Evening star., 1915-02-22

"And the boys. too." added ma. "rc
| hate to have some girls a-throwing
it up to them that they might turn out
like their pa No, I've made up my
mind that the children shall have their
chance"
So ma got a divorce. The children
were surprised. but they were used to
mas decision. Pa acquiesced. He
said he was terribly surprised that she
hadn't got it long before. He said
this meekly. Pa was always meek and
remorseful and contrite and humble
except when he was brutalized by
ma by this meekness. But now ma
hardened her heart to it. She would
not let any pseudo humility and abase-
ment stand in the children's way.
'"Tm surprised myself" she said.
coldly.
"I am, too" pa repeated. humbly.
After the divorce she got him a room
in a distant part of the town. and told
board and give him small sum each
week for spending money. She couldn't,
of course, expect pa to support himself.
He had hardly done that when he was
his hands were old, quivering claws
and his brain was a muddled mass of
inefficiency. Why, it was preposterous
even to think of such a thing. And.
well to support him.
For years ma alone had supported
the family-there were nine children
with what her single pair of strong
in. Now Ellen was working at the
box factory. Jenny was errand girl
at a big dressnaking esta ablishment;
Anne cashgirl at the ten-cent store;
Gerry store; Nell was clerking. in a
department store. and Freddy was
waiting imratiently his last year be-
fore fourteen came and brought him
1F
could afford well enough to support
ma.
At the last, though. pa grumbled He
didn't think he'd IL, like e,ts to boa board at
blingly, and then he said it wistfully:
He said he'd sign the pledge if they'd
let him stay. The children begged ma
to change her mind. But ma was firm
mildly. "1t wouldn't be proper, cause
we amt married any longer We're
divorced"
Pa looked ouserly at ma; then without
another word he went away to his
boarding place. Ann Elliot. returning
home over an hour later, was surprised to
find ma sitting quietly in chair. Ma
so seldom sat still. And mas eyes wer.
misty Yet ma never cried. Ann decided
she had taken cold.
And that part of the big town which
knew would have congratulated her
and the children. But no one-not even
And then, toe, most people-even Ann
felt sense of injury because she had
not got a divorce some twenty years
before. There was no reason in her long
patience with pa. Such patience irri-
tated people. and they could not under
stand 1t.
AS the children continued to work and
bring their pay home the house gradual
ly improved. From being ramshackle 1t
became trim. Then it became attractive.
then charming. There was added furni-
ture and all the knicknacks that pros
perity brings In its train.
The children grew. The girls one by
one, acquired beauX. One by one they
got married, and they married steady,
hard working young men. Ma saw to
that. She had hawks eye for signs in
a man that pointed to unsteadiness and
laziness. Even Jenny, who had her fa-
TIERS big blue eyes and her fathers weak
obstinacy. speedily dropped a flashy
young gentleman whom she had met at a
dance. Ma wasted few works. Drop
spank you though you were seven"
sternly remarked ma. Ann Elliot told
the petulant Jenny afterward that her
ma knew more than she did. Jenny petu-
lantly acknowledged it.
The boys gave ma no trouble, Ann won
dered sometimes. They were sedate. in
dustrious boys, of careful habits. And
they were good to their mother They
were good to pa, too. So were the girls.
They visited him often, asked him often
to the house and paid his fines. He was
fined often.
Ann wondered sometimes if the sight
of shiftless, shambling. drinking pa had
not had its share in keeping those boys
on the straight path
Finally the boys, too, were all married.
And then the part Of the town that knew
ma had a shock-a shock over which 1t
rayed and bubbled with indignat tiOn.