The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-06-15

enough pocket money. But the fQea
of an old unpaid grocery bill made me
sick. talked things over with mother
the next day-told her / wasn't going
to college-said l was going To get
job. ! got her to let me run all the
accounts after that, and to attend to
everything. And got a job and be
gan paying my way within week"
IF | had thing like that to re-
member" said Rose unsteadily, "rd
never forget to be proud of it so long
as lived"
II wish | could be proud of it," said
Portia. "But couldn't help making a
sort of grievance of 1t, too In all these
years I've always made mother afraid
of me-always made her feel that was
somehow contemptuous of her work
and ideas. grubbed away until got
things Strengthened out, so that her
income was enough to live on-enough
for her to live on. I'd pulled her
through. But then :"
"But then there was me-" said Rose.
Il thought / was going to let you
CO." Portia went on infiexibly. "But
things didn't come out that way-at
least couldn't make up my mind to
make them-so you went to the uni
yersity. paid for that, and / paid
for your trousseau. and then / was
through"
Rose was trembling, but she didn't
finch. "Wh-what was it." she asked
| quietly, what was 1t that might have
been different and wasn't? Was it
was it somebody you wanted to marry
that you gave up so / could have
my chanceT"
Portals hard little laugh cut like a
knife. You have always thought me
cold" she said. $50 has mother. I'm
not. really. rm-the other way. l
wanted love and marriage more than
1. A man did want me to marry him
at last, and for a while l thought !
would. Just-just for the sake of mar
rying somebody. He wasn't much, but
he was someone. But I knew I'd come
to hate him for not being someone else
and couldn't make up my mind tc
it. So took you on instead.
81 stopped hoping. you see, ant
tried to forget all about it. And. il
a way, succeeded. l was beginnin
to get real jobs to do-big jobs 70
big people, and 1t was exciting. Ths
made it easier to forget. was begiI
ming to think that some day I'd ear
my way into the open. big sort of lif
that your new friends have had fo
nothing. And then, a week ago, ther
, came the doctor and cut off tina
chance.
"And yet" she leaned suddenl,
forward. and the passion that hat
been suppressed In her voice till now
leaped up into fiame-"and yet, car
you tell me what could have done
differently? I've lived the kind of life
they preach about-a life of noble
sacrifice 1t hasn't ennobled me. It's
made me petty-mean-sour It's
withered me up. Look at the differ
ence between us! Look at you with
your big, free spaciousness-your pow
err of loving and attracting love Why,
you even love me. now, in spite of all
I've said this morning. I've enyied
you that-rve almost hated you
for it.
mo. that's a lie! I've wanted to.
The only thing could ever hate you
for would be for failing. You've got
to make goodi You've had my share
as well as yours-you're living my
life as well as yours. I'm the branch
they cut off so that you could grow.
If you givesup and let the big thing
slip out of your hands the way you
were talking this morning, because
you're too weak to hold it and haven't
pluck enough to fight for it !"
Look at me-" said Rose. The
words rang like a command upon a
battlefield.
Portia looked. Roses blue eyes
were blazing. Il won't do that" she
said very quietly. Il promise you
that" Then the hard determination
in her face changed to something soft
er. and as if Portals resistance count
ed no more than that of a child, she
pulled her sister up In her arms and
held her tight. And so. at last, Portia
got the relief of tears.
H The breach of misunderstood