El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-26
Married Lies Troubles
Helen Learns How a Girl Alone
Achieves Her Own Home anu
Her Independence.
BY Mabel Herbert Urner ---

ug MlDeA HeEueEL CAAGT
~ EACH side of the vestIbhe was
the row Of names, letter boxes
~ and bells. Some of the names
were on soiled cards carelessly written
and careIessIy inserted, which gave one
an unpleasant impression Of the tenant
: others were printed and one or two
were on metal plates
Helen pressed the bell under neat
card in small script type MISS Laura
wilson. From the door came an an
inside the hail was dark and narrow.
The stairs were at the PACK she nad
I Just turned the second IugnJ when
Laura Wilson. in a large bib apron, ap-
I peared at the landing above.
"Oh, it was dear Of you 20 some,
I leading Helen into the little four room
I Nat. eve been so excited about ii all
I day. 7 could hardly wait TO get nome
from the office
Il 90 hope YOU haven't gone to any
trouble" protested Helen as she took
off her things in the tiny bedroom.
What a cunning little place" looking
around with eager interest
Isn't it? And I'm so absurdIy proud
Of it alIi Oh, I've so much to tell you
II don't know where to begin 1t seems
my own Wait, We something on the
stove thatu burnt Come on out if you
want to- and she darted into the
kitchen.
1t had been over year since Helen
had called on Laura wilson IN her
dingy furnished room She had just
come 10 New YORK then from Helen
home town, and Helen's mother had
written her to call and see what she
could do to make her feel less lonely.
Helen had had Laura to dinner sew
eral times and then had lost track Of
I her, as one so often does in New York
1t was only by chance they had met
again in the subway recently.
Isn't it the dearest little Kitchen"
proudly. as Helen exclaimed over it all.
7 had the loveliest time fixing up my
china closet Look painted it all
Everything was blue and white, the
shelving paper. the china the tea and
coffee canisters and even the enameled
But doesn't it cost a good deal to
keep this up2" for she knew Laura's
salary as stenographer could not be
1T doesn't cost me any more than It
did in that awful furnished room, and
/ made myself sick eating around at
She went to the refrigerator and took
out q platter of five freshly cut lamb
chops with paper frills on the trimmed
bones.
Il told my butcher I was going to
( have my first company dinner tonight
and YOU see how he dressed up the
chops" taking. off the papers and lay
ing the chops on the hot iron grill. ooh.
I can't tell you how I love ii all-my
little kitchen and my own bathl But
Z
Now" as she showed the grill back IN
the oven, come III show you my flat"
Helen was enthusiastic about IL all
Everything was so clean and orderly.
The tiny bathroom was spotlessly
white.
THE landlord papered the rooms. but
he wouldn't do anything to the bath
room and kitchen-so had to paint all
this woodwork myself. Oh, you don't
know what you can do with can Of
what a clever ideaP' exclaimed
Helen, pointing to a stepladder which
was tied up by two big hooks on the
wall Of the bathroom
Yes. I didn't have any place to put
1t, so I tied it up there It's out Of the
way, and IL doesn't look so bad, does
But how did you get all these things
surely you don't get IL furnished for
"Oh, no-no. they're all mine. wait
III have to turn the chops.
1t was not until they sat down to the
dinner that they really had chance
to talk
ct all came through this advertise
ment'-darting into her bedroom and
coming back with a newspaper clipping
which she laid by Helen's plate:
"WANTED-TO sell the contents of a
four room fiat No reasonable offer
refuse Party leaving the city II
desired, flat can be rented for S24."
I saw that and came right up An
old woman had it, she was selling out
to go to live with her son. She let me
have everything for $50 OF course, its
all cheap furniture, but it's not in such
( bad taste and everything was celan-'
Why. L think that was wonderfully
Z cheap-S35i Not the rugs too?"
Yes, the rugs and curtatns-every-
thing but the china and kttchenWare-
/ bought that new, but IL cost very
little This blue china is all 10 cents,
/ except the meat platter-that was 30
Now YOU must have another chop
I they're so small"
They're deliciousi You're a wonder
] arrrn b -.n--s
/ how you have time with all your work
I at the office"
\ 1T doesn't take so much time. I've
/ learned TO get my eakfaSL in 20 min
/ utes, and I wash the dishes when I'm
/ getting dinner. During the week I
/ don't try to do any cleaning except
/ busting But Saturday afternoons I
4 give the whole place thorough going
] over. Last Saturday I got home at half
: past one, put on an old wrapper and
/ went to work. 1t was after before I
I was through-bathroOm kitchen and
1 all Then / took a bath, laid down,
! rested for an hour and woke up feel
I ing perfectly fine Perhaps you like
l more oil in your salad dressing
! NO. this is just right And you're
] never lonely or afraidT'
Il haven't time TO be lonely, and a
| young girl rooms here at night. She's a
/ telephone operator. Poor child, she only
] gets IS a week. I don't see how she
/ ives on IL nope they VIII MAKE ynaL
! SO minimum wage law. don't believe
! this girl has enough to eat half the
] time. can't bear to see her so out
l of here without breakfast, so I've been
| giving her a cup of coffee and a roll.
] She's studying shorthand so she can
] get a better position. Oh, I didn't tell
/ you that / was studying spanish
| You very wonderful person. B"
( laughed Helen. Now, when do you
! find time to study Spanish
/ Two evenings a week You know
! there's a great demand for Spanish ste
nOgraphers. Use this for your butter
I haven't any bread and butter plates
yet"
and you mean to say YOU come
! from the office, get your dinner and
| then go out to take a Spanish lesson 90
Yes. but of course on those even
/ ings I don't try to have much dinner.
! Usually I just beat up an Omelette-
that's quick and easy.
! Helen watched her almost enviOusly
as she cleared away the salad plates
( and brought on a little bowl of fruit
I jelly with whipped cream She knew
| what the feeling Of independence, "Of
! having done it all herself must mean.
| She thought Of how many women
| stay with their husbands for the sim
| pie reason that they cannot support
( themselves. This was a humiliation
I that Laura Wilson could never know.
( She had proved so superbIy that she