The Springfield herald., 1914-10-30

shed and she sniffed the mingled smell
of smoke and stockyards and found Il
sweet in her nostrils. An unholy Joy
seized her. She entered the biggest
store and made for the millinery de
partment, yielding to an uncomfortable
desire to buy hat. 1t was a pert
trim. smart little hat. 1t made her
thirty-six years seem less possible
than ever, and her seventeen-year-old
son an absurdity.
1t was four-thirty when she tooh
the elevator up to Mary Cuttings Of
fee on the tenth floor. She knew she
would find Mary Cutting there-Mary
Cutting, friend. counselor. adviser to
every young girl in the great store
| and to all Chicago's silly, helpless
Chickens"
A dragon sat before Mary Cuttings
| door and wrote names on slips. But
at sight of Emma McChesney she laid
down her pencil. WELL" smiled the
dragon, you're sight for sore eyes.
There's nobody in there with her. Just
walk in and surprise her."
At a rosewood desk in a tiny cozy
office sat pink-cheeked, white-haired
woman. You associated her in your
mind with black velvet and real lace.
She did not look up as Emma McChes-
ney entered. Emma McChesney wait.
ed for one small moment. Then:
"Cut out the bank president stuff.
Mary Cutting. and make fuss over
me-" she commanded.
The pink-cheeked, white-haired
woman looked up. You saw that her
eyes were wonderfully young. She
made three marks on a piece of paper.
pushed a call-button at her desk, rose,
and hugged Emma McChesney thor
oughly and satisfactorily, then held
her of moment and demanded to
know where she had bought her hat.
Got 1t ten minutes ago. in the mil.
linery department downstairs. Had to.
II I'd have come into New York after
five months exile like this I'd prob
ably have bought brocade and fur
! edged evening wrap. to relieve this
feeling of wild joy. For five months
I've spent my evenings in my hotel
room. or watching the Maude Byrnes
Stock company playing Lena Rivers
with the ingenue coming out between
the acts in calico apron and pink
supbonnet and doing thing they bill
as vaudeville. I'm dying to see real
show-a smart one that hasn't run 200
| nights on Broadway-one with pretty
girls. and pink tights. and a lot of
moonrises, and sunsets and things, and
prima donna in dress SO stunning
that all the women in the audience are
busy copying it SO they can describe
1t to their home dressmaker next day
Poor. poor child" san Mary Cut.
ting, II don't seem to recall any such
show"
well, 1t will look that way to me,
anyway" said Emma McChesney. i've
wired Jock to meet me tomorrow, and
I'm going to give the child really siz-
zling little vacation, But tonight you
and / will have an old-girl frolic Well
have dinner together somewhere down.
town, and then we'll go to the theater
and after that I'm coming out to that
blessed fiat of yours and sleep between
real sheets. Well have some sand
wiches and beer and other things out
Of the ice-box, and then we'll have a
bathroom bee. Well let down our
back hair. and slap cold cream around
and tell our hearts secrets and use
up all the hot water. Lordyl 1t will
be luxury to have a bath in tub
that doesn't make you feel as though
you wanted to scrub it out with lye
and carbolic. Come on. Mary Cutting.
Mary Cuttings pink, cheeks dimpled
like girls.
| You'll never grow up. Emma. Nc
Chesney-at least, hope you never
will. Sit there in the corner and be a
good child, and I'll be ready for you in
ten minutes"
Peace settled down on the tiny Of
fee. Emma McChesney, there in her
corner. surveyed the little room with
entire approval 1t breathed of things
i restful, wholesome, comforting. There
was bowl of sweet peas on the desk
there was an Indian sweet grass bas
ket filled with autumn leaves in the
corner; there was an air of orderli
ness and good taste; and there was
the pink-cheeked, white-haired woman
at the desk.
"There!" said Mary Cutting. at last
She removed her glasses. snapped
them up on little spring-chain near
her shoulder. sat back, and smiled
upon Emma McChesney. a
Emma McChesney smiled back al
her Theirs was not talking friend
ship. 1t was thing of depth and un
derstanding, like the friendship be
tween two men.
They sat looking into each others
eyes. and down beyond, where the sou
holds forth And because what each
saw there was beautiful and slightly
they were seized with a shyness suct
as two men feel when they love eact
other, and 30 they awkwardly en-
deavored to cover up their shyness
with words.
you could stand a facial and de
cent scalp massage. Emma" observed
Mary Cutting in tone pregnant witt
love and devotion. "Your hair looks {
little dry. Those small-town manicure.
don't know how to give real treat
ment."
"Ill have it tomorrow morning, be
fore the kid gets in at eleven. AS tn,
Lily Russell of the travelling profession