New Britain herald., 1915-12-21
The Problem That the Coming o
 Dicly's Mother Caused.

as he held out his hand for his l mothers letter. I knew that he was anxiously awaiting my decision as to the proposition it contained, and I hastened to reassure him.
 "Of course there is but one thing to be done," I said, trying hard to make my tone cordial.
 And that is?" Dicky looked at me curiously. Was it possible that he did not understand my meaning? Why you must wire her at once to come to us. Be sure you tell her that she will be most welcome" felt a trifle ashamed that the well coming words were such a sham from my lips. Dicky's mother was dis. tinctly not welcome as far as I was concerned. I had never seen her, but knew that she disapproved of my marriage, to Dicky, and that she had selected another wife for him. Why, she even had refused to come to our | wedding because of her disappoint | ment in his choice of a wife! Surely | I was Justified in resenting her com- | ing! My thoughts flew swiftly back to my own little mother, gone forever 1 from me. Suppose she were the one 1 who needed a home. How would like to have Dicky's secret thoughts about her welcome the same as mine were now?
 1 That's awfully good of you, l Madge," Dicky's voice brought me l back from my reverie. "Of course I know you are not particularly keen about her coming. That wouldn't be natural, but it's bully of you to pre- l tend just the same.'
 I opened my mouth to protest and 1 then thought better of it. There was no use trying to deceive Dicky. If he was satisfied with my attitude toward his mother, that was all that was necessary.
 1 "I say! say, Madge!' Dicky's tone 1 spelled consternation as if he had just thought of something unpleasant. Where is mother going to s1eep?" l I looked at him in a disrnay equal l to his own There were but two bed- l rooms in our apartment, Dicky's and mine, for the cubbyhole which Katie l claimed was hardly worthy of the ] name room. Only a person who, like 1 Katie, had been used to the cramped l quarters of an East side tenement could have endured it.
 The coming of Dicky's mother would mean that one of us would have to give up a room to her. knew that Dicky shared my views on the inconvenience and undesirability of husband and wife sharing the same room. Both Dicl1y and I had always l been used to sanctums of our owr 1 The prospect of losing the privacy that had been mine brought home to ne as nothing else could, the petty annoyances that would follow the ad- vent of Dicky's mother into our home
 The Summer Plans. "I don't know" I answered slowly. "Of course she must have one of tho Eedrooms.''
 Dicky looked blankly at me
 "Why couldn't you and mother share bedroom he asked. 1.-TWO women ought to be able to get along together in one room.'
 Hasn't your mother always been accustomed to her own room at your sister's?" I queried coldly. II suppose so,' Dicky returned petulantly, "but that's no reason why she can't put up with different con- ditions for a while. Of course we shall have to take a larger apartment another year, but as long as we prob ably are going to the country in the early spring anyway, there's no use in changing before then.'
 Are we really going to the coun- try" I asked, the problem of Dicky's S mother forgotten for the moment. Before our days outing in Marvin l Dicky had mentioned the possibility 1 of our taking house in the country 1 for the summer, but I had not
 realized that he had really decided
 upon doing so.
 "Of course,' said Dicly nonchalant- 1v, There are plenty of pretty places around Marvin we can get furnished
 We'll take a run out there toward
 spring and find one."
 ''What NIartyr!"
 I felt as if a dash of cold water had
 been thrown over me- Marvin was
 the home of Miss Draper, whose . beauty had so attracted Dicky that he
 had engaged her as a model Try as
 I might to shake it off, I had a queer | little presentiment that the coming oi
 Miss Draper into Dicky's life boded no good for me. But I knew better than to say anything concerning Miss
 Draper just then. The plans for the coming of Dicky's mother threatened enough unpleasantness without my in.
 1roducing any other subject. .. Does your mother like the coun try" I asked.
 Not particularly, but it's better
 for her." DiclSy answered easily. Evi
 Gently his mothers prejudces ant o wishes sat lightly upon him. By the
 way, have you decided about her bed . room yet?'
 "Why no, how can I? We never
 can share the same bed, that is cer 7. tain. A woman as old as your mother
 and in her health, ought to have 2
 comfortable bed to herself