The San Francisco call., 1913-10-08

III SICK OF RESTAURANTS You gel
some sort of a girl today?'
Il hope So doubtfully. That
Swedish agency promised to send me
one this morning-but you can't de-
pend on any of them"
VIII you come here a minute.
miss?" called Mrs. o'Grady
Helen found her upon the kitchen
chair, before a shelf of utensils.
4 thought I'd wipe off these
shelves while you were havin' your
breakfast-and see what foundr'
From behind a wooden chopping
bowl and stone crock she drew out
a newspaper in which was wrapped
one of Helen's best dessert plates
There was a large V-shaped piece
broken out of the scalloped edge.
Helen took it with little cry OF
dismay
You were always sayin' Maggie
never broke nothin'." with vindictive
satisfaction, for Mrs O'Grady and
Maggie had never been good friends
Instead of tellin' you when she
broke things. she did away with 'em
She must have forgot about this 'un
1 guess if you count up your china
you'd find lot of 'em gone"
With flaming cheeks Helen took the
plate in to Warren
Warren. look; just look at this
It's one of the see Cousin Ellen gave
US when we were married. Maggie
broke it and hid it away Do you
suppose she's broken other things.
I never dreamed she was that kind
of a girl"
Warren shrugged his shoulders. 81
thought she'd bear watching, but you
seemed to think she was such a
jewel"
why. Warren. you're the one who
thought she was so wonderful-just
because she was a good cooks 1 al
ways said she was sullen, but ] did
think she was honest. I'd never have
left her to close up the apartment il
I hadn't. Now / don't know what tc
think" glancing ruefully at the plate
do you suppose it can be mended?1
fitting in the piece.
''Sce here. I've got enough to worry
me about lot of fool trifies. Found
the whole office upset yesterday;
they'd let everything go while l was
away. I'm going to fire that stenog-
rapher soon as 1 get time TO break in
another. Now you ought to be able
to run things here without everlast-
ingly bothering me-
tOh, l know you've lots to worry
you," with quick self-reproach
Don't think about anything here.
I'll get along all right. Mrs. O'Grady's
so fast We'll have the whole place
clean before night" with forced
cheerfulness.
HIS TRUNK
Get that trunk out of my room.
Stumble over it every time / go in
Yes, dear, I'm going to send the
trunks down to the basement the first
thing. This evening you'll find every
thing straight"
We'll, hope so. It's been blamed
uncomfortable since we got back"
Helen always took to heart the
slightest suggestion that she was not
doing her part. She knew that the
getting home to a dusty apartment
some discomforts.
And now, as soon as Warren was
off, she started in with tense energy,
determined to get everything to
rights before he came home that
evening-and to get dinner even If
the girl did not come.
Now, I'll wash the dishes, so you
can begin right away in the front
room,' she instructed Mrs. O'Grady
Give it thorough cleaning. No, the
other ones the dust cloth, and you'll
want whiskbroom to brush off the
couch and chairs"
Helen loathed to wash dishes; IT
was the one part of the housework
from which she shrank. But now she
piled them in the sink, intent only on
getting them out of the way, so she
could get to other work.
She was imbued with the real
housewife spirit of Cleaning up
The very fact that there was so
much to do, that it would require SO
much work and management to get
it all done before night. gave her a
certain sense of pleasure. 1t was an
incentive to her best efforts.
THE dustpan? It's in the bottom
of that cupboard. Now, let's hurry
Mrs. O'Grady," with eager enthusi-
asm. I'VE want to have the whole
apartment cleaned before Mr.. Curtis
comes home. II don't get a girl
could you stay tonight and help m.
get dinner"
Sure, miss; can stay as late al
you want me. My old mans work
ing in Jersey now and he don't com,
home to dinner"
"Oh, that's fine. Soon as I ge
through here I'll order the groceries
We've eaten in restaurants SO Ions
Mr.. Curtis will love real home din
ner.'
And as Helen washed the dishes
she unconsciously hummed littl,
air she had heard so much in Paris
After all, 1t was good to get bacl