The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-08


With an air Of naughty aloofness,
difficult to assume in bed,
Carrie turned to the wall, while Helen,
with quiet resignation, took a chair by
the bed.
A few moments later swift steps
crossed the porch below, and the nurse
came running up.
'Tm so sorry to be late" laying of
the long coat that covered her white
uniform, "but I walked farther than
l thought"
"Youll have to change my night
gown before the doctor comes" began
Carrie complainingly. "And want my
hair brushed, and"
"You won't mind If rush off," broke
in Helen. II think I can still make
that train"
"Td cut across the commons" sug-
gested the nurse. 'It's nearer"
Throwing on her things, with hur-
ried goodby, Helen ran down the stairs
and out into the quiet dusk of the
suburban streets.
The unpaved crossings were still
muddy from last nights rain. She had
forgotten her rubbers, but, regardless
of her thin shoes, she plunged reck-
lessly ahead through the soft, marshy
ground of a vacant lot.
A distant whistle heralded the ap-
proaching train. Another block and
she saw 1t was too late. Already the
engine, with changing bell, was slowing
up. Though she ran on with painting,
hopeless speed, she was still half a
block away when the train drew out.
An hours walt In that dingy, cheer
less station! She did not even con-
slider going back to Carries. In the
flyspecked window Of drug and
candy store hung the familiar blue
telephone sign. She would have to
phone Dora that she could not get
home for dinner.
The freckle-faced youth behind the
counter directed her to the telephone
in the back. Local calls, five cents
New York city calls, twenty-five cents"
read the card above the instrument.
Helen had not thought that Warren
would be home so early, and her heart
bounded at his deep-voiced "Hello."
"Oh, I've missed the six-flfteen, and
the next is seventeen, Carrie
let the nurse of and had to stay. -.
You go ahead and have your dinner.
. Dear, I wonder II you could
meet mel Would you mind? {.
No, I won't take taxi-it was dol.
lar and half last time. I can take
the subway"
ov<n <hn nv
cluttered with pyramided patent medi.
cines. soaps and chewing gum, Helen
crossed the street to the station, where
the yellow lights now cleaned family
through the dusty windows.
Warren had not expressed the slight.
est concern over her long dinnerless
wait. Even her "Tm sorry you have
to eat alone" had brought only n care
less "Oh, that's all right" instead Of
the sympathetic response for which
she had angled. And he had refused
pointblank to meet her.
The ill-smelling waiting room with
its rusty stove, tobaccO-stained spit
toons and "eczemaed" walls was not
conducive to cheerfulness. The high,
Pickering lights were too dim to read
by, and she spent an interminnble hour
brooding over Warren's Indifference
and his sisters utter selfishness.
Ten minutes late. the snortingly i'm.
patient train stopped only long enough
for the conductor to swing her up
the high step.
1t had begun to mist, cold, wind.
blown drizzle. Inside the soiled red
plush car Helen gazed out the wet,
blurred window In lonely. morbid de-
lection. The dinner hour past with
out food and her damp feet were phys
ical discomforts that contributed to
her mental despondency.
1t was raining hard when they finally
plunged into the tunnels OF the Grand
Central station. Forlornly she made
her way up the long platform through
the gates and toward the subway en-
trance.
"Hello, Kitten!" A tall, overcoated
figure loomed beside her.
"Oh-oh," she caught his arm, her
heart leaping with dizzy joy.
NO." Warren steered her past the
subway steps. "we'll take a taxi over
to Jacks and square of to an extra
sirloin."
"Oh. no-no. Dora's saved sorae-
thing for me. don't want much.'
swell, I doi" They were outside now,
and he was beckoning for cab.
"Why. dear, didn't you have yorr
dinnerT
wasn't hungry then-had late
lunch. Didn't feel like eating alone
anyway"
In the shadow of the cab, Helen
nestled against his damp coat, swept
to the thrilled heights that are only
reached from the very depths.
'Hold up there; somebodyIl see
you"