Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-11
THEEvEN|NGSTORY.
ROSES.
Copyright. 1914. by W. Werner

Copyright. 1914. by ". weruer)
Phebe Hawn had been UP since q
o clock. She had emptied ashes s"eP
walks and got breakfast for herself anc
her aunt, with whom she lived. A1tel
breakfast she had washed the dishes
| made two beds and put the house II
thoroughly respectable order. She nae
had the beginnings of two fresh scoiding:
and the ending of one that had been be
gun as soon as she entered the house thu
night before She had been reminded
that she had made a lot of trouble ant
expense while she was being brought W
and that she could never be expected te
pay back one-tenth of what she had re
ceived. Then she put on a clean shir'
waist. pinned up her hair a little tighter
and went forth to her days duties be-
hind the lace counter of Wilmot & Sarth'.
big department store. 1t was the usua
working day OF Phebe Hawn.
1t was a blue and white February morn
ing: The town was packed in snow
while overhead was a blue sky pouring
forth the gayest of sunshine. Spring
above. winter below. Phebe thought One
could not be altogether miserable on such
a morning even if one did have Miss Pol
ter for an aunt with nobody else in the
least difference whether one lived or died
Phebe did not want to die. She wanted tt
live long enough to get some good Out
of life. And she had beautiful faitf
in her future-the kind of faith thai
makes any fate at twenty bearable. Sc
she hummed softly and brightly a jolly lit
tie tune as she SKINNED between snow
banks to eight hours of patient counter.
work which meant a pay envelope Satur.
day night and the further appeasing Of
Aunt :. abigail.
But that morning at the lace counter
was to be different from all the other
nnety-seven mornings which Phebe haC
spent there since she came to town witt
Aunt Abigail. for. turning from the
shelves where she had been putting away
the collection of laces which fussy
shopper had wholly disdained. she saw
before her most perSonable sray-eyeC
young man. buttoned up in dark brown
ulster. who held toward her a shipping
of lace and inquired. pleasantly: Car
you match this, please?''
Phebe took the lace and scanned it
She could match it. So she found the
right bolt and measured off the number
OF yards he wanted and made a neat lit
tie parcel. tying the cord skillfully witt
her slim brown fingers while he looked on
AS he paid for the lace she wondered who
he was and for whom he was buying thu
lace. Phebe watched him as he went t.
the street door until she was recalled tt
duty by a sharp voice saying: IF you've
looked long enough, Id like some imita
ton torchon.'
Phebe started guilty. She felt as SHIT
did when Aunt Abigail spoke thus to her
And. indeed. this narrow. sharp-eyed
tight-mouthed woman was the same sor
as Aunt Abigail. She had sold her enough
lace to know that. She righted and con
trolled herself and made her sale pa
tiently.
That noon it was so joyously bright
been up since ) Phebe felt that she mus
have little longer airing than usual, sc
she went the longest way home from the
store. This way took her through quite
different street from the one upor
which she lived-a street of real homes
such as she sometimes In her dreams
saw herself living in. At the wide win.
dow of one of these houses she saw g
girl, a pale girl of about her own age
sitting. AS she caught Phebe's glance
she bowed and smiled Familiarity Miss
Page was one of Phebe's best customers
For month she had not been in the
store. and Phebe heard she was i'll. Now
at the sight of her Phebe was SO glaC
that she blew kiss off her shabby fin.
ger tips.
She went on home to the shabby little
rented house in Caper street to find
Aunt Abigail still nursing her headache
and lunch to get. The unexpected never
happened here at home. One day was
like another. And yet, through all the
gray weather of poverty and ill nature
Phebe's joyous youth danced like an ire
pressible sunbeam.
She returned to the store only slightly