Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-15

would do us aworlds OF good to learn
to be saving" I pleaded.
Jim let me have my way. He did
up the robe. and just as IL vanishe ed
| into Its swsthings of paper, actually
/ the thing seemed to wink Its blue
/ green peacock's eyes at me malicious
ly.
But even after he had limped out
with II. I felt disappointed. I did
| so wish Jim could have seen the in
cident as I did. To me It stood al
most as a symbol. We must not ac-
cept layish gifts from our rich
! friends. We mustn't adopt their
worldly standards. We must hnd for
ourselves simple happy honey ones
the standards of dignity and sweet
ness that the Bryces and Sheldon
Blakes and Tom Masons OF society
Fprobably sneeringly call middle
| class"-but the standards. never
theless. on which the beautiful thing
called Home" Is built-the stan
dards that are about the most first
class" thing in the world!
The lid of the carved chest was
still open. l went over to close It.
and as I put 1t down I saw that in
the corner of the large empty chest
something glittered. I stopped and
picked it up-it was a flashing tas-
sci OF blue and green beads, dropped
from the tinsel girdle. For a mo-
ment / stood with it in my hand.
then dropped it back into the depths
of the chest and banged the lid shut,
Would I never be rid of that robe?
A clock chimed the half hour and
l flew to look at my roast. 1 basted
and turned it-by two 1t would be
done. to perfection. The carrots must
be hurried on. or the meat would. get
bit dry and tough waiting for
them. A glance a the time table in
my cook book had said, Carrots
As minutes So I lowered the burn
ers in the oven.
1 busted myself with the mint
sauce. put the potatoes on to boil,
made the salad dressing and sliced
the, tomatoes. took my pineapple
fun out of the mold and finished lay
ing the table. The clock struck two.
No Jim.
I turned off the heat in the oven
entirely. My housewifely instincts
made me determine that my nice
lamb roast shouldn't be .overdone-
delicately pink, it would be delicious.
and could be served cold for to-mor-
row nights dinner. l set back the
potatoes and the. mint sauce, left the
carrots simmering and came uneasily
into the living room.
II was all wife now-the house
wife left behind in the kitchenette.
Mr.. Mason's apartment was only a
few blocks away. Jim had taken
enough time already to do the trip
twice over. Had he been too tired
to go out again? Had his trip of
the morning worn him out? Was I
a selfish wife who, for the sake of
her own peace of mind. had sent a
brave war-cripple out on trivial err
rand that was exhausting him."
I crossed to the window-not the
one where the chest stood!-and peer
ed out. Jim was nowhere to be seen.
The street wore the air of desertion
that's typical of sunday at 2.
\ taxi turned the corner and drove
TO our door. My heart sank. Jim
i'll perhaps. Trembling. I stood wait
ing for him to be lifted from the cab
Then the door opened and a woman
stepped out of the taxi. She wore a
beautiful dress of orchid-colored chif-
fon flowing not from under a cape of
purple satin. Orchid colored? She
looked like an orchid-a familiar or
child, She paid the driver and looked
up.
1t was Betty Brycel
The curtain shook under my hand.
What was Betty Bryce doing back in
town? How had Ehe found us? How