The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-07-30
Copyright. 1913. by ". werner.l

1t was all so new and amazing to
Lavina Frer that her brain still whirl-
ed with the wonder OF 1t. Yesterday
she had been living las it were. in the
gray twilight of her old age. mega
tive, emotionless. yes. ever hopeless.
Then she was thrust into the dazzling
sunlight, where she was still blinking
with unaccustomed eyes.
l4avina F'rer sat at the window Of
the dingy little room she had occu-
pied for four years. There was moth
ment. from the fy-specked gas Jet
to the greasy ingram carpet. where
the feet of many boarders before hers
had trod. There was little in the
room that was her own. She had not
gathered much from the weary years
she had spent working and earning
and there had been others than her
self dependent upon her wages. Sud-
denly incompetency, fastened by old
age. had seized her. She could work
no more. The little she had saved
must go now to keep her until death
gave release.
Release. however. had come in quite
another way-through a simple let
ter delivered by the postman. What
1t contained astonished her so much
that she had to put on her things
and limp to a lawyer to seek an ex-
PLANTATION. The lawyer told her in di-
rect language that she was the recip-
lent Of an annuity from some relative
that for the rest of her life she could
go clad in silk and ride in her own
motor did she choose.
h had limped back t her room.
her worn purse bullying with good
yellow money and a handbook in her
hand. and had sat down and tried
to realize it all. And after twenty
four hours she was still trying, with
the result that things We're beginning
could have everything she wanted
now. but she did not know what she
wanted most. She was trying to find
out.
I've always been used to such poor
things" she thought. II guess poor
things have got to be a habit with me.
I seem to have kind of lost my taste
for a good sight I used to feel 1
wanted. And besides, I don't suppose
and buy right and left the way some
folks do. I'd always be wondering
what I could do without and what
was cheapest as we'll as most service
able. I need plenty of things, though.
My goodness, l guess I do. It'll seem
kind Of heavenly hot days not to LAY
to wear the same stuff dress I wear
cold ones. the way l did last summer.
And it was awfully hot here. I wish
! knew ON n who could advise
me. I feel real kind of helpless and
all upset"
At a sound she looked back into the
street. A motor was coming down.
Alone behind the chauffeur sat a girl,
wearing a big gray hat freighted with
pink roses. AS it disappeared the pink
roses seemed to leave a cometlike
trail behind them upon Lavina's i'm
agination. She clasped her hands
hard and something leaped to birth in
her starved heart. Pink roses" she
gasped.
Suddenly she knew what it was she
wanted most in all the world.
At the street door a shabby girl who
had just crossed the street was taking
out her latchkey to let herself in. She
was another of Mrs. Cassidy's board
ers and she lived on the same floor
with Lavina. AS the girls tired step
sounded in the corridor Lavina pulled
open her door miss --,' she be-
gan, timidly.
My name is Mary Kane said the
girl.
Miss Mary Kane" pleaded Lavina.
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