Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-29

MARTHA COLBY added a few fniSh-
Al ing touches to the already spotiess
Kitchen.
Tonight four girls were coming from
.hn city 70 work on the farm. Mr.. Colby
found male help Impossible 30 secure,
SO At last he gave up and advertised TOT
farmerettes.
Martha brushed back the jet black
hatr from her forehead. put on a tr@sh
blue gingham dress. a white. s''UiS
sta~ched apron, and before she could
door he'll announced the arrival Of IN"
new farm hands. She opened the door
rerrously. and there stood -FOUR iaSn,
~inrahlv drcssod girls. 1.auRhing and
chatting merrily. they followed tn" now
more than ever nervous Martha.
In the dining room Tom Colby, born
farmer. showed plainly that life on a
farm had not made him any different
than the rest Of tho sterner sex. ne
sazcd adniringly at each pretty girl,
he had talked 60 much. but instead OF
the uneasy feeling leaving her 1t gre"
more apparent. and she tried In vain 10
hide the red hands, rough from heavy
work.
Married at sixteen, then ten years OF
hard work to help pay off the MORTGAGE
on the little farm. made Martha feel
more IKE forty than twenty-siX.
Before the first meal was over Martha
was experiencing n feeling absolutely
new to her. She was thinking Of the
long evenings when Tom after a hard
days work. wOul go to sleep in MS
easy chair then the long, Lonesome even
ing must he passed in silence. Tonight
he was wide awake. and after supper
through the open window Martha Whtch-
ed him eagerly show the four girls the
different places on the farm. She turned
from the window. and the ugly. pain
that had started at srppe Increased
with great rapidity. Nor could she tN-
plain It's meaning. for Martha was eN-
jealousy for the first time IN
her life. She hated the four rosy-chFek;
ed girls, with their city ways she hated
the way they plastpred their hair arouhd
their ears, entirely covering them. ana
abe felt that she almost mated heF ne
loved Tom.
As the DAYS wore on Martha became
more silent and miserable. One day she
up courage to ask Tom what ne
thought of the farmerettes and ne eN,.,
nressed himself in one wnrd. nracurs,
Then II was true she told herself. ON
walking into IN" next room the Dig
brown eyes filled with tears.
why the tears, grille 2 musical
vo'ce sounded behind her. tn" hbnh
rushed to Martha's cheeks as the pref
TEST Of the -four farmerettes a~pproacheh
her. Il forgot my oNu'l l''' -
added Ivy way of explanation for coming
from the field.
Martha's first impulse was I" run
instead ~wOmanlike. she burst into
tears and let tn" girl she hated lrad her
to the chair and coax from her the rea-
around Martha she whispered. Little
country girl. you are jealous without
cause. Why. you are five times as pretty
as any city girl, but as we are going
hack to the city toniRht' yet : prov ma
fact 10 your husband. He Is going TO
drive MS to the station. hut befnr" We go
we will fix up a tle-on My she added.
I'VE can't put any more roses IN nose
ming they separated.
That night as Tom Colby sat In the
wagon waiting for the four girls to APP
near II seemed to him II took them a
long time to bid Martha gOod-hN. TheN
finally appeared. and Tom drove them 20
the station. He did not walt for tht
train. somehow. Tonight he l0uged tt
PASS a pleasant evening alone with his
wife. He had made up his mind there
was lust one real farmerette IN Inc
world for him and that was Martina.
A he drove into the yard, he was
little surprised that Martha did no
come to meet him. az was her custom
Throwing the reins to the hired man. HI
hurried into the kitchen. The suppe
dishes were still in the nan, and tn
| liable had not been cleared
A. feeling of fear came over Tom. AM
he hurried into the bedroom. There oil
the foor in a crumpled heap was tn
familiar blu Bingham dress. A'sfgh
noise in the parlor turned his atten
lion there, and pushing open the doc
he heheld Martha in a blue SILK dress
white shoes and stockings, and. wors
Of all. the beautiful black hair wa
pulled tightly over two pink ears.
Tom stared for some minutes in 81
lence, then Martha. asked sweetly: Cd
| look so strange in pretty clothes
Tom? Don't I look as good as the fou
farmerettes?'
why. Martha. girl" Tom reptile
slowly, there's just one farmerette !
this world for me, and that's my Mar
Ina, but It toOk four city girls to wax
NE M to that fact; but he adde
| wist FULLY, Il like you best In the blu
Bingham, with your hair done the othe
way"
The following week a little stenof
rapher in a stuffy Office stopped pound
ing the KEYS of her typewriter Ion
enough to read a postcard from he
country friend, and she smiled happil
as lis contents: 1T worked fine. dea
hut | am. still wearing my ginghal
dress, and he won't let me wear m
hair over my ears,