New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-13
Continued from page ]

you think Mr.. Davis has Lit the road
since you were married."
Goodness" she laughed, 81 lost count
long ago. But in the fifteen years
since We married he's been away twice
~ much as he was at home. When
Cora was a baby three months old ne
up and went to Chicago Sometimes he
was away months at time, and !
didn't know whether he was alive or
dead. This time last year | didn't
know whether he was on earth or not.
For the last three Christmases he's
been away, but ! made a Christmas for
the children. all the same. We've got
two rooms IN Draper Street. in Cincin-
natl, Just two rooms, but they're real
cosey and homelike."
And what do you suppose is the
wage on which Mrs. Davis has sup
ported her two children and given
them Christmsses?"
Just S6 a week.
How did you do it," asked her.
"The rooms were 81 month" she
said, land my lunches at the store cost
10 cents a day. | made the children's
clothes evenings, and I didn't have any
clothes but black stuff dresses ! wore
in the store, like the one I've got on
now But | couldn't have managed, for
JEFF didn't send me money often
couldn't have managed If ! hadn't lad
the best mother in the world. She had
the children come in 10 dinner from
school, and she filed them up so that
we didn't have 70 have much supper.
Grandma to the Rescue.
There never was mother like
o,,,A 'to ctn q
thinks JEFF ought to support me, so
mother can't help me with money, but
she's awful good to the children. She
took Ellery right in her house when
he had scarlet fever. My, that was
hard time, I was afraid of carrying
the disease TO the store, so | couldn't
even see him nights when | got
through working. II was pretty hard"
All through the twelve years of her
service at Hanke's department store
she has worked there as "Clsra Davis"
without any handle, and no one, ex-
cept one or two of her best friends
among the girls, knew that she was
married.
"The head man in our department
ioked me about it," she said. He'd
say, Clara Davis, when are you going
to change that name And I'd laugh
back, and he never guessed what was
going on here" She laid her hand on
her breast in its shabby black waist.
81 tell you," she went on, ladies
trading in the stores don't guess what
stories are behind the faces of the
girls that wait on them"
The founder of the Hotel de Gink
sent his wife out Of his receipts for
his appearance at Hammerstein's
money to buy some clothes and to
come East with.
Debts First. Wife's Motto.
"And how much do you suppose /
got for myself out of that" she asked.
"A 60-cent pair of rubbers. | paid up
my debts al home, though. | hate TO
be in debt. 1t cost 500 for the railway
tickets. Il would have cost more only
we all slept in one berth. The neigh
bors wanted me TO have two berths.
but what would spend so much money
for?- and, anyhow, | want my children
right close to me, where | can touch
them
She put hand on Cora and hand
on Fllery as she spoke. They are
pretty. dark eyed, serious faced chill
dren. Twelve-year-old Cora is the
nOQsekpeDeI ~ HOHlts AH' uioO oNoi',
dolls and has seven, the youngest OF
which, named Earl, she brought with
her 10 New York. Nine-year-old Ellcry
is a little old man, without one bit of
his fathers wanderlust He didn't want
10 come 70 New York and leave his
grandmother.
"She's a good grandma" ne told me,
rubbing a reminiscent hand over his
stomach. "She fills you up so you feel
like you'd bust, and then she asks you
If YOU don't want sumpin more to eat
The first thing Mrs. Davis asked me
was about the New York schools. Were
they as good as the Cincinnati schools!
In Cincinnati they were fine. Perhaps
a mother shouldn't say it, but her chill
dren got splendid reports, and she
didn't want them 10 lose day more
than they had to. She wanted to put
them in school right away.
"But we're going 10 see daddy first,'
said Ellery. -,
They're awful fond OF their daddy"