The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-04-23

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basin and hung about the room.
Then came the dreaded task O
/ washing her hair, which was clingins
and sticky from the sea air. On thu
wall BY the telephone was the sign:
Ladies hair dressing parlor on frs
boor. Shampooing four shillings;
facial massage. five shillngs; mani
curing. two shillings.
But much as Helen hated to wash
her own hair, she felt that she should
not spend four shillirSS to have ii
done.
In her own bedroom, with the spray
and every convenience, it was hard
enough, but here, without even run.
ming water, she found it a torturous
process.
Every time she changed the water
she feared the heavy bowl would slip
from her soapy hands. When they
were here before Warren had dropped
one on the slop jar. She still had
visions of that crashing catastrophe.
STOPPING over always made her
head ache, and when she Strengthened
up from the final rinsing water, she
was sick and dizzy.
The mirror reflected her pale face
and dripping, stringy hair. Why did
the English invariably place the
dresser in front of the window? The
glaring light from the unshaded up
per sash would make anyone look
With a sudden resentful strength
she showed the dresser from before
the window, topping over a bottle Of
toilet water. She could have cried
with sheer irritability.
1t was not often that Helen gave
way to a temper, but now her eyes
filed with angry tears. Her head
.hrobbed-she was wretched.
That her first day in London
should be spent like this! All the
way over she had wondered what
changes the war had made in the
streets and shops. She had planned
Ter first excursion through Piccadilly
md up Oxford street.
And DOW she had wasted the morn
ng fussing over her clothes and hair.
'he had given herself sick head
che and spoiled the whole day.
A wad of paper lay on the rug be-
ore her. It had served as a wedge
0 tip forward the mirror, and had
ropped out whsn-vssie moved the
resser. AS she picked it up to re-
lace it, she caught the headlines:
Reads her husbands name among
hose killed, then wanders through
treets insane
Mrs. w. F. Edwards of AZ Bucking-
am road, was found wandering the
treets in a pitiable condition. Her
lieutenant in the Third
ancers, was killed at the siege Of
The rest was torn off. With a rush
here came to Helen the realization
f her own petty irritability. Her
yes were still wet with temperish
ears. She had worked herself up
yer what?
How much she had! How deeply |
rateful she ought to be-if only be-
ause Warren was coming back to
Ter at seven! She thought of this
Woman, of the countless women, to
whom seven o'clock was now an hour !
# anguish. How insignificant all |
'ther worries would seem to them
only their husbands were home at |
even!
From outside came the sudden JAM
ling notes of hurdy-gurdy. The air
vas God Save the King" Helen
ooked down to the street below where
weatherbeaten old woman was grind
ng out the tune from an organ draped |
Vltn an EngISn nag
Unmindful of her wet hair, Helen
'aught up her purse and stepped out
N the narrow balcony. The woman,
Who kept an appraising upward glance |
m the windows, saw her and hopefully
leld out her apron.
Helen had nothing smaller than a
shilling, but she threw it down. She
lad saved four shillings by washing
Ter hair-and perhaps this old wom-
IN had a husband in the war!
AS she stepped back through the
window it dawned upon her that the
husband, if she had one,
would be too old for the war. She
va merely professional organ grind
,r-a foreign one, too, and the flag
lraped organ was but a clever ap.
peal.
Helens eyes met their amused re-
lection in the mirror. How foolish
y emotional she was!
A few moments before she had been
because she had seen her
self with struggling hair, in an unbe.
coming light. Then she had been
swept to an emotional height by torn
newspaper item. And now
Impatiently she shook back her
hair, She would stop dissecting her
emotions and waste no more of the
day 1t was just two, her hair was
almost dry, her headache better. She
would still have time IN COO royoa