The Washburn leader., 1916-05-05
Cupid and
Conversation
A Contest In Which Love
Won.
By SUSAN H. MoRELY

Mrs. Naughton came out Of the
parlor and shut the door carefully
behind her.
otis too cold for you to set in
there tonight" she said. 'My, you
can't see out Of the windows!
There's no sense in freezing this
room to let the heat go in there"
She knclt down before the bat
tered sheet iron stove and ran the
poker vigorously through the redhot
Goals within. "You can set in here
tonight, Dena," she went on. 'sFor
myself I prefer this room any day
to the parlor."
Dena listlessly swept up the ashes
and did other trivial things, as her
mother directed. The room had the
shabby, much used look which no
amount of care could transform into
cheer or even homeliness.
Dena felt it anew each time she
returned to it after her absence as
: a district schoolteacher. If she
could have bought new carpet and
a chair or two and a stove with isin-
glass and nickel she might have
made it look to her liking, but her
mother would not allow it.
Beauty in Mrs. Naughton's eyes
was of trivial consequence indeed,
although there were times when she
regretted volubly her daughters ap-
parent lack Of it.
Mrs. Naughton unfolded her skirt
and smoothed out an imaginary
crease. "You better set the teaket.
tie on, Dena, and stir up the kitchen
fire. 1t hain't quite supper hour
yet, but I like to have everything
ready in time"
Dena hurried from the room
There were tears in her eyes, and
her face looked flushed and wistful
What was the use of it all? she
thought bitterly as she filled the
teakettle.
4 Had she not dressed obedient t.
her mothers bidding these four Sat
urday nights in succession in thu
foolish hope that he might come
She set the teakettle on, stirred th'
fire and went upstairs.
a In the second drawer of the bu
reau lay the pink albatross wais
folded in white tissue paper ant
sprinkled with rose leaves gathered
the summer before from the Il
i France rosebush that grew in tn
yard.
She had worn it four times vain
ly and twice not in vain-those tw'
precious evenings when he had real
ly come. She would not put it OF
tonight, no matter what her mothe,
said. She could not bear to sit an
other evening in it waiting and lis
tening to every football with hop
and longing and ultimate despair.
A sob burst from her, and sht
flung herself upon the bed, with he
hands over her face. But she die
not cry. She dared not. 1t woult
not do for her mother to see hel
tears or to suspect that she caret
poignantly.
Why could not her mother SCI
that he would not come again ant
cease torturing her with expecta
tions? Her little first romance was
over almost before it had begun
and in her heart she knew what hae
ended it.
1t shamed her to think of it; but
after all, she could not blame him
And she could not blame her moth
er either, foolishly ignorant of th'
ruin she had.wrought.
4 Dena was twenty-four years old
and she had never had a lover. Fol
six years she had taught steadil.
without anything happening, AM
she was growing very tired when h
came. He was the son Of the peo
pie with whom she boarded, and h,
had been away a long time.
Dena liked him instinctively. Sh'
had never seen any one she liked 81
well-so strong and thoroughly sci
reliant he looked in the week tina
was left to her before her schoo
closed. They became good friends
and he told her when she wen
/ away that he would come to see her
4 The doctor told Dena when sh,
went home that she must rest fol
Il the remainder of the winter. He
| mother grumbled openly. She dit
not like to see the girl idle, but sh,
4 became reconciled to it when sh,
4 discovered that Dena had an ad
Imirer.
j. 1t was her belief that every CIR
\ should marry before she was TWEEN
/ ty-fve, and in Dena's case there wa
little time to lose, She set abou'
hurrying up this possible match
The first evening Nick came i
waa she and MT Dena who enter