Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-07
THE EVENING STORY.
WIDOW WINTER.
Copyright, 1914, by W. werner.)

(COpy right, 1911, Dy W. Nerner-}
Ada Winter stood on her little back
porch, hanging up the dish towels to
dry and talking to Mrs. Bellamy, who
had run across for moments chat
Mrs Bellamy was a thin, bow-backed
woman. who could stand like post
while other women's feet gave out under
them She had trained herself to stand.
for her mornings were spent mainly at
some other back door than her own. She
always was just going. yet never went.
Ada Winter had found that out before
she had lived in the neighborhood
week She was Mrs Bellamy's next-door
netshbor. and 1t had not taken them long
to get acquainted.
1.-THE milk is something awful Mrs.
Bellamy said. at either sours overnight
or else there amt enough cream on 1t
to grease a cats whiskers. m so
plagued with it don't know what to do
I'D like to see myself paying out good
money for d poor article, ADA said as
she sat down comfortably on the steps
The milk I've had so far has been
pretty good. At least, I've had no cause
to complain"
Mrs. Bellamy sighed That's him! He
always starts in good. But you'll find
out he won't keep it up. He's smart as
lightning. And he's just got rich OF US
poor folks"
who 10 her demanded Ada She was
beginning to feel interested. especially
since Mrs. Bellamy's complaint was not
the first she had heard.
why, didn't you ever hear OF LaDan
Lambert? He's got the best dairy farms
in this section, besides being a stock
holder in the bank and owning string
of houses here in town. He's rich and
he's earned every penny mmsef. he
an old bach and his sister keeps house
l., IT, yfv1l ryXr or
maid in the country that amt run after
him some time or other. but he amt the
marrying kind. Too stingy to support
a wife, l guess. Everybody knows he
buying of him just the same. There's
Hannah Hess. t'other side of you. She
wouldn't dare speak up to him II she
knew he sold her chalk and water, cause
Mores just as bad. And Stella Arm
strong. And them that amt got an eye
for him owes him great long milk bills
She tried to look unconscious. We'll,
| guess l better be stepping home.
Ada Winter laughed as she rose. "A!i
right, Mrs. Bellamy. Well meet again
Entering her house, she went in to the
living room and took the big chair at the
front window. 1t was almost time for
the milk man. and she wanted to see
what happened when he came.
Ada Winter had been widow three
wears. She was forty-two, and her huS-
ballu ndu Deen elSnl years OlueI- TIC
had left her farm and money enough
to live upon comfortably. She had no
children. and after he went she found
the farm very lonely, SO she rented 1t
pretty, but she was sweet and very
wholesome looking. She had co'or in her
cheeks and sparkle in her blue eyes,
In her low-necked. short-sleeved blue
chambray frock she looked thing of
sentleneSS and timidity.
Ear the street bell tangled ana
the yellow milk cart, numbering in the
wake of a massive brown horse, came
into view. At the More gate Manda was
waiting with her empty milk bottle and
ticket. But the man who stepped out
of the milk cart was no Barkis His keen
black eyes saw the empty milk bottle
rather than Manda- Inside of fifteen sec
onds he had left Manda with three pints
of Indifferent milk and had passed on to
Stella Armstrong; Stella was widow,
and she, too. was waiting. But Mr.. Lam
bert tarried barely ten seconds with her.
Then he crossed over to Hannah Hess.
Hannah bounced out of her door with
every assurance that she had been wait
ing, but, though she Uttered her liveliest
Mr.. Lambert paid her no heed. He was
now due at Ada's. She leaned forward
curiously Her milk bottle, holding a
ticket, sat on the front steps. She did
not consider 1t necessary to present it
TO Mr.. Lambert personally. After he had
left the milk and gone on she rose and
went to get it. For the first time the
printed top was turned wrong side up.
Ada was fair, if very decided. She be-
ieyed in giving everybody the chance she
would under the same circumstances like
for herself. She said to herself that she
would let the milk be its own judge. 1t
had been very good so far, but then
the label had always been the other way
up. Mrs. Bellamy said that he carried
two labels, just as he carried two dis
tinct grades of milk. She knew what
was under the one label. She would
now discover what was under the other