The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-11-12

herself with a bath aud a clean house
dress. brushed her hair into a neater
but just az plain knot as before. given
the potatoes and cabbage OIL the stove
to cook. made the coffee, fixed the
steak ready to broil as soon as it lack
ed ten minutes of Bert's arrival, set
the table. sliced the bread and cake,
soothed the teething baby some moro,
kissed. somewhat a~hstractedly. the
bump that Stella acquired in a too
nasty trip down the steps OF the small
front porch. it was $50. Bert would
not be home for a half hour yet.
She took the baby out to the porch
and dropped into the shabby wicker
rocker for a few minutes rest. Stella
followed. Then came the boys, laugh
ing and romping, to the detriment of
clothes. But their mother did not
notice. She hardly heard them. The
day just passed filled her mind. It
mad been so hard-so uselessly hard.
And the next would be similar-ex.
cept that she would iron instead of
vas And the next. and the next,
down through all the tired years Of
the future they trooped at. her-hard,
grown, and then She would be old.
Her face grew bitter. Down the
street came Helen. tyig, we'll groo1ned.
young looking. Bess thought Of her
own lined face, her ~unbscominr knot
Of hair. A few days before she read
IN a beauty column that It was, a
woman's duty to keep herself we'll
sroomed. She wished bitterly that the
writer had four clamorous children
and a day Of just twenty-four hours.
1T was easy to give advice. It was
easy Tor SI1rf1 N-r,S1anr o, IY>1>.
no one to care for but themselves. ia
follow such advice.
Helen came or. She va walking
slowly. Bess envicd her that l~eisurelv
way of walking. Leisure. was 40
scarce in her life. At the gate Helen
looked up and smiled family. There
mad oeen no intimacy Or even inter-
course between the two since the
school days. Bess had been too busy.
and Helen: she supposed. was en-
crossed with other friends. But nov.
Helen. after hesitating a moment, en-.
tered and came UP to the porch. Just
to see your baby she said smilinsly.
You don't know how I envy you"
she said: ~%istfully. when I see
Envy met said Bess, incredulous.
". She had already made a futile
dab at her hair. which the baby had
Just d~ishevelled.
Yes said Helen, longingly. when
! pass here every morning and see
Nou at the window and come home at
night to see o sitting comfortable.
on the porch, ] just can hardly bear
to go down to that same old grind Of
work every day. You don't know. what
~ IS IKE TO have to get up every morn.
ing and rush for a street car"
!. NO. l guess | don't" Bess looked
hard at Helen. Massage and powder,
even the faint scent Of iessamine
sacbet had not kept-a tired look. a,
tired as her own, from Helen's ewes.
But ] work hard" Bess protested.
Helen rose. Bess saw that the leis.
urely movement came from a weari-
ness as great as her own. "Rut you
Not for Yourself" with a hint Of BIT
terness: That makes a difference"
Then she went on to her boarding
house, trim. we'll groomed.
Bess looked after her thouEhtfully.
She struggled the baby closer unoer
her left arm, reached out the right for
Stella and smiled repentanly at the
boys. They took instant advantaKe
of it.
"Have you got lemon cream pie for
supper?" asked Bob.
Down at the bakery there's a big
one'' said Walter. %pertinently. "I'd
Just as soon go after It."
Bsss laughed assent. IT guess it's
worth while" she murmurcd. But
sne wasn't thinking Of the lemon