Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-08-26
THE SIX YEARS.
BY Laura kirkman.
Copyright, 1914, by the Mcclure News
paper S~yndicate.)

BY Laura Nirkrnan.
Copyright, 1914, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
There was no. embarrassment in
Mrs. I3ancroft's face as she poured a
cup of tea for the girl from home. the
girl who had seen her in her hour of
deepest humiliation.
And how is George?" h asked
frankly, striving to pronounce her
husbands name as though it we're
that of any friend.
g" believe he's well," h said
guardendly, though ! seldom see him
He stays on his farm most of the
time"
"And your cousin ANY, went on
the older woman swiftly, seeing the
Girls embarrassment. us she we'll,
too?"
AT the mention of this name Maud's
yes snapped.
Yves, she's WE'LL" she answered ex-
citedly, but she's going to marry that
Frank Collier-that drunkard! She's
silly enough to think she can reform
him. The words froze on her lips. She
had forgotten, for the instant Ia Mrs.
Bancroft had married u "drunkard."
But Edna Bancroft was neither
hurt nor angry. She smiled kindly
into the girls horror-struck face.
Let her marry him." she said,
frankly. He'll never reform without
her help; perhaps with it. he can.
Just because my trial failed, there is
no reason to believe that hers will"
Maud was %speechless. She mar
veled at the woman's frankness. But
she was yet to marvel still more.
VIVA is, isl went on Edna Ban
croft. and 1T might as we'll be
brought out into the daylight. Any
reason l couldn't reform George was
that l got hold of. him too late; he
vas beyond reform. He always made
me think of a piece Of cloth which
once must have been fine and deli
cately colored. but which had fallen
into the hands of unskilled dress
makers who married. and soiled. and
miscut him. When ] married him he
was garment bungled beyond re-
pair"
She got up now. With reminiscent
eyes. she wandered to the window.
And yet" she went on, staring
down %unseeingly at the street. I'D do
again, knowing this. for those first
six years when he was trying"
Swiftly Maud Railway rose. Tears
stung her eyes She hoped Mrs. Ban
croft would understand that her train
left in 15 minutes; that she simply
had to co.; but whether she did or not.
Maud had no voice to tell her. She
was thankful when she was out in the
hall with the door closed between
them.
On the other side OF the closed door
Edna stood q moment with clenched
hands, then, bending YEARLY, picked
up her sewing. She sat down beside
her work table. Desperately she tried
to focus her thoughts or her work,
on the dress h was making for
Miss Evans, and the evening wrap
for Mrs. Perrin-on the triumph of
having successfully transplanted a
business from Greendale to New
York.
But she failed m%iserably to govern
her mind. All she could do was to
hold the soft dance-frock material
in her hands and stare at it
vichously. "Ill tell HMM a round
about way, Of course; but I'll tell
him just how she feels about things!
He shall know 10 helpless a thing he
has crushed"
: George Bancroft shall know just
4 10Y big a monster he is." she vowed
to find George-George as he was in
! the years when he was trying. AS
II to go to him. she sank her head into
the soft fabric and cried.
And Maud. on a train flying back to
Greendale, was crying, too.
When she reached Greendale, instead
of going to him. she took a hack to
George Bancroft's farm.
Reform work; not q social CALI" she
explained to the hack driver, whose
wife belonged to Maud's sewing club.
and who was. therefore, a person worth
explaining to.
George Bancroft was eating dinner