The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-07-11
THEIR MARRIED LIFE
By Mabel Herbert Urner

| Dy N1dOC1 IL
"very we'll, will give you ref
erence, but you are acting very fool
ish."
tt told you when I came that
that I couldn't do no scrubbing."
sobbed Nora. "You said you would
get a woman for the house cleaning"
II said would get q woman once
a year to clean the woodwork, but
that is ALL" Helen's voice was cold
ly decisive. 81 have the washing done
for you, and the windows cleaned,
and you are expected to do every
thing else. 1 told you that distinctly
when you came"
II can't do nothin' to please you
any MORE" Nora sobbed on, you are
always finding fault with somethin'."
"Now that is absurd, Nora. You
have gotten so lately that you don't
want me to tell you a thing-I can't
even speak to you about your work. "
II do my work. l don't need nobody
to be keeping after me-"
more discussion. In some ways you
difficult to get along with. You could
never work in place with other
servants-you can't even get along
with the laundress here"
II can get along with anybody who
treats me right" defiantly, "but no
body could get along with that
"Now. never mind, Nora; have put
up with your quarrels with Mrs
O'Grady ever since you came. have
put up with other things, too, that no
one else would put up with"
THE REFERENCE.
And cutting short Morals fearful
protests, Helen, her cheeks flushed
angrily, went determinedly to her
desk to write the reference.
Mora Dolan has worked for me fol-
over eight months, and I am glad tC
recommend her as a good plain cook
neat, economical, fast worker and
absolutely honest and trustworthy.
MRS. w. E. CURTIS"
Helen considered. That was all she
could say. After the scene this morn
ing she could certainly not include g
good disposition"
The sound of Nora's heavy, defiant
step, and Helen turned inquiringly.
THE vegetables came, mRam, but
haven't time to fix them," sullenly
II am not going to stay to get dinner
Every we'll, Nora; if you think thai
is the way to act, why, all right
Here is your reference Your month
is not up until the goth, but I will
pay you up to tonight"
Nora took the reference with a re
luctant, ungracious Thank you
ma'am," and stalked out.
Broodingly Helen made some scroll
marks on the blotter before her
With rush came the thought O
Nora's many virtues, her loyalty, hel
economy, her interest in her work
Yet of late she had ben most difficult
| super-sensitive and resentful Of thu
slightest instructions.
Helen knew she had chosen an in
opportune time to speak about thu
pantry shelves, for Nora had beer
! unusually sulky that morning. Per
haps it was the spring, the sudde1
enervating warmth, for Helen, too
had felt decidedly out of humor.
At another time, had she asked hel
tactfully, Nora would have washed thu
shelves without murmur, but this
morning Helen had taken a pervers'
pleasure in not asking her tactfully
but in saying with sharp authority:
Mora, these top pantry shelves ar
| filthy-they are thick with dust.
want you to. take down all thes'
things today and wash them thorough
ly."
Her quick temper bristled at Helen
tone. She had all the silver to clean
She couldn't get up to those shelve
! do hnr And ho
wasn't her work-that was "hous
cleaning"
And when Helen insisted that sh
should wash those shelves today, Nor'
took a stand of sullen obstinacy which
had eliminated in open revolt.
The door bell rang again. Heller
started up. Surely, Nora would an
swer it. A moments wait, then a long
insistent ring. Helen went out t
the kitchen; it was empty. Nora wa
in her room packing. She was delit
erately refusing to answer the bell
| Helen bit her lip angrily as sh
went to the door. 1t was Mrs. Stevens
1T Is such a wonderful morning
can't you come for ride? The ca
is downstairs"
MRS. STEVENS.
"Oh, l would love to, but in
lowered tone as they went througl
the hall, Mora is leaving-she i
packing up now"
NORA" Mrs. Stevens sank into
chair. why I thought she was pal
agon Of virtue?"
| "She was, but lately she has bee
getting difficult. 1 asked her to was
the pantry shelves this morning, an
she fatty refused. She was reall
very ugly-so I had to let her go.
Mrs. Stevens shrugged her shou
ders. They are all alike"
! Helen sighed. 81 suppose so. We
Nora did so much for me, brushe
my clothes, mended the stockings
things l didn't ask of her because
wasn't her work. Oh, l will neve
get any one who will do those things.
You may get some one very muc
better" consoled Mrs. Stevens.
We'll, hope SO. Then with a.
anxious note, somehow l can't he'll
feeling worried about her. She is S
helpless, she doesn't know a thin
about New York. l don't know wha
she will do when she leaves here"
Il thought she had an uncle?"
! He has gone back to Ireland: Sh