The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-10-08
Married Life
the Second Year
BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.
Warren E. Curtis, Broad Streets,

Warren f. Curtis, Broad Streets,
New York City:
Have heard nothing since the six
tenth Are you i'll? Am very anxious.
Wire. HELEN.
Helen counted the words. Thirteen!
Mono, she would not send a tele-
gram with thirteen words. She was
ar 10 superstitious for that. What
could see leave out. Crossed out that
am left twelve. If she could
get il down to ten 1t would be just
seyenty-fVe cents. Again she read it
over, and crossed out have" and the"
II nov read: Have heard nothing
since sixteenth Are you i'll? Very
anxious. Wire"
How could she get this telegram to
the office without any one knowing?
BY pretending to receive letters from
Warren, she had so far kept her fam
lily in ignorance of his silence
Sne must make some excuse for an
errand to Main street. The pattern for
Winifred's coat She again copied the
telegram, and went down on the porch
where he mother was sewing.
Mother, / think I'd better get that
pattern for Winifred's coat now, SO
can cut it out this afternoon"
"All right, dear. Don't you want to
take the buggy. You can get back
Helen looked out at the gate, be-
fore which Topsy was standing.
Helen Drives Alone.
But Tom needn't drive me. I can
manage Topsy. You know l used to
drive her"
Yes, I guess you can. She's gentle
enough"
Helen unhitched Topsy, turned her
around and drove down the shaded
L.
time since she had driven, but Topsy
logged along in the same way.
Forgetting about the pattern, Helen
drove straight to the telegraph Of
fee
What time will this reach New
York;" handing her message to the
Growsy-looking operator.
He looked up at the clock-it was
just ten minutes after one.
sit takes about two hours, delivery
and all, but there's that much differ
ence in time between here and there.
So, I'd say they'd get it around this
time
IT'S seventy-five cents for ten words,
isn't it," drawing out her purse.
Yes, ma'am; that's the rate to New
York"
AS she drove slowly back her mind
was filled with torturing doubt Should
she have sent the telegram? Or
should she have waited day or so
longer? And yet it seemed that she
had reached the limit of her endur-
ance. that she could not go through
another day unless in some way she
heard from him. He might have writ
ten and the letter miscarried! Oh, if
she could only believe that! And yet,
she thought of how small a proportion
of letters are ever lost!
Now, many women, when anxiously
awaiting for a letter that does not
come have asked themselves over and
over and over, Gould it have been
lost in the mail?"
Her Hopes and Fears.
And Warren's writing was not very
plain. He wrote a careless hurried
hand, and she had even known him
thoughtlessly to address letter to
New York that was intended for an
other city.
Could he have written her and for
got to mail it? Perhaps even now
he was carrying the letter in his poe
ket!
All these possibilities and many
others she had thought OF over and
over.
Last night she had slept hardly at
all. And this morning she had de-
termined to telegraph. She could not
stand another days suspense.
But. now. that the telegram was
gone. she began to dread the conse-
quence. Would he be angry? Would
he think she was foolish and impa-
tient? And yet it had been ten days
since his last note.
why, it's Helen Curtis"
Helen started.
pretty young woman with two lit
tie children, waving at her from the
porch of one of the houses, and now
she ran joyfully down to the gate
Helen drew up Topsy and leaned out
of the buggy to greet her old school
mate. Edith Morrison.
Il saw by the paper that you and
your little girl were here" exclaimed
Edith, after the first enthusiasm of
their greeting. But | have been
spending the week with Harold's
mother out at Spring Valley, and just
got back. I was going, to call on you
tomorrow. Can't you stop and come
in a moment now"
Helen hesitated.
A Glimpse of q Happy Wife.
20, do. / want you to see my chill
dren. and Harold's here, too. He's
not got back from dinner yet"
Helen tied Topsy to the hitching
post And they went up the walk to
the pretty two-story frame cottage,
with its wellkept lawn and flower
beds
This is my boy. Harold" as
sturdy little chap of Ave came toward
hem. And this is Frances-she's
three
Frances, a doll-faced little girl, was
sitting in a big chair nursing a black
kitten. They sat on the porch and
talked a few minutes, and then Edith
took Helen through her home. 1t was
a simple, unpretentious little home,
and yet a REAL home. There was