The Tupelo journal., 1913-02-28

Before her hat was of, there came q
knock-outside was the landlady say
ing. I'm going away over Christmas
If you could"
She got no further-Mavis was
crowding into her hands the only bill
in her purse. When she had her re-
ceipt. carefully signed, she sat down
w~eakly--to0 depressed to think even
bow tired she was. s~r-~
Next day, after a supperless sleep,
she took stock of things. She had
seventy cents in hand-to last she
could not tell how long. Moreover
breakfast took the last four crackers
the bakery was a mile off. but she
walked to and from 1t for her new sup
ply. BY thus saving car fare. she
dared to buy milk-once she ever
thought of v~enturing upon an egg, and
a cents worth OF butter. Second
thought forbade. But on the way
home she loitered in front of bake
shops shifting hungrily their ,savory
smells. They made her wolish. But
once home hunger left her-and she
sat down DULY to darn stockings, and
mend rents. She had been so busy
making luckier folk s~hipshape, she had
let her own garments go.
Christmas dawned murky, but a bit
ter, raw wind rove the clouds away
like frightened sheep. Mavis dressed
herself carefully and went out facing
1t. Somehow she could not work. She
had gnawed her food dry, not even
drinking water with it. She had not
meant to go to church, but the wind
drove her inside. The service Knocked
her-there were flowers, special mu-
sic, words of hope and good will-but
to empty pews for the most part.
Mavis sat alone, in a vast dimness,
wondering DULY If a God who noted
falling sparrows, had not forgotten
her.
Back In her room-her's for a week
longer-she fell furiously to writing.
What she wrote was neither great o
eloquent-hardly even coherent, not a
beggar's whine, but the o%utpouring Of
a brave heart, driven to the wall. 1t
was not bitter. "They did not think"
was the burden Of it. She hoped II
people read 1t, 1t might save some
other girl in extremity. She had a
stamp left-that would take it to the
CONFETTI they sent to inquire after
the writer, she would be-gone. Mavis
smiled almost dreamily, thinking Of
the cool handy river. She would not
90 into it hungry.
A fancy came to her-to pretend as
she had done when a child. Rummag-
ing In the cracker bag brought forth
treasures-animal crackers, either
scorched or lacking a leg, sweet bis
cult, half crumbled, fruit waters more
than a bit dilapidated, eve cheese
waters. half d~isintegrated. With all
these she would serve herself a course
dinner naming water, wine, and finish
ing with a hot draught for the coffee.
She began bravely-desperate hun
ger Is a sauce for even broken crack
ers. But half way through she broke
down-her throat constricted-she
COuiu uclluci eat nor uIlIh- IIGI6uu-
ing brought back everything-the old
life. which if colorless had been safe
and fulfilled. If the village had been
narrowly provincial and gossipy. gos-
sip would save in such a strait as
this.
She got up blindly, put on her hat,
sealed the letter already stamped and
folded, and a reaching for her coat
when she heard an apologize knock
outside. Without waiting. the door
opened. The landlady's husband
stood there, in slippers and untidy
smoking Jacket. He faltered some
thing about neutrality-suspicious.
being late-and thrust a letter upon
her. Then he fed precipitately. His
wife had charged him specially not to
neglect a lodger who made no trouble
and always had the money waiting.
For at least a minute Mavis could
not open the letter-still she did not
faint nor scream when out Of 1t came
a checque for fifty dollars. Another
story had hit the mark. Then all oc-
casion for tears being past, she in
dulged in a hearty cry-and ate the
last courses of her Christmas dinner
with a relish truly incredible.