El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-29
4 Naratiue of Everyday Affairs
2 Their Married Life ~
Helen Tries To Act As Comforter 10 a Poor Woman.

! and children came out aud stared open
ly- Helen was like "a beiu- from an
: 90 see the woman she had set out 20
see
The fourth floor was dark and APP
parently deserted. Helen picked out
the door nearest the back and knocked
After "a moment there was shuttle 81
feet and an uHkempt head was pushed
What do YOU wautc" inquired a
Woman's suTly voice
Il want TO see you, Helen said clear
Well. 1 don't want to see YOU
know who sent YOU one OF them cIuoS-
where everyone has plenty of money
and thinks they ought TO butt IN on
people who haven't -" so much
But ] don't want to butt IN, Heien
declared And besides she sd id. sm'l-
ing little 81 haven't much money 50
You needn't be afraid 10 let me come IN
for "a few minutes m awtullE warm
The. woman was evidently SurprlSeI
az these tactics and opened the door
little wider Tor "A moment she stood
inspecting Helen from head TO foot
and then with a bitter laugh. she OPEN
ed the door wide enough 10 enter
ITS so hot out today Helen re-
marked. looking about out of the cor
ner of her eve although she pretend J
TO be looking straight into the eyes OF
the woman who stared ~ her peiIiS-
erently May / sit down
The woman placed a chair and sat
down awkwardIy on a stool opposite
Helen
What do You want with me- she
asked again Il know the line of talk
you're going TO hand ont all about
irving to live better. and making the
best Of what 7 got guess you am
never had as little as / have. or you
wouldn't he coming around here both
ering me
: New situation
The room where Helen was SlttlnE
from the back. and there was only one
window There were very few pieces
Of furniture. but the room was com
parativelv tidy. at least IL was a Wei
come relief from the dirt and iilth out
side
I suppose YOU want TO ask me about
my husband the woman interrupted
HeIen's thoughts. and If he Is giving
me enough 10 live on " ell. ne am {,
there's another woman now, one OF
them cheap little girls he met at coz
ner The last woman who came mere
TO see me. wanted me 20 try TO MAKE
the place more inviting for him IheY
said K was my fault that a woman
could do ANYTHING these days 60 On.
II YOU have some of that stuff. II near
YOU. then YOU can get out and leave
But T don't want TO tell YOU any Of
those things Helen said quickly ~ ny
should T. ] didn't even know your
husband wasn't good 70 YOU They
Helen was thinking rapidly. For
the first time in her life she realized
what il was TO be poor. and TO have
outside interference coupled with the
troubles that came from within. Per
hapS the Current Events club did not
realize that in case Of this kind any
good that IL might do must be accom-
pIfshed carefully. Already they had
done more to make this woman bite.
than 70 help her
Il was asked 10 come to see You,
Helen explained. choosing her words
carefully. and 7 thought You might
tell me a little bit about yourself ana
/ could tell YOU little bit about my
self. and We might get TO know each
other I think Won could help me as
much as I could help you"
The woman looked at her incredul-
ously-
= mean it Helen went on II know
what Won need. You'd like 10 make
little money IN your spare time. so that
you could he more independent
What could I dO2' the woman said.
scornfulIy. although Helen noticed
that a trace of interest had come in-O
her face Again Helen thought rapid
~ If the woman could sew. plenty of
plain sewing might be had for her. Il
seemed that what was needed here
was a little interest in life, indepenf
ence. perhaps. surely not patronage
rs for Improving the wOman's domeS-
tic affairs. that would come later
Copyright, 1916, International News
Service