Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-19
THE EVENING STORY.
The Magic Easement.
Copyright. 1918. by W. werner3


1t 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 II
the house that was not shattered without
and curtained within. Hannah was max
ing her twentieth patchwork quilt The
other nineteen were folded neatly away
on the shelves in one of the upstairs
closets. There was no prospect of theil
ever being used by her.
IT shant care what becomes of EN-
after I'm dead and gone she said.
The quilt she was piecing now was ar
intricate affair. upon which she had
worked half year.
"There'n be other things to do pres
entity" she thought. Il must have my
bit of garden as usual. And there's the
housekeeping. If I don't get this quilt
done in the next week or two shall have
to lay it by
She sighed and lifted her eyes to the
prospect beyond her window. 1t was al
dreary enough to see, SO 1t Is no Won
der that Hannah sighed again and low
cred her eyes upon the cheerful pink
calico. But at that instant came a knock
at the door and Mrs. Wrenn entered
Il was sure I'd find you in the kitch-
Place. that you spend your whole time
in the kitchen. 1t amt good for you.
Don't you know It amt? How you see
to sew beats me. l never was IN
house as dark as this one. Hannah"
"It wasn't the fashion to have many
windows when this house was built, !"
said Hannah, stitching away. ;.
ITS a man-built house, that's why
declared Mrs Wrenn. "a mans idea Of
a house is to have four walls and a roof.
a chimney to tack 'em to and door to
go out and in by. When it comes to
conveniences. they don't know the first
thing about EN- If this was my house,
Hannah, the first thing I'd do would be
to cut few holes in the walls to see
out by. There amt pleasanter room
be If it had big window in that west
wall You could see clear across your
premises to the creek then. Think how
you'd enjoy It, I should hate never to
see anything but them old apple trees
and that garden patch. But then 1 amt
you. Hannah
Hannah had turned her head away and
was looking out of the window.
II can't get mad at her somehow, she
thought. She's just as she Is. But she
means we'll and she's the only friendly
neighbor l ever had
But, land. l didn't come over here to
discuss windows" Mrs. Wrenn said. I
came over Hannah, to tell you that l
had q letter from Lena this morning
Lena Hardy your husbands girl
Hannah turned quickly and her face
slowly redeemed. Her thin lips. released
for moYlent from their usual rigid line,
set again harder than ever. You
needn't mention that name before me-
she said.
New, Hannah Mrs. Wrenn answered
calmly. think what you're saying. Lena
is your husbands girl and your step
daughter And the only thing she ever
I'D 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
just poor as poor. She's doing washing
and ironing. l heard, though she didn't
mention it in the letter. She didn't men,
ton anything. She just wrote to thank
me for some few things 1 hadn't no fur
Their 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, Hannah
Without waiting for an answer Mrs
Wrenn went out, closing the door upon
Hannah, her patchwork and her darkness
Hannah pushed the work from her. She
was greatly disturbed. First, 1t 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 better than all her other