The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-01
Married Life
the Second Year
BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.

AS Helen opened the ice chest and
stopped down to take out bottle OF |
milk, a strong odor Of stale butter and
vegetables greeted her.
Della, didn't | tell you to clean the
ice chest yesterday"
Della ironed or in stOlid silence.
Didn't / tell you to clean this yes
terday?" Helen repeated.
yes, ma am" sullenly.
Then why didn't you do it?"
No answer.
Why didn't you clean it, Delia?"
Didn't have time"
But you did have time you have
had very little to do yesterday. Now
Della this ice chest must be cleaned
today. Take all these things off the
shelves and wash it out thoroughly.
Put plenty of amonia in the water.
And what's this? 2" taking out a small
covered dish. "Parsnips. Why l told
you to throw those out day before
yesterday"
Dela's only answer was to slam the
iron down on its rest with unneCes-
sary force, while she jerked the shirt
waist around on the board to iron the
sleeve.
And here's some fish balls. How
many times have | told you never to
put fish Of any kind in here? Every
thing will smell Of it. Now you must
clean this as soon as you finish that
waist You can do the rest Of the iron
ing afterWard. But | want this cleaned
now When you're through, leave it
open to air out before you put the
things back.
DELLA OUT OF SORTS.
For several days Della had neglect
cd her work and had been unusually
sullen. Helen felt it had some thing
to do with her young man" He
had not called on her for the last two
Wednesday evenings as had been his
custom Plainly there had been
quarrel. De- was constantly watch
ing for the postman, but no letter IN
the painstaking illiterate writing had
been received Helen was always SYM
pathetic with any unhappy love affair.
She had tried to be patient and to put
up with Delia's neglect and unusual
bad temper But now she thought
things had gone too far, the dirty ice
chest could not be overlooked. And
yet she felt vaguely uncomfortable.
She had never had a really serious
clash with Della, and was not quite
sure what the outcome would be.
When half an hour later she again
went into the kitchen, Della was iron
ing one of Winifred's dresses and the
Ice chest was untouched.
Della, Itold you to clean the ice
chest as soon as you finished that
shirt-Waist."
II Amt goin to let these clothes dry
out-thcy're all sprinkled and right to
iron now. And | Amt goin to sprinkle
them over again. There's enough work
to do in this place without dom 1t
twice"
But Della, I said I wanted this ice
chest cleaned out NOW"
I'm ironin' now. III clean it when
get through here
You'll clean it NOW, Della or I'll
have to get some one in your place
thai WILL
THAT suits ne. ma am" Della slam
med the iron back On the range and
deliberately united her apron. Il can
get plenty of places with more money
and less work than I'm gettin' here"
AND Della stalked out of the kitchen,
down the hall to her room, leaving the
unfinished work on the ironing board
and Helen standing aghast.
She had not intended to bring this
&c an issue-not this way. She had no
IDEA that Della would calmly walk
out. What should she do? In spite of
all her faults. Della was very good
honest and dependable. 1t was only
the last few days she had been like
this.
Then Helen began to wonder if she
had been little unreasonable in in
sisting on the ice chest being cleaned
just then. But it was not only the ice
chest-she had put up with so much
neglected work and sullen defiance
this week! Yet more and more she
shrank from the thought Of breaking
in strange girl. And Warren would
be furious, There was nothing he ha-
ted NOR ethan to change servanes.
And tomorrow the Stevens were COM
ing to dinner
What could she do? She heartily
wished she had never mentioned the
ice chest Oh, why had she persisted
in il 500 Yet how could she make any
overturnes now?
She went through the hall, passing
Delia's room. But the door was closed
and there was a sound of a trunk be-
ing dragged over the floor Helen
went on into the sitting room and gaz-
ed out the window. The thoughts of
losing Della overwhelmed her more
and more.
Just then the bell rang.
Only one letter. Miss Della
O'Donoghue." read the address-pains-
takingly pencilled in the big, awk-
ward hand.
Helen went back and raped on De
liza S door.
"A letter for you" handing it in.
THE LETTER ARRIVES.
Della took 1t without a word and
again closed the door But in that mo-
mentary glimpse into the room Hell
en- had seen the open trunk and the
clothes on the floor beside it ready to
be packed.
Well, she was going-there was no
help for it now. Helen took down the
telephone book to look up the address
of any employment agency. What was