The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-06-06

SYNOPSIS FOR SECOND pAI
Leila Austin. daughter OF a. wealthy
father. marries Tom Carter. q poor
mining engineer. Tom invests his
wite's marriage portion OF $40, 600 In
an oregon mine and goes out with
her 20 a life OF hardship Their love
for each other withstands their dis
eouragements for a time. but Leila
one day receives letter from her
old ehum, Nellie Collins, that makes
her realize keenly how poverty
stricken her life Is. Incidentally. the
letter informs her that Hlsey Brent,
an old sutton whom she threw over
for Carter. has become q millionaire.
Broodtngly she sat there, the let
ter clutched IN her hands. her pretty
face dark with angry discomfort She
was . drudge, an unpaid servant. the
wife of q respondent failure. And
shs might so easily have married a
man who could have lavished on her
all the countless little Injuries that
she had never realized she cared for,
until che had had 10 give them up.
Love in a cottage." she whisper
ed. ITS AL we'll enough In poetry.
But In real life. it's-it's horrible.
Presently. with a sigh, she got 20
her feet and crossed the room 10 the
shabby dresser and stood IN a cor
rer. She smiled cynically at the un-
kept image the dresser mirror re-
yealed 10 her.
Then, thrusting the letter and the
postscript sheet into a half open
drawer, she went back TO her hate
full task OF dish washing.
But today the routine OF household
la Dor vas tenfold more irksome than
ever before. Ever between her and
her work arose visions evoked BY
Nellie Collins letter. A dozen times
Leila caught herself quoting the
poStscript's words
Il hear your old sweetheart. Hal
sey Brent, has cleaned up million
There had been another line or
TWO after the postscripts end. But
Nellie bad peinstakingly crossed
them out, mixing away every syllable.
to make the obliterated words Who'll
" unreliable. This second post.
script had read
Your mother tells me she and
your father are starting from New
York in a day or two 10 pay you a
flying visit I'm sending my love by
them.
Nellie had belatedly remembered
al this point that Mrs. Austin had
told her Inc visit was TO be sur
prise 10 Leila. Hence the careful
erasure.
After an intern,inable time, the
last Of the cheap, thick dishes was
washed and dried. I.uGsirg q boiler
OF hot water FROM the back OF the
stove. Leila filled the wooden wash
tub and r.toeeded to toss careiessls
into IL the PHI, Of scllsd clothes
The lifting OF the heavy boiler was
acute pain to her tired back The
swirl Of steam from the rub set her
to choking. She dreaded the la0or
OF rubbing the rough garments over
the wasllboard's corrugated plane.
She had not even bothered TO soak
the wash over night
Always, this housekeeping routine
was rank drudgery TO Leila But. on
this particular Monday. with her
mind full OF the pictures evoked by
Nellie's letter, she found II unbear.
able Fierce rebellion sprans mp in
her heart. She hated her work. She
hated her squalid home She hated
everything-everybody.
The cabin door swung open and
Tom Carter tramped in-tne mud on
his boots blotching the noue-too-
clean floor.
1T isn't time 10 get dinner ready
said Leila, defiantly, az she glanced
at the chimney-shelf clock. I'm
81 know 1t isn't" he returned lito-
Iessly, as he drew his oroadbrim-
med hat on a peg and slumped into
the nearest chair. And We'll be
lucky IL we get any more dinners at
all"
What's the natter she asked.
sharply; nettled by his weary hope
lessness. "A cave-in7'
Yes" with a mirthless laugh, "a
cave-in. A cavern OF all our silly
hopes and our fool's paradise
dreams We're broke"