The Colorado statesman., 1915-04-24

basin and hung about the room.
Then came the dreaded task of
washing her hair, which was clinging
and sticky from the sea air. On the
wall by the telephone was the sign:
Ladies' hair dressing parlor on first
boor. Shampooing four shillings;
facial massage. five shillings; mani
curing, two shillings.
But much as Helen hated to wash
her own hair, she felt that she should
not spend four shillings to have it
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
glazing light from the unshaded up
per sash would make anyone look
hideous.
With sudden resentful strength
she showed the dresser from before
tie window. topping over 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
filled with angry tears. Her head,
throbbed-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
her first excursion through Piccadilly
and up Oxford street.
And now she had wasted the morn
| ing fussing over her clothes and hair.
She had given herself a sick head
ache and spoiled the whole day.
A wad of paper lay on the rug be-
fore her. 1t had served as a wedge
to tip forward the mirror and had
dropped out when she moved the
dresser. AS she picked 1t up to re-
place it. she caught the headlines:
Reads her husbands name among
those killed, then wanders through
streets insane.
Mrs. w. F. Edwards of AZ Bucking.
ham road, was found wandering the
streets in a pitiable condition. Her
husband, lieutenant in the Third
lancers, was killed at the siege Of
The rest was torn off With a rush
there came to Helen the realization
of her own petty irritability. Her
eyes were still wet with temperish
tears. She had worked herself up
over what?
How much she had! How deeply
grateful she ought to be-if only be-
cause Warren was coming back to
her at seven! she thought of this
woman, of the countless women, to
whom seven O'Clock was now an hour
of anguish. How insignificant all
other worries would seem to them
if only their husbands were home at
seven!
From outside came the sudden jan
Cling notes of hurdy-gurdy. The air
was God Save the King" Helen
looked down to the street below where
weatherbeaten old woman was grind
ing out the tune from an organ draped
with an English flag.
Unmindful of her wet hair, Helen
caught up her purse and stepped out
on the narrow balcony. The woman
who kept an appraising upward glance
on the windows, saw her and hopefully
held out her apron.
Helen had nothing smaller than a
shilling, but she threw 1t down. She
had saved four shillings by washing
her hair-and perhaps this old WON
an had husband in the war!
AS she stepped back through the
window it dawned upon her that the
woman's husband, if she had one
would be too old for the war. She
wac merely professional organ grind
era foreign one, too, and the flag
draped organ was but a clever ap
peal.
Helen's eyes met their amused re
Election in the mirror. How foolish
ly emotional she was!
A few moments before she had beer
wretched because she had seen her
self with struggling hair, in an unbe
coming light. Then she had beer
swept to an emotional height by tori
newspaper item. And now
Impatiently she shook back hel
hair. She would stop dissecting hel
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 to see some
thing of the London streets and shops
before seven.