Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1918-08-22
Sugar
Shortage
~
D. BERTHA cURRIE PORTER
(Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure Newsps-
per Syndicatel

.
~ don't see whit you said we'd give
them tea for, when you know we
haven't any SUGAR.
~Whnt difference does that maker
Some of our best families don't nave
sugar nowadays"
"well. I'll bet the Clarkson girls are
rolling in sugar"
"If they are, all we need to do Is 70
shake them over the cups, ana there
you nre!"
"You needn't Joke about 1t, Anne.
I have some pride II you haven't, ana
I'm not going to have those rich CLARK
sons coming here and thinking were
not MS well able to have things as they
are. even Il they do carry fifteen dollar
knitting bugs. oil covered over WIN
pln-cushlon fruit, and tassels."
81 don't know how you're going 10
get It. I've telephoned to every store
can think of and they all say the
same thing-'no sugar.
"Telephonlng and asking face to face
are two different things. I'll run out
and see what can do"
Josephine Bruce, not in this bad
weather.
But Josephine had vanished into the
bedroom of the little fiat.
It was the Worst day Of that never
emembered.such-a" winter. There had
been a heavy snow fall. thaw anu
then a sudden freeze, with thick, black
Ice over everything. And in the night
the weather had moderated and ram
had fallen In torrents on the Ice. TINS
morning 1t was still raining, with
heavy wind. It was day when sensi
Bile folk wore creepers over their rub
,bers, and other people lost their priu'
In the good old Biblical way.
, Josephine appeared, clad In Ter'
, becoming brown raincoat and little TAI
hat. She wore brown boots and ridicu
l lous low rubbers, and carried brow
: umbrella.
I Sister Anne stood at her tower VII
: dow and watched Josephine slip dow
e the hill, using her folded umbrella as
!. staff. Anne began to chop nutmea'
$ for sandwiches, wondering what NJ
h erratic sister might be doing. III
i reality was this:
d In the nearest store, Anne march'
bravely up to the counter.
"Two pounds Of sugar, please 81
8 said. with her sweetest smile.
II "No sugar in the store" growled u
, hnrassed clerk for the one hundr
} and thirty-seventh time that day.
! There's no sugar In the store" :
I next grocer told her, "and more IN
r that, there's no sugar up to my o'
y house, and I'm In the grocery busine
! What was yours. madam to sle'
[ haired Italian woman In a red sha'
T Josephine went out on more Ice.
r For an hour she slipped and
D from one store to another. and he:
| the same story in fifty-seven varietl
I Josephine paused on n corner to coll
7 her forces and decide where to att
2 next. This particular corner was
d the foot OF a hill-this city was b.
nm more than seven hills-and the 81
T walk sloped at IN unpleasant anf
= also the building on that lot projec
\ in such way that pedestrians com
down the side street were comple'
T hidden from those on the main u
2 ouphfare. Josephine had seen so IN
. people fall that day that she now
Chemically watched them all. PERI
I that was why she noticed the
? raincoat behind the big market bas
D "New style coat" she thought,
, \ looked again at the basket. She &
[ edi Not for months had she sec
: 7 sight like that. She looked again
!. . was absolutely true. In that bal
d camounaged by tapping paper CO
ing. but with tell-tale little ye
Il sbarp corners sticking out, were
= = two.pound cartons Of sugar And
10 a food commissioner had ruled tina
dealer should sell more than
!, pounds to any one person. And
10 Josephine Bruce, had not one
= grain' .
She looked above the basket 4
I'D who this plutocrat might be, and
a mir Of serious blue eyes ST
stra,ght into her brown ones. Sh'
on IN on,y time 10 realize that this
eatly breaker was young and very
% &c looking when his feet appeared
hus' mad been his face--he bounced u
the down, landing on the woman VII
Steps Aid down the side street. and van
South IN the midst Of arms and legs
8 dog bodies that came faster and fast
Large I'll they piled up In a slipping. slt
rovina mari OF humanity. And high !
emens air. flying merrily toward tho bl'
stock before descending 10 the soakinI
with wink, went the SIX packages OF
forage Josephine lodged. She escnp
raging pedestrians because they all oil
lmina' the cutter. but couple OF pou
lection sugar landed on her stylish iii
= AMI. hat md bounced down into her
dy for ing knitting bag. Josephine
pounds recollection OF opening her bag
nimum knew exactly when she closed II
making then. with the most outrageous
larger ness, she stopped and picked
Of the other packages She
them 10 the young man In IN
ralncoat, crawling out from the
antage' "Your sugar, sir" she said
or sup and went on her way, entircl
October pentant.
nst and Perhaps the precious ballast