The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-03-05

lookin' divil as ever, Mister Ted"
| Ted's hand shot out and grasped
| hers. Birdie! 1 could weep on your
apron! l never was so glad to see
anyone in my life. Just to look at you
makes me homesick. What in Sam
Hill are you doing here?"
"Waitin'. After yer ma died, seemed
like l didn't care t. work fer no pri-
Wit family, so l came back here on my
old job. I'll bet I'm the homeliest
head waitress in captivity"
Ted's nervous fingers were plating
the tablecloth. His voice sank to a
whisper Birdie, tell the Gods truth.
Did those three years cause her
death?"
"Niver!" lied Birdie. 81 was with
her to the end. 1t started with a cold
on tn chest. Have some French fried
with yer beef. Mr.. Teddy. They're
illigent today"
Birdie glided off to the kitchen. Au-
thors are fond of the word glide"
But you can take it literally this time.
Birdie had face that looked like
huge mistake, but she walked like
a panther, and they're said to be the
last cry as elders. She walked with
her chin up and her hips firm. That
comes from juggling trays You have
to walk like that to keep your nose
out of the soup. After a while the
walk becomes habit. Any seasoned
dining-room girl could give lessons in
walking to the Delsarte teacher of an
Eastern finishing school.
From the day that Birdie Callahan
served Ted with roast beef medium
and the elegant French fried she ap-
pointed herself monitor over his food
AID clothes and morals. wish l could |
find words to describe his bitter lone |
illness. He did not seek companion |
ship. The men, although not directly |
avoiding him, seemed somehow to
have pressing business whenever they
happened in his vicinity. The women
ignored him. Mrs. Dankworth, still
dashing and still widowed, passed Ted
one day and looked fixedly at a point
one inch above his head In a town
like ours the Haley house is like a
big, hospitable club house. The men
drop in there the first thing in the
and the last thing at night,
70 hear the gossip and buy cigar and
oily the girl at the cigar counter. Ted
spoke to them when they spoke to
lin. He began to develop a certain
Trim line about the mouth. 10 Haley
him from afar, and the longer
lie watched the kinder and more spec
lative grew the look in his eyes. And
lowly and surely there grew in the
carts of our townspeople certain
ew respect and admiration for this
oy who was fighting his fight.
Ted got into the habit of taking his
reals late, so that Birdie Callahan
ould take the time to talk to him.
Birdie" he said one day, when she |
rought his soup, do you know that |
ou're the only decent woman who'll |
Tx to me? DO you know what l |
can when | say that I'd give the
st Of my life if / could just put my
cad in my mothers lap and have her
/ 4
uss up my hair and call me foolish |:
lmes?"
Birdie Callahan cleared her throat E
i'd said abruptly: Il was noticin' yes IN
rday your gray pants needs pressin' Y
d. Brink 'em down tomorrow morn y
and I'll give 'em tn elegant crease n
the laundry" III
So the first weeks went by, and the
o months of Miss Wenzel's stay +
me to an end. Ted thanked his God
tried hard not to wish that she
s man so that he could punch her
ad. Ill
The day before the time appointed IL
her departure she was closeted r.
b 10 Haley for a long, long time. Is
len finally she emerged bellboy
nged up to Ted with message.