The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-06-29

| ShVuSh poShet INJURY. but the lueu
OF an old unpaid grocery bill made me
sick. talked things over with mother
the next day-told her 1 wasn't going
to college-said was going to get q
job. l got her to let me run all the
accounts after that, and to attend to
everything. And l got job and be-
gan paying my way within week"
IF l had thing like that to re-
member" said Rose unsteadily, ard
never forget to be proud of 1t so long
as 1 lived"
Il wish could be proud of it." said
Portia. But l couldn't help making q
sort of grievance of it, 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 inflexibly. "But
things didn't come out that way-at
least 1 couldn't make up my mind to
make them-so you went to the uni.
versity. I paid for that, and l paid
for your rousseau, and then I was
through"
Rose was trembling, but she didn't
finch. "Wh-what was it," she asked
quietly. what was it that might have
been different and wasn't2 Was it
was 1t somebody you wanted to marry
that you gave up so I could have
my chancef
Portals hard little laugh cut like a
knife. "You have always thought me
cold" she said. $50 has mother. I'm
not, really. Im-the other way.
don't believe there ever was girl that
wanted love and marriage more than
l. A man did want me to marry him
at last, and for 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 I couldn't make up my mind to
1t. So took you on instead.
II stopped hoping, you see, and
tried to forget all about it. And, In
q way, succeeded. I was beginning
to get real Jobs to do-big jobs for
big people. and 1t was exciting. That
made 1t easier to forget. was begin
ming to think that some day I'd earn
my way into the open, big sort of life
that your new friends have had for
1othing. And then, a week ago, there
came the doctor and cut of that
,hance.
"And yet" she leaned suddenly
and the passion that had
)een suppressed In her voice till now,
capped up into fiame-"and yet, can
,ou tell me what I could have done
I've lived the kind of life
hey preach about-a life of noble
acrifice-' It hasn't ennobled me. It's
made me petty-mean-sour. It's
me up. Look at the differ
nee between usi Look at you with
our big, free spaciousness-your pow
r OF loving and attracting love! Why,
on even love me, now, in spite of all
We said this morning. I've envied
on that-I've almost hated you
or II.
mo, that's liei I've wanted to.
he only thing could ever hate you
Or would be for falling. You've got
, make goodl You've had my share
8 well as yours-you're living my
fe as well as yours. I'm the branch !.
hey cut Off so that you could grow.
you give up and let the big thing
Up out of your hands the way you
ERE talking this morning, because
Du're too weak to hold 1t and haven't
luck enough to fight for 1t :"
Look at me-" said Rose. The
ords rang like a command upon q
attlefeld.
Portia looked. Roses blue eyes
ere blazing. II won't do that" she
lid very quietly. II promise you
at" Then the hard determination
her face changed to something soft.
:, and as IL Portals resistance count
no more than that of a child, she
llled her sister up In her arms and
Id her tight. And so, at last, Portia
It the relief of tears.