Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-02-24
Their Married Life
By MABEL HERBERT URNER

ting an evening gown and some lin
gerie. oh. he was rabid. He said a
lot about business being bad, and for
me not to ask him for another cent"
Wouldn't the store keep the coat
for you for a few months?" ventureo
Helen. I'm sure II you'd explain it
they
"oh, it's only a small shop and
they're going out of business. That's
why they're closing out everything so
cheap. If | can't pay the rest of the
/ money, I'll lose my $50 deposit."
In a flash Helen realized what Mrs.
Thurston wanted-to borrow the
money of her! She should have sensed
1t before. There was a moments un.
comforta BILE silence-then Mrs. Thurs
| ton made the plunge.
oh, you don't know how ! hate to
! ask YOU. it's so fearfully embarrassing.
But if you could only lend me SIS
for Just few weeks. Wills little
grouchy now-but he'll soon come
around. I'll give YOU my note for the
1rst of March, KNOW I'll have it
by then"
Helen flushed resentfully. Mrs.
Ihurston had no right to ask this
their friendship did not warrant 1t.
Yet how could she refuse?
You know I'd be willing to do that
much for you any time" in a hurt
tone, noticing Helen's hesitation.
Helen thought with grim regret of
the day when she had confided to Mrs.
Thurston that she had her own little
bank account, that Warren wanted
/ her to feel she need not come to him
J for every cent. Now she was taking
advantage of that confidence.
| Hard Pressed
oh, you know I'd like to help
unhappily, flushing deeper, but II
/ really h L.
Warrens been complaining of hard
times. too. and l used some of my own
money this Christmas"
Then how much could yet let me
have?'' promptly pinning her down.
But 1t wouldn't help, would it
unless you could pay for it all?" asked
| Helen evasively.
Il suppose / COULD let the grocery
| bill run another MONTH" in frowning
distress. but Will would be furious If
ne knew. You could let me have at
! least fifty-couldn't you?"
Summoning all her courage, Helen
murmured a regretful I'm afraid l
haven't much more than twenty-five
and I'll really need"-
"Oh, l can pay that much back in
couple of weeks" interrupted Mrs.
Thurston hastily. But I'd hoped you
could let me have more"
Helen was hardly prepared for this
taking 1t all for granted. She had not
SAID that she would loan the money
but only that she had that much in
the bank. With lowered eyes she
pulled at the ribbon her negligee, try
ing to think of a way out She felt
helplessly trapped. and unable to COM
bat Mrs. Thurston's handed
methods.
Il really hate to draw out every
cent" In painful confusion.
oh. of course" Mrs. Thurston with
naughty. injured air. made a motion
as though to rise, IF you don't wish to
| lend 1t to me-thats different. I'm
sorry troubled you 1 wouldn't want
to be under obligations to anyone for
SO small an amount If I'd thought
1t would inconvenience you, / GER
TAINLY wouldn't have asked it."
This injured air had its intended
effect. Helen felt duly ashamed and
mercenary, and she rose with an
almost apologetic "Oh, / didn't mean
1t that way, If twenty-five will helm
I-IH be very glad to let you have
that"
Helen is Dubious
Helen got her check book and made
out the check. which Mrs. Thurston
took with effusive assurances that she
would return 1t very soon.
When she had gone, Helen stood
|
ing emotions. She thought of the
twenty-five she had lent Edith wyman
over year ago, and the ten she had
given that woman who had sewed for
her-that. too. had never been re-
turned. OF course. Mrs. Thurston was
different. Yet since she was so care
less about money matters-she might
be careless about paying her debts.
Helen was most exacting about any,
thing pertaining to money. She had
never borrowed a cent In her life and
did not want to lend
What RIGHT had Mrs Thurston to
come to her? She resented the way
she had called her up. without giving
a clew to what she wanted Then
came the ranking thought of how
secretly flattered she had been that
Mrs. Thurston had chosen her for a
confidant.
1t was characteristic of Helen that
the more she brooded over thing the
more intensely she felt about it. And
after half-hour's steady revolving
this In her mind she almost hated Mrs.
Thurston. She felt now that she would
not have another moments peace until
she got back that twenty five dollars.
Never. NEVER again would she lend
money-no matter what the circum-
stances.
The thing that ranked most was