The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-01-20
Daily Short Story
THE ADJUSTMENT.

She vas putting the last flying
| sutches intO a piece OF fine under,
wear when the door opened and her
daughter entered the room. The girl
had IN her hand an open letter
mere, I've got IL written" she
said Il never dreamed n would be
such hard work just writing 20 ones
own father. Read IL. won't you. moth.
er and see II IL is all rightg"
MIS-. Burnett took the letter and
glanced over the few lines IL con.
tained. The sheet wavered in her
grasp, although she tried to hold her
sef In rigidity. 1T Is all right" she
agreed. She gave Il back TO her
daughter and took up her sewing.
Then III mail e." Jessie half
turned away. Il wonder-do you sup
pose he'll come? It's good ways.
But, then, it's a great occasion. I'm
his only child and I'm going 10 be
married. IL wont seem right TO be
married without him I've tried TO
tell him that I'm my letter"
Mrs. Burnett was looking out OF the
window. What she saw was the mar
row village street on which she lived
All her days. II had n good deal 10
DO with her life. one way and another
But she did not consider that now.
she was wondering merely whether
Jessie's father would come 20 see his
girl married.
She did not speak or move again
ana the girl went TO her room prepar-
atory 10 go 10 the postoffice Mrs.
/ Burnett wanted TO be absolutely alone
and undisturbed. She wanted 20
/ think-to plan out a course OF ac,on
In case Jessie's father should come.
she thought OF him now entirely a.
Iessis's father. She could not decide In
her own mind whether he would come or
not twas n long ways TO Saskatcho-
N. he mi ~ kHnH -
enough. He never had money enough.
/ THAT was the point at which their dis
agreement began. He never had elbow Ell
his way into any kind OF success. and
she could not make him. She had hee "a
angry good many times before she ha'l
/ been discouraged. They were poor. AMI
she wanted Jessie 20 have n good TINE.
and money was the only door She had
the house and few thousand-her in
heritance from her parents But tfat
was not enough. Joe ought 20 make his
way When he would not or could not
sne began 20 lose faith in him They
At the last 81 had come quietly. some
old friend OF his was going rrospectinr
into Saskatchewan and had asked him
/ 10 20 along. He went. lie broke dow n
over the parting with Jessie. The gil
vas eleven and she did not understand.
She only knew that he was going aud
she was fond Of him. That was ten
years ago.
In ten years he had written infra
quently 10 Jessie, but he had not come
/ home. lie said very little about himself
The girl had grown away from him un-
[ ~ he had become little more than q
memory. Yet now that she was 20 be
married she wanted his presence. And
! she had written him 20 come home.
suppose he came Mrs. Burnett pom
/ dered that seriously. II was 20 be an
/ informal wedding. She would rather a
/ thousand times he did not come. II
would bring things back too vividsy.
make IN uncomfortable situation sor
her. Yet ~ the girl wanted him sire
would say no word against his coming
Jessie was her first thought. Yet she
grew graver and palcr as the days went
him TO come.
10 was going 20 he very lonely for her
when Jessie left. She dare not think OF
\ that part OF IL. She Kept very busy ali
/ 81 the time. sewing. planning. attending
I 20 the thousand details that even n quiet
wedding ncceesitotes. Jessie must be
quite free and untried.
| And still no answer came 10 Jessic's