Evening star., 1914-04-15
THE EVENING STORY.
MARTA.
MARTA.
Copyright. 1919. by W. wcrncr)


rs soon as Marta stepped over the
Der. brown eIes. she knew that some
thing was the matter. Not all that
forced smiling hid the soberness. And
her eager-eyed. breathless gladness at
seeing the new unknown land was as
suddenly and blackly frosted as when
the east wind scattered sleet over a too
eager bed of narcissuS. She endured the
red tape of Ellis Island passvely. An
ton was busy talking. arranging for her
baggage. Suddenly she was ashamed of
the quilt bundle and the queer old-coun-
try baskets with which she had come
loaded. His strange. glib use of the new
land language brought pain TO her
heart. which was surprising. Not twelve
hours back She had sat in the crowded
steerase and wondered now many words
she could learn day. Alfeady she
knew how to spell some Anton. in every
letter of the three years past had writ
ten three or four. with their meaning.
and she had read them over and over
and tried to pronounce them. laughing
the while to herself ut the laundering ac
cent which she. doubtless. was giving.
When Anton sent her money to come
across to him-ah. then. The letter
would slip to the floor while her eyes
sparklcd at the vision Then he would
teach her
She had cried with Joy when 4 tourist,
an elderly american woman. lounginG
'rhout the small village heard her hope.
and. with the careless generosity of some
Americans. gave her enough for her pas
sage. because. she said With a little
laugh Your Anton might set tired of
waiting. lie might lind a pretticr girl
hurry. my dear. Marta had laughed
Such a Joke Not Anton oh. other
men might. Surely. The world held DIT
ferent people. Her laughing. blue eyes
lost little of their mrth as she
called the story of Johann and Graida
Johann had gone and promised to send
for Graida. but he never sent. He stop
ped writing. and Graida. after two years
Of waiting. during which her eyes grew
hard and her smile more like a sneer
married the fat shoemaker whom she
hated. as every one knew. and who only
wanted a wife to take care of his dirty
cottage. And there was Fritz and Cath
arine. Fritz sent the money for her pas
sage. as he had promised. But return
ing countrymen sighed over the outcome
You see. Catharine is a nice girl. but.
ach. so stupid. And She could not learn
american ways. And here at home she
was pretty: but over there-wel. there
was little haxen-haired girl whom Fritz
met when he roomed.
But il was silly to be frctted by other
folks troubles. She and Anton We're diff
ferent For him well as for her. the
sun would cease to shine if one would
prove idItflieSS. Ana MARTA Sldlteu Win
shy complacency in the small mirror,
whose black. carved frame had inclosed
her great grandmother same blueeyed.
pink-cheeked reflection Catharine had
a squatty nose. And Graida was tenn
perish. And Johanna and Fritz We're
tickle devils, anyhow But Anton
Coming over on the boat Marta was
less satisfied with herself She got brief
glimpses of the dainty footgear of the
first and second class passengers and
she wished a bit forlornly that her shoes
We're not so coarse and clomperng. And
her Woolen skirt was so ugly a brown.
And it fell in thick. gathered folds. unlike
the clinsing eose-cut gowns that frisked
about above. But. tuSh' Anton had seen
her clothes for eighteen Years before lie
Went away. And it was her own self that
he would cry out with JOY at seeing.
STAY. She unfolded his last letter. He
was glad that she had this chance to
come much sooner than he had eX-
pected TO see her. He hadn't saved so