New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-12-08
CHAPTER II.

her Aunt Harriet had not sat at the
;llusiOnments to learn that Aunt IIar-
riet lived with them, not because she
wished to, but because Sidney's father
had borrowed her small patrimOny and
she was "boarding it out"
Eighteen years she had boarded it
out" Sidney had been born and
grown to %girlhOod the dreamer father
had gone to his grave, with valuable
patents lost for lack of money to re-
new them-gonc with his faith in him
self destroyed, hut with his faith in
the world undiminished-fOr he left his
wife and daughter without II dollar of
life insurance.
Harriet Kennedy had voiced her own
view of the matter, the day after the
funeral, to II of her %neighbors:
"He left no insurance. Why should
he bother? lie LEFT me-"
To the little widow, her sister, she
had been no less bitter, and more cX-
plicit.
at looks TO me, Anna" she said, "as
if by borrowing everything | had
George had bought me, body and soul,
for the rest of my natural life. I'll
stay now until Sidney is able to take
hold. Then I'm going to live my
life. 1t will be II little late, but the
Kenncdy's live u long time"
The day of lIarriet's leaving had
seemed far away to Anna Page. Sid
ney was still her baby. She had given
up her dolls, but she still made clothes
for them out of scraps from Harriet's
sewing room. In the %parlance of the
Street, Harriet "sewed'-and sewed
well.
She had taken Anna into business
with her, but the burden of the part
nership had always been on Harriet.
To give her credit, she had not COM
planned. She was past forty by that
time, and her youth had slipped by in
that back oom with its dingy wall.
paper covered with paper patterns.
On the day after the arrival of the
roolner, Harriet Kennedy came down
to breakfast n little late. Katie, the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES girl, was serving
breakfast. Mrs. Page, who had taken
advantage of Harriet's hardness to
read the obituary column ia the morn
ing paper, dropped it.
But Harriet did not sit down.
sidney"
Yes, Aunt Harriet"
Sidney, when your father died, l
promised to look after both you and
your mother until you were able to
take care of yourself. That a five
years ago. OF course, even before that
| had helped to support you"
"lf you would only have your coffee,
Harriet :"
handle of the old s%ilvcr-plated coffee
pot. Harriet ignored her.
You are IL young wolna now. You
have health and energy, and you have
youth, which | haven't. I'm past forty.
In the next twenty years, ut the out
side, I've got not only to support my
self but to save something to keep
me after that, if | live"
Sidney returned her gaze steadily.
Il STE. Well, Aunt Harriet, yours
quite right. You've been Il saint to
us, but if you want to go away"
Harriet" walled Mrs. Page, you're
not thinking"
please, mother"
Harriet's eyes softened as she looked
ut the girl.
I'VE can manage" said Sidney gui- |
city. ''We'l miss you, but it's time
we learned to depend on ourselves"
After that, in a torrent, came Harri-
declaration of independence. And,
mixed with its pathetic tumble of re-
examinations, hostility to her sisters
dead husband, and resentment for her
years, am poor Harriet's hopes
and ambitions. the tragic plea of a
woman who must substitute for the op~
and energy of youth the grim
determination of middle age.
II can do good work." she finished.
I'm full of ideas, if l could &c. a
chance to work them out. But there's
chance here. There isn't a woman
IN the Street who knows real clothes
when she sees them"
Mrs. Page could not get back of
Harriet's revolt to Its cause. To her,
Harriet was not an artist pleading for
her art; she was a sister and a bread
deserving her trust.
I'm sure" she said stifly, i've paid
you back every zen we borrowed. If
you stayed here after George died, 1t
because YOU offered to-"
Her chin worked. She fumbled for
The handkerchief at her belt. But Sid
ley went around the table and flung a
Dung arm over her aunts shoulders.
"Why didn't you say all that a year
igo? We've been selfish, but we're
not Us bad as you think. And if any
,ne in this world is entitled to success,
,ou are. OF course well manage"
Harriet's iron repression almost gave
way. She covered her emotion with
Mrs. Lorenz is going to let me
make Christine some things, and IL
lhey're all right, l may make her trous-
"Trousseau-for Christine I"
"She's not engaged, but her mother