The daily Alaskan., 1916-09-26
A Way Around a
 Difficulty
By ELINoR MARSH

and would not on any account consent that Alice should marry.
 But grandma" argued the. girl, suppose I marry and you continued to live with meP
 "That wouldn't do at all No house Is large enough for two families. No, Alice, you can't marry as long as l live. took you when you were lit. tle girl, and but for me you would have had no home. Now that 1 have no home but with you, 1t is your duty to remain single and take care of me"
 That ended the dialogue. Alice sigh. ed for she had lover who was argu- ing on the other side of the question. He admitted that Alice should con tinue to make home for her grand mother, but he offered to take upon himself q case of mother-ln-law, or, rather, of grandmother-in-law, which was worse, and argued that the old woman should be satisfied with this. But so long as she would consent to nothing but Alices spinsterhOod there was nothing for 1t except that Alice should remain a spinster.
 Fred Martin, Alice's lover, finally persuaded her to a marriage which should be concealed from her grand. mother. The old lady was so feeble that the couple did not expect her to live very long, and while she did live this plan would enable Alice to take care of her on her grandmother's own conditions. Of course 1t would be hard on Fred and Alice, but after all wouldn't 1t be better than for both to grow old separated or better even than @ case of grandmother-in-law, for, so far as the old woman was concerned, Fred would be nonexistent.
 So the couple were married, and Fred fitted up a house near where his wife lived, he taking up his abode In single blessedness, except when Alice could visit him. The old lady went to bed at Q o'clock, and when she was asleep Alice would slip out and go to the home where she really belonged. They kept a maid, so that if, Mrs. HaskiRs woke up and Alice wasn't on hand the maid could say she had step. ped around the corner to buy some | thing
 This was not exactly home life, but as Fred was at work all day. not re- turning usually till after ' o'clock, 1t was not so bad, and 1t was not obi. gatory on his wife to hurry home. By and by Alice told her grandmother that she must go to a hospital for few weeks, and the old lady was obliged to remain in care of the maid.
 After Alice was discharged from the hospital there was a period when she was continually running out for some thing. But she could not go often enough for her purpose. so one morn Ing when she was away and the maid was engaged the old lady answered a ring at the doorbell, and there on the step was a three-weeks-old baby.
 Mrs. Haskins took the little thing up In her arms, and when Alice came home she found her grandmother dandling 1t on her knee in q very motherly sort of way. The old lady wouldn't consent that the child should be sent away, so Alice was obliged to divide It's motherhood with her It wasn't long before the one woman was as fond of the child as the other.
 Then one day the poStman brought ! a note signed by a man who claimed to be the baby's father, saying that he regretted parting with it and asking that 1t be sent to him. This put the old lady in great distress. Alice wrote a letter to the father at her grand. mothers dlctatiOn-bcgginG the father to leave the child where 1t was. he being permitted to come and see it whenever he liked.
 This brought a man who gave his name as Frederick Martin. and after a conference in which he insisted that unless they would take him to board he would take the child away, Mrs. Has kins consented. and the family was increased by one man.
 After awhile Fred began to pour a tale of woe into Mrs. Haskins' ear. His wife had deserted him and her child for her grandmother The old lady was so indignant at the "Old crone," as she called the grandmother, that she could scarcely contain her self.
 Meanwhile the old lady noticed that Fred and Alice were together good deal, and sER wished Fred's wife would die so that he could marry Alice and the baby could have q mother as we'll as a father. When the pear was ripe Fred came home one evening and announced that his wife was mo more"
 He tried hard to appear respectful to his wife's memory. but found it diff, cult This was not remarkable since the departed had treated both her husband and her child so badly. Mrs. Haskins averred that no respect what ever was due her; that she had been a soulless, shameless creature. and the sooner Martin forgot her the better, AS for Alice, she maintained discreet