The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-08-18

II was a dark day and Hannah
Place had taken her piecework into
the kitchen that she might both see
and be warm. The kitchen window
was the only one in the house thta
was not shattered without and cur
her twentieth patchwork quilt. The
other nineteen We're folded neatly
away on the shelves in one Of the up
stairs closets. There was no prospect
OF their ever being used by her.
Il shan't care what becomes of EN-
after I'm. dead and gone" she said.
The quilt she was piecing now was
an intricate affair upon which she had
worked half a a
"There1l be other things to do pres
emily" she thought. Il must have my
bit of garden as usual. And there's
the housekeeping. II don't get this
quilt done in the next week or two l
shall have TO lay it by"
She sighed and lifted her eyes to
the prospect beyond her window. 1t
was all dreary enough to see, so it is
no Wonder that Hannah sighed again
and lowered her eyes upon the cheer
ful pink calico. But at that instant
Wrenn entered.
Il was sure I'd find you IN the
the Kitchen" she said. II do believe,
Hannah Place, hat you spend you
whole time in the kitchen. 1t ain't
good for You. Don't you know it
Amt? How YOU see to sew beats me.
never was in a house as dark as
this one, Hannah"
1T wasn't the fashion to have many
windows when this house was built
said Hannah, stitching away.
It's a man-built house. that's why
declared Mrs. Wrenn. "A mans idea
OF a house is to have -four walls and
a a chimney to tack 'em to and
a door to go out and in by. When II
comes to conveniences. they DOM
know the first thing about EN-. II
this was my house, Hannah, the first
thing I'd do would he to cut out a
few holes in the walls to see by. There
amt A ~pleasanter anywhere than
Your sitting room would be if it had a
big window in that west wall. You
could see clear across your premises
to the creek then. Think how You'd
enjoy it. 1 should hate never to see
ANYTHING but them old apple trees and
that garden patch. But then I Amt
you, Hannah"
Hannah had turned her head away
and was looking out of the window.
Il can't get mad at her somehow"
she thought. She's just as she is.
But she means we'll and she's thu only
friendly neighbor I ever had"
But. land. l didn't come over here
to discuss windows" Mrs. Wrenn said.
Il came over. Hannah, to tell YOU that
L had a letter from Lena this morning
Lena Hardy. Your husband girl"
Hanna turned quickly and her face
slowly redeemed. Her thin lips. releas-
ed for A moment from their usual rigid
line, set again harder than ever. You
needn't mention that name before me-"
she said.
"ow. Hannah" Mrs. Wrenn answer-
ed calmly, think what you're saying.
Lena is Your husbands girl and your
s~tepdaughter. And the only thine
h ever did to either Of you was
when she went against your wishes
and married Len Hardy. But he's
dead now. And there she Is with her
children-three of 'em-and lust as
poor as poor. She's doing washing and
ironing. heard, though she didn't
mention 1t in the letter. She didn.,
mention ANYTHING. She just wrote to
thank me for some few thing I HADN'T
no further use for and sent to her the
other day. ] always liked Lena" She
rose and drew her shawl over her
head. Il thought I'd tell you I'd heard
from her. Come over some time, Ham
nah"
Without waiting for an answer Mrs.
Wrenn went out, closing the door unon
Hannah, her patchwork and her darkN
ness.
Hannah pushed the work from her,
She was greatly disturbed. First i.
was the question of windows; and
then Lena. Mrs. Wrenn had taken too
much liberty. Yet in her heart she
knew that she liked Mrs. Wrenn bet