Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-07-23

tap. Come in" sighed Mrs. Jonley.
oh, Mrs. Jonley! Good evening,
Mr.. Jonley. Can you let me have
some baking powder? I want to sur
prise Mr.. Merrows with pancakes for
breakfast. And Ethel has been tramp
ing around town all afternoon and Is
SO tired hate to ask the child TO
run down to the store. And our tele-
phone is out of order. And how did
you like hat fruit cake?"
Mr.. Jonley a waited in dismay.
He wished that he was far away. A
row is a row, and when o are tired
but the .lighta$of conflict faded
from his wife's. eye She looked
obviously at the pretty, smiling, little
woman who stood before her. Why,
1T was lovely, Mrs. Merrows,' she
said helplessly, and went out to the
pantry to get a heaping measure OF
baking powder.
Afterward h explained to her hus-
band that it was impossible to refuse
a trifling loan to a M who has
just sent you an expensive cake. JON
ley nodded. though. That was Mer-
rows way. That blend Of friendliness
and good will and Christian feeling!
You simply couldn't refuse him!
And it went on. The Merrows Dor
rowed and borrowed. Sometimes they
paid back royalty: more often they
ulu not, But theyF were afnlaDle ana
had that winning way.
Life became spoiled for the Jonleys.
Mrs. Jonley finally refused to lend
Mrs. Merrows a loaf of bread. She
said she hadn't any. Ten minutes
later Ethel, a pretty. girl, ran in to
show Mrs. Jonley q new photograph
of herself-and incidentally to give it
to Mrs. Jonley-and saw three pans
Of fresh baked loaves sitting on the
GiTo Of tho "a hlo m nNn1 Cha lnoGn1
at Mrs. Jonley queerly. Mrs. Jonley
got red and felt uncomfortable and
pressed two loaves upon her.
II felt stingy," she later moaned
to her husband. But 1 don't care. I
won't do it again. She came in not
ten minutes later and asked for a
postage stamp. It was the only one I
&c to the drug store before I could
mail that letter to mother"
Jonley remarked idly that Merrows
hadn't been around him lately. To tell
the truth, Jonley was distracted. The
hard times were pressing him to the
wall. Mrs. Jonley, learning it a few
days later, when he could keep it no
things. like lending. A big worry alb
serbs smaller ones. But a big worry
makes for increase of nerves and
temper. Mrs. Jonley watched her hus-
bands perturbed face for several days
and then began to take her own fret
ting OF in what at other times she
herself would have called plain bad
temper.
1t was while she was in this state
that Mrs. Merrows came over after an
absence Of several days. She wanted
to borrow Mrs. Jonley's best party
gown, a really stunning affair of
mauve velvet and chiffon. Mrs. jon
ley's mouth set grimly. She didn't
often wear that dress. 1t was too
good.
II know it is a terrible cheeky thing
to ask" Mrs. Merrows continued
plaintively. And I wouldn't if"
She bit her lip. Her cheek Redeemed.
But Mr.. Merrows is in a tight place,
and there will be men there whom he
wishes to think he is prosperous. 1
hate to ask, but I haven't been able to
afford a new thing this winter"
Mrs. Jonley opened her mouth to re-
fuse-and without circumlocution.
Some day." continued Mrs. Mer-
rows forlornly, 'I,ll pay you back
and so will Mr.. Merrors for all your
kindnesses."
ars Ms: 5 5Ss'sy :ensj (,,t and s..s go, a,. the
eome. she It S isn't n Ike b ye sSIsk auits ey T !;
~ Of Jonley's expressed fear at the
breakfast table. that I'll. need it,"
Mrs. Merrows gushed her thanks
and ran out. Mrs. Jonley told herself
thai h was a fool. Next time she'd
refuse.
Ten days went on. Mr.. Jonley grew
more worried. Mrs. Merrows sent
word that she had spilled wine on the
return it. Mrs. Jonley shifted and
then raved, but she was glad of the
incident to absorb her nervou anger
at life in general.
She sat down and wrote Mrs. Mer-
rows a note in which she told that
lady all that she had wished but new
er dared to tell. She stamped it and
laid it on the table till she could have
! it mailed.