Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-06-25

|
going to order one grapefruit day!"
"Well. if you don't want the girl
to have grapefruit-Td rather tell
her than do thing like that. Jove.
you can be mighty SMALL
Warren, I'm not SMALL! passion
ately. That's what you always say
because you know it hurts me. Do
you think your mother or Carrie
would furnish three-for-a-quarter
grapefruit to any maid? You know
they're more strict in such things
than l ever could be! You always
said I was too good to Nora-that
let her run over me-"
$50 you did. But now that you've
got girl worth six of her-you're
sore about what she eats. You've
got no sense of proportion. that's the
trouble with you. You get hipped on
one idea, and you can't see anything
else. What's the matter-pinch your
f1nger?"
Exasperated, Helen had turned
back the stepladder with a resentful
jerk and had caught her finger at the
most painful part of the nail. Brush
| ing by Warren, she ran to the bath
loOHl, WhSie Dhe DdthSu thC VI ShoSN
| nail in witch hazel and nursed her
| aggrieved sense of injury.
It was after ten. Too hurt and in
dignant to go back to the library. she
turned on her bath and began brood
ingly to undress.
Why did Warren always try to
| make her feel small and mercenary?
| She was furious with herself, furious
with him. and above all furious with
| Emma for being the indirect cause
| of it all.
She was in bed, her arm over her
| eyes to shade them from the light,
when Warren came in.
"Still sulking?" One OF his shoes
dropped heavily.
Helen did not answer. and her lace
frilled sleeve shaded her face.
| When he had taken his bath. he
threw up the windows and turned off
the lights. Still Helen lay notion
less: she had not stirred.
Thinking about that grapefruit
she's going to eat tomorrow" jeer-
ingly. as he got into bed.
| Helen could have shrieked. In
stead she bit her lips. and angry tears
| wei Tie bItcNe VI OSos
Warren gave his pillow a punch, set
tied 1t under his head, drew the bed
clothes around his shoulders and was
soon dozing of.
| But for Helen. who had worked
herself UP to a state of feverish
brooding. sleep was impossible 1t
had been an unhappy and humiliating
evening-and 1t was all Emma's
fault. Her resentment against the
girl deepened every moment.
What was that? Raising herself on
her elbow, Helen listened tensely
faint. scratching sound, 1t was Pussy
Purr-Mew-shut up somewhere.
Hurriedly Helen got up and began
shivering search. The hall closet.
the closet in her dressing room. her
bureau drawers-for Pussy Purr-Mew
had troublesome habit of creeping
/ any place that was left open. Again
the scratching-it was from the din
ing room.
Helen darted straight to the china
closet. When she opened the door a
fur-ruHled kitten leaped out from the
lower shelf. As she stopped to
smooth the rumpled table cloths
| I1eltH saw SoHuelhiuS ou the sh'4a
above that made her gasp.
1t was the grape jelly-just as
Emma had taken 1t from the table al
dinner! So she bad not touched it.
She had sensed Helen's displeasure
at there being none left from the
night before. and had purposely not
even taken 1t out to the kitchen.
Unheeding the cold, Helen. in only
her thin nightdress. for long time
crouched there on the floor. while
Pussy Purr-Mew. grateful for her re
lease, purred exuberantly but unno-
ticed against her.
At least in this she had been
wrong! She pictured Emma's hurt
surprise in the morning when she
found the jelly locked up. 1t was
reflection on her honesty, which aft
er all, Helen had no real reason to
doubt
When she arose, stiff with cold, it
was not to go back to bed. but to get
the key of the locked cupboard. Tip
toeing out of the kitchen. stealthily she
drew the chair before the refriger-
ator. In the dead silence it creaked
alarmingly as she climbed up to the
shelves.
1t was cold. shivering tag but
she got the jelly back to its accus.
toned cupboard Then. numb with
cold, she crept back to bed.
"Eh, what's that" muttered War
rem. half aroused by the sudden chill
as Helen cuddled against him for
warmth.
Dear. IL was wrong about that
jelly. Emma hadn't touched tit
was in the china closet. And II un-
locked the rest and put It back