The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-01-05
. THE EVENING STORY III
WIDOW WINTER.
Copyright. 1918. b. W. werner,.

copyriGlIt, 1914, ny ". Mcrner.)
Ada WINTER stood on her title back
porch hanging up the Dish towels 10
dry and talking to Mrs. Bellamy, who
had run across for a moments chat.
MIS-. Bella1nN WAS a thin, bow-backed
woman, who could stand like II post
while other women's feet gave out
under them. She had trained herself
TO stand, for her mornings We're spent
mainly ut some other back door than
her own. She always was just going,
Yet never went. Ada Winter had
found that out before she had lived
in the neighburhood Il week. She was
Mrs BellamN's next door neighbour,
and it had not taken them long to get
acquainted.
Tho milk is something awful
Mrs. Bellal1y said. ut either so,lrs
over night or else there amt enough
cream on it 10 grease a cats whiskers.
I'm so plagued with it 1 don't know
what to do"
I'd like t, sec myself paying out
good money for a poor article" Ada
said as she sat down comfortably on
the steps. The milk I've had So far
has been pretty good. AT least, I've
mad no CAUSE to complain
Mrs. Bethany sighed. That's him!
lie always starts in good. Blu you'll
lind out he won't keep it up. He's
smart as lightning. And he's just got
rich of us poor folks"
Who is hep demanded Ada She
was beginning to feel interested, espe-
cially since Mrs. Bellamy's complaint
Was not the first h had heard.
why. didn't You eve hear of La
ban Lambert? He's got the best dairy
farms in this section, besides being a
stakeholder in the bank and owning
a string of houses here in town. He's
rich and he's earned every penny
himself. Hes an old bach and his
sister keeps house for him. They
amt n widow or old maid in the
country that amt run after him some
time or other. but he amt the mar
rying kind. Too stingy To support q
wife. ] guess. Everybody knows he
nigs EN- on the milk. but they keep
on buying Of him just the same.
There's Hannah Hess, t'otler side of
you. She wouldn't dare speak up to
him it she knew he sold her chalk and
water, cause she's got her eye on
him. And Manda More's just as bad.
And Stella Armstrong. And them
that amt got an eye for him owes
him great long milk bills" She tried
to look unconscious. Well. I guess
l better be stepping home
Ada Winter laughed as she rose.
"All right, Mrs. Bellamy. Well meet
again"
Entering her house she went in to
the living room and took the big
chair at the front window. 1t was
almost time for the milk man, and
she wanted to see what happened
when he came.
Ada Winter had been D widow
three years. She was forty-two, and
her husband had beer eight years old
or. He had left her a farm and
money enough to live upon comfort
ably. She had no children, and aft
er he went she found the farm very
lonely, SD she rented it and moved
into town. She was not pretty. but
she was sweet and very wholesome
looking. She had color in her cheeks
and a sparkle in her blue eyes. III
her l~ow-neched. short-sleeved blue
chambray frock she looked a thing of
gentleness and timidity.
Far up the street q bell tangled and
the yellow milk cart. numbering in the
wake of a massive brown horse,
came into view. At the More gate
Manda was waiting with her empty
milk bottle and ticket. But the man
who stepped out of the milk cart was
no I'arkis. His keen black eyes saw
the empty milk bottle rather than
Manda. Inside of fifteen seconds he
had left Manda with three pints of in
different milk and had passed on to
Stella Armstrong's. Stella was a
widow. and she, too. was waiting. But
MIR. Lambert tarried barely ten Sec
onds with her. Then he crossed over
to Hannah Hess's. Hannah bounced
put Of her door with every assurance
that she had been waiting, but,