The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1918-11-15
HIS FARM RETTE
BY NELLIE A. DELANEY.
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Tonight four girls were coming from
tho city to work on the farm. Mr..
colby found male help impossible TO
ecurc. 80 nj last he gave up and adj
Ncrtised for farmerettes.
Martha brushed back the jet black
hair from her forehead. put on a fresh
blue Bingham dress. a white. stlffly
inrchcd apron. and before she could
.ct 10 the kitchen loud pealing OF
The door bell announced the arrival
~ the new farm hands. She opened
De- door nervously. and there stood
-FOUR fashionably dressed girls. Laugh.
ing and chatting merrily. they followed
he now more than ever nervous
Martha.
In the dining room Tom Colby, born
farmer. showed plainly that life on
farm had not made him amy different
from the rest " the stcrncr sex. lie
rnzed admirlngly az each pretty girl,
and Martha could not remember when
he had talked 50 much. hut Instead OF
the uneasy feeling leaving her It grew
more apparent. and she tried in vain
to hide the red hands. rough from
heavy work.
Married nt sixteen. then ten years OF
hard work 60 help pay on the mort
gage on the little firm made Martha
feel more like forty than twenty.six.
Before tho first meal was over Mar
thu was experiencing q feeling abso-
lutciy now to her. She was thinking
~ the long evenings when Tom. after
n hard days work. would 80 60 sleep
In bis easy chair. then the long. lone
some evening must he passed In ST.
lcnce. Tonight he wns wide awake.
and after supper. through the open
window Martha watched him. eagerly
show the four girls the different places
on the farm. she turned from the
window. and the ugly pain that had
started OF supper. increased with great
rnpldty. nor could she explain its
meaning for Martha was experiencing
jealousy for the first time In her life.
She hated the four rosy.chcckcd girls
with their city ways; she hated the
way they plastcrcd their hair around
their cars. entirely covering them. and
she felt that she almost hated her be-
loved Tom.
As the days wore on Martha became
more silent and miserable. one day
she got M courage 10 nsk Tom what
he thought NJ the farmerettes. and he
expressed himself In one word.
'pcnchcs." Then Il wns true. she told
herself. Tom wns slowly slipping away
from her. and walking into the next
room the big brown eyes filled With
tears.
"why the tears. girllci" musical
4 voice sounded behind her. The blood
/ rushed "a Mnrtha's checks NJ the pref
ticst ~ the four fnrncrettcs APP
preached her. II forgot my powder
pun" she added by way ~ explanation
for coming hack from the field.
Mnr,hn's first impulse wns 90 run
away; instead, womnnlike, she burst
Into tears. and let the girl she hated
lead her 60 the chair aud coax from
her the reason why she wcpt. Putting
her arm around Martha, she whls.
pcrcd; "i.litlr country Girl. you are
Jealous without cuuse; why. you aro
Ave times ~ pretty ns any city girl.
Hut NJ We nrc going back 90 the city
tonight. let's prove TINT fact 10 your
hufhnnd. lie II going % drive ms ca
the stntlon. hut before We go we will
FIX you M lltile-only." she added,
eve can't put any more roses In
those cheeks" After much whispered
planning, they separated.
That night. ~ Tom Colby sat In the
wagon waiting for the four girls 90 np-
pear. II seemed 90 him Il took them a
long time % bid Martha goOd,by. They
finally appeared. and Tom drove them
"a the station. He aid not walt FOR
the train; somehow. tonight he longed
To pass pleasant evening alone viii
his wife; he had made up his mind
there was just one little farmeretts
In the world for him, and that was
Martha.
As he drove into the yard. he was q
little surprised that Martha dld moi
come % meet him, as was her custom
Throwing the reins 10 the hired man
he hurried Into the Kitchen. The sup
per dishes were still In the pan, AnC
the table had not been cleared
A feeling of fear came over Tom, ant
he hurried into the bedroom. There OF
the floor In a crumpled heap was th'
familiar blue Bingham dress. A Sigh
Noise IN the parlor turned his ntten
ton there. and pushing open the doc
he heheld Martha In Il blue silk dress
, hte shoes and stockings, and wors
~ all. the beautiful black hair wal
pulled tightly over two pink ears.
Tom stared Tor sDue minutes In 81
lence, then Martha ass, sweetly; ID,
. look "a strange IN pr;ty clothes
4 Tom3 Don't look rs good as No fou
farmerottesT
"Why. Martha, girl" Tom rcplle
: slowly, there's just one farmerctte d
this world for me, and that's my Mai
tina, but IL took four city girls 20 wax
me up 10 that fact, nut" he uddc,
wistfully, Il like you best in the blu
~