The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-02-20

CHAPTER II.
The Inward Climb

that preceded her coming TO the
settlement house.
First was the thought OF her
mother. frivolous. inefficient
/ Emellne Cox had scrambled thru
grammar school. then. determined
to escape the poverty and dirt OF
! her home In the Mission. had found
work as saieswoman In a MILL
merry store. During her five years
Of employment she was well enough
pleased with herself She was hap
py beyond all telling when at the
end Of those five years she married
George Page. salesman for a line
OF tailored hats.
Emelins Was Ignorant OF what
vas desirable in home. and
George had only the crudest ideals
OF travelling man 10 guide him.
They enthusiastically selected the
flat OF four rooms over tho corner
saloon on O'farreli Street.
With tho coming OF Julia. Eme.
lines happiness began to wane. BY
the lime the baby WA weaned the
mother had formed the wrapper
habit and had slipped back to the
viewpoint Of her parents: they
we're poor people and the poor
couldn't afford 10 do .hInEs decent.
/ ~. 10 live comfortably. Eneline
scolded and snapped Of George
shook and scolded tho crying baby
and lc.tered in tho hall for CON-
planning gossip with other women
OF the building.
In tho end Emeline recovered her
spirits. but not her happiness In her
husband. She turned now to other
women, finally choosing as her set
the group OF actresses employed In
the cheaper stock theaters of the
city.
II was at this point in Emeline's
life that Juiia's recollection of her
began.
Distinctly Julia remembered how,
when shc was ak. her mother and
father hal separated. Easily Eme
line could have held her husband
though his affection also bad wav
cred. Had he but once come home
10 contented wife and a clean
house. his love would have been
regnined. But Emcline was a loud
mouthed. assertiye woman now
filled with sense OF her own
wrongs. Goadet on by her actress
friends she went 10 see a lawyer
who obligingly pointed out and OBJ
tslned for her solution OF her woes
divorce and Alimony.
A. Julia lay reviewing the years
OF the PAST she saw herself again
a girl OF fifteen. tho tough little
would.be actress" Emeline had de.
cided Julia WIS TO 40 on the stage,
and Julia herself was but waiting
an enlargement worthy of her tai
ents.
Days spent AZ matinees and tho
boarding houses OF the actress set
we're varied now and then by Julia
and her mother with visits TO En-.
oline's parents.
Old Mrs. Cox always had a wei.
come for her oldest daughter and
her beautiful grandchild. She
would limp about her bare little
rooms. complaining OF her hus.
bands increasing meanness and OF
her own physical Ills. while with
twisted old hands she filled tea.
pot or cut into fresh loaf OF
milk bread"
Emeline's brother Chester. called
By the family Chess. by this time
/ had been imprisoned in the peni.
Tertiary and released. and was liy.
/ ing at home again. He was a mild
hammered man. prematurely old.
and his mothers assertions that
evil associations rather than act.
ual guilt had brought about his con.
Viction were true enough. But
after all what difference did II
make to Julia that her uncle had
been convict? The fact had new.
err been considered by friends OF
hers as worthy OF comment.
Sometimes at the Cox home Julia
and her mother met Emellne's sis.
! ter May. As with Chester. Julia
gave Aunt May and her children
never n thought. II was true that
Aunt Mays husband worked but
little and spent what money he did
make on drink; 1t was true Aunt
May was n frousy woman OF end.
less complaints against life. But
what did all this matter TO Julia ?
Her life was TO be cast pleasantly:
n successful stage career awaited
her Just around the corner.
Julia's chance came AT last. not
as good chance as she and her
mother had counted on. but accent.
ed because actress friends so ad.
vised. Julia was engaged as a pro-
fessIonal TO take the leading part
in an amateur play to be given by
society's younger set for the bene.
III OF charity. She was to receive
4 s25 for her services.
Dress rehearsal was held at the
yacht club at Sausalito.
After the rehearsal the members
OF the dramatic club, including Ju.
liza. were entertained at the Sausa.
Tito homo of Barbara Toland. who
was taking a prominent part in the
play, And because Julia missed
her train home she was forced to
spend the night ut the Tolands'.
And so II was Julia met young
DR. Studdlford. who was to be her
husband. and Anna Toland, Barb.
ara's splnster aunt. whom chance
was to make the girls guide ON the
upward path.