Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-15
THE EVENING STORY.
GIRL WHO WAITED.
Copyright. 1914. by W. Werner

LAME Ware was cutting grass with
lawn mower that persistently clogged
and clattered and baked She was a
good-sized girl, with brown hair, gray
eyes and a square chin, and wore blue
cotton frock which she had made herself
And 1t looked well as a piece of amateur
dressmaking. Even If it had not LAME
must have worn it jus. the same. for
she had little money to spend on clothes
The old-fashioned brown house, which
was her entire Inheritance. constantly
demanded tribute in the way of repair
or taxes, and LAME did not earn much
as salesWoman in Barnaby's store. True,
she rented the house with the exception
or a couple of rooms she reserved for
herself. but rent was low in Westmore,
and for some time now the Wesleys had
paid nothing, for Bob Wesley had met
with an accident in the factory and was
coming back to health slowly and he had
wife. an old mother. and three babies
to feed. LAME was poor herself. and she
had a just appreciation of what pow
erty meant. Even If the Wesleys never
paid her at all she could not urge them
to do so now in their distress.
a woman came ambling down the side
curiously at LAME. "Wen, Lanie,'' she
cried cheerfully, you ought to have a
man to do that for YOU
LAME rested upon the handles of her
machine. Cant afford it, Mrs. jamie
son."
Il mean a husband Why don't you,
LAME? That makes me think Victor
Vance has started in to build over his
house this morning. l understand he's
going to have fireplace and veranda
and balcony: Next thing he'll want
woman. You better apply
The color faded and left LAME pale.
She bent to her task again. You're
Kind to mention it, Mrs. Jameson" she
said quietly, land awfully generous.
since you've daughters of your own
Inc old woman went on. her limp
skirts Tapping angrily. Lanie's eyes were
fuil of tears She never misses a chance
TO insult me- she thought passionately.
she thinks - everybody in this town
thinks-Im just waiting for Victor Vance.
l know all about it. And it's true. l am
waiting. I've always waited. ever since
he used to go home with me from choir
practice l do care for him-there's no
denying it-and these people who pry and
watch and put two and two together
nave found 1t out. He probably knows it
himself. Oh, it's to my shame, but l
can't help it. If he'd marry some other
girl I'd know it was all over and I'd feel
settled in my mind. But to see him every
day. Well, l suppose he thinks if he
ever gets ready to marry and there's no
other girl he wants he can have me. He
can just reach out his hand and take
me, like flower that's blown from him.
l suppose I'm lacking in pride or Gem
mon sense or I'd have 1t different But
he's the only thing in my life that's ever
been worth while. All the rest was just
eating and sleeping and working. And
food and sleep and work doesn't make
much of an existence for any woman
who isn't over eighty
LAME had worked in the store until
6, and had come home weary. but be-
cause the grass needed cutting she had
attacked it with determination that
carried her and her lawn mower over all
obstacles
When she had finished moving she put
the mower in the woodshed and went in
to get her supper. But she was not
hungry. I've waited too long for my
supper, she thought.
1t came to her that she was very tired
of eating bread and drinking milk. very
tired Of handing down goods and dis
playing them 10 capricious customers;
very tired even of waiting for Victor
Vance. Tonight nothing in her life SEEM
ed to satisfy or compensate her for the