the stiff attitude
Of one oppressed by his Sunday
clothes. Elinor was able to re-
spond cordially, Yes, indeed,
do, Mrs. Pickens.
But I dunno's l ought to find
fault with Picken's looks wher
allis said an done. I was awfu
lonesome after | lost my first
Mrs. Pickens said. An it was
n's long before l found out that
there's a mighty sight Of differ
ence between washin' for plea
sure as one may say, jest to gi
yourself some extry thin's, an il
bendin' over a wash.tub day il
an day out trying to keep bod!
an soul together. So when
come across an advertisement
one day, telling about a pIac'
where you can buy a husband b.
paying down ten dollars cash il
advance I made up my mind II
try my luck.
Why, Mrs. Pickens, the idea
ElinOr gasped. The very idea!
1t did seem like buying a phi
in a poke, Mrs. Pickens admitte,
but l knew twas resk ten dollar
or earn my own livin' so far as
was concerned for Tin had bee
dead most a year an theer hadn'
hide or hair of a man come shy
in, around,
I got Mis- Jones that lives mex
door to me, she continued, for
amt one of those reckless kind
an I'd read IN the newspaper
how women is sometimes toileu