The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-09-03

leaves, then down at his rusty clothes,
then in an unmistakably boyish and
forsaken way buried his face in his
hands. A moment he remained thus
absolutely motionless in that tense
rigor which denotes violent inner
struggle, then he sprang up and took
what was left Of his supper into the.
house. A moment later he rushed u
Of the front door.
When he was gone Mary Abby got
her breath again. The froth of her
neglected eggs raj cracking and she
hurried to stir up her omelet. Before
she could pour it into the pan her
father entered.
Well, Sis" was his greeting.
aren't you late. father" asked
He glanced at the little nickel clock
on the lamp shelf.
"A little. I met Harry Moore out
here and I stopped to talk to him"
Mary Abby studied her omelet.
Who's Harry Moore, father?"
why, he's the son Of that woman
who moved next door the other day.
He works in the acid room in the fac
tory. She's gone to the hospital-be-
lore they ever got settled or anything.
near as I can tell. He goes to night
school. trying tc get a business course
or something. He seems q likely
young fellow with hard luck-what's
the matter, sis?"
I've. burned the omelet, father.
walled Mary Abby.
And as it was the first time in the
Whole course Of Mary Abby's career
as housekeeper that such a thing had
happened you can see readily that her
wits must have been woolgathering,
indeed.
Mary Abby did not care for her
supper. Her heart was too full OF
sympathy for the boy who had had
none. He had gone to night school
without eating a mouthful. That was
bad for him. Mary Abby could not
slight. and forlorn. sitting with his
head in his hands.
The next morning she fed her ia
ther b~0unteously. packed his dinner
pail. kissed him ana was left alone UNI
til the distant factory whistle should
sound his release again at night. Not
only did 1t sound his release, but that
Of q hundred others and n in par
ticular-one who. perhaps Of all the
hundred would come home to no fire,
no loving welcome. no warm supper
or. indeed, any supper q all.
Il u see about this thought
Mary Abby. IT really must. I can't
let 1t go on right under my face and
eye and never lift a finger. I'm GO
ing to do by him just what. ia want
his mother to- DO by my father under.
the same circumstances."
Mary Abby did her mornings work
up to the last detail She wal precise
in all things. Then she took her cour-
age into her two small hands and
went forth to do what she esteemed
was her duty to the stranger, who.
without being exactly. within her
gates. was so near to them that hi
could not be overlooked.
The house was unlocked ana she
entered by the back door. The FIRST
room was the kitchen, and 1t present.
filled her with swift despair. But
only for a moment. Mary Abby wa
one one to quail before d%ih1culties.
The stove had been set up, and 1t. wal
a very good, new stove: It has had a
fire in It that morning. but there wal
no food in sight. Mary Abby, shock
ed and depressed, q through the
house. The furniture was just as 1t
had been dumped from the. van. Tho
boy had evidently been sleeping on a
couch. for Mary Abby found a quilt
to the kitchen and attacked chaos.
She pinned up her skirts and let her
self 60. She unpacked dishes and
utensils and put them in their proper
places. She hung shades and cleaned
the windows and scrubbed the floor.
She polished the stove and made
things SO spick and span generally
that she surveyed the results Of her
labor with glee. But the glee sub.
sided. suddenly into woeful faintneas
when 2 realized that Il wa : o'clock