The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-08-27
Married Life. Third Year
BY MABEL HERBERT uRNER

way and be there in a jiffy"
When Helen went back to the din
Ing room, Mary, with her bland. inane
smile, asked:
Don't you want me to help YOU
dearie, while / wait? Can't / be do
ing somethin for your
Why. yes. you can make the bed"
agreed Helen, thinkine
better to let her do something-any-
thing but to have her sit beside that
awful woman. The TWO of them to-
gether seemed to terrify her.
Mary. still with her hat on, followed
Helen into the bedroom, and began to
clumsily make up the he'd.
For the next fifteen minutes Helen
lowered around pretending that SIZE
was busting, but watching the weird
woman in the dining room, who sat
ponderously silent and unmoving, and
Mary in the bedroom, who was still
laboring Intellectually with the BED,
Helen was so absorbed that she did
not hear Warren enter. Before she
could reach him, he had strobe down
the hall and stood in the dining room
door gazing at Mrs. Casey.
Just then Mary came out OF the bed
room. and he turned and looked at her.
Helen stood speechless. There was a
dead silence. Then Warren said
sternly, each word with sharp rap
OF his cane:
MARY. this won't dol"
What do you mean, sir? What
won't do?"
your coming here IN this condi-
ton"
Why. don't know What you mean.
You know very well what I mean
you have been drinking"
oh, no, sir, indeed I haven't. I never
was sick and took some medicine
that's ALL"
Medicine ?" scowled Warren. why
you're drunk-plain drunk"
Here Mrs. Casey rose and came for
ward ponderously.
shes sick, sir. She amt been
drinking She stayed at my house last
night and / gave her a glass of wine.
There amt no harm in that"
You can call up Mrs. Ellison, or
Mrs. Hubert, or anybody / ever work
ed for" whimpered Mary, taking her
reference from her handbag, and they
will tell you that 1 never drank any
thing"
Dear, maybe she's right" whisper
ed Helen, under a sudden impulse of
this awful woman who gave her some
thing. Let's give her a chance-call
up some of hen references and ask
them if she ever drank.
For a moment Warren hesftated
Then. without word, he took the ref
erences from Mary and strobe over to
the telephone.
He had no trouble In getting the
first one he tried, Mrs. G. w. Hull
bert at the Driscoll apartments, on the
wire:
This is Mr.. Curtis speaking. / wish
to ask about the reference you have
given Mary O'Connor. We've engaged
her for general housework and / want
to know if-welI. if she's sober-if she
ever drinks?"
Evidently Mrs. Hubert was answer
ing at length, for Warren said no more
except an occasional Yes under
stand" Il see." and finally. Thank
you very much, Mrs. Hubert. Yes,
well try her. Good bye"
He hung up the receiver and turned
to Mary with a brief:
You come tomorrow. Well give
you trial"
But here Mrs. Casey spoke up. Il
don't think Mary'n want to come. She
amt used to being treated like this"
u.
be about all from you. And if Mary
works her for us you're to stay away
from her. Understand that? Here.
this way out"
"Oh. dear, dear!" cried Helen run
ming towards him when he had closed
the door after them. 'Oh, wasn't it
the most dreadful thing"
Il suppose we shouldn't have kept
her" frowningly, but Mrs. Hubert
gave her an exceptional reference"
What did she say?" eagerly.
''Oh. all sorts of things-that she'd
been with them for three years and
never drank and was<tne most faithful
servant they ever had"
Dear, maybe she is" murmured
Helen. Maybe it's just this once"
You can be mighty sure that it'1
just this once, far as we're concerned"
said Warren grimIy. IF It happens
again she'll go-and she'll go darn
quick"