The Washington times., 1915-07-12

/ in the kitchen at which you combed
your hair before meals she scrubbed the
hy-specks: She bought new comb
with full complement Of teeth to
hang on the chain. she washed the
roller towel. and for the first time in her
llfe took an interest in cooking, seeking
instruction from neighbors who had
regulations In that line. But she man
aged for a time to confine her amorous
feelings toward Tommy to deeds and at
tentions. She tried to make her man
ner toward him just what II was to
other young men who came to the house.
front room, and the whisky was going.
and nobody was noticing her, she
feasted her eyes on his brown face and
her ears on his quiet. resonant, we'll
bred voice.
1t was a shirt-sleeve house. Directly
you came In. you hung your coat on
one OF many hooks In the hall. and II
you had been much on your feet, you
sat with them on the table after re-
moving moving Z9ur Znir shoes: This last was q
unable to adopt; but he hung his coat
In the front hall with the others, and
got used to sitting in a room In which.
to use his own phrase. the atmosphere
was chained to the floor
Mrs. Gunsdorf was always coming
and going: She would appear. silent
as ghost, listen for a while to what
the men had to say. and as silently
vanish. SOmetlrneS sho showed In her
oar And she had gift OF hitting
the nail on the head But she spoke
always with a kind OF restrained. feline
ferocity.
All the time her mind was filled with
thoughts and visions Of Tommy. Some
times che would take his coat from its
hook and strain 1t to her breast Some
times when he was out of the house
she would go to his room. and sit by
the hour, feasting herself on day
dreams OF him.
In her mind at least. she was already
faithless to her husband. But this did
not trouble her in the least. If she
, ever had a conscience or moral scruples
had vanished with her first sight OF
Tommy.
II Tommy had suspected her passion
for him, he would have felt very sorry
for her. and he would have changed
his lodging. But his mind was very
innocent about women; and he accept
ed the flowers which appeared on his
bureau in cracked shaving cup just
as he would have accepted the same
flowers growing In a wood.
1t was some time before he even
realized that she was very good loox-
ing. in a sullen. smouldering way. thar
her eyes and teeth were very fine and
that she had a 1.-THE. strong. panther
esque way OF moving,
One day there was violent socialis-
tic discussion going on in the front
room. Mrs. Gunsdorf had appeared
twice at the hall door to listen. and
gaze surreptitiously at Tommy, and
had twice vanished upon some house
hold duty or other.
Having closed the door softly, she
turned swiftly to where Tommy's coat
hung, and pressed II passionately to her
cheek, a paper rustled in the breast
pocket. where she knew no paper had
been earlier in the day, and after mo-
ment's hesitation. and impelled by a
| sudden unreasoning jealousy, she
snatched it out Of the pocket and ex-
amined 1t.
Thomas Steele.
"Bitumen, Pa.
Come home at once. must see you on
| important business, BARCLAY" "
? Mrs. Gunsdorf felt as II she had been
| struck a heavy blow between the eyes
| Was her God-like champion of labor
| only a hypocrte and a Spy? For a mo-
| ment 1t seemed as If her knees had
! turned to water. She put the teleGra m
! back in its pocket. and having pulled
! herself together, once more entered the
/ front room She seated herself some
! what heavily between Tommy and heI
! husband. and with hand that shook
! reached for the whisky bottle and
, poured herself st n drink. Presently
! she began to take an an.p q ated part In
! the discussion. No one ever remem
bered her TO have been so bitter agains
capital and the crimes OF capital. or ~