South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-04
Chapter xXXIX.
ny FIRST PARTY Is ARRANGED

Cnapter &AAlA.
Ny FIRST PARTY Is ARRANGED
When / had recovered from ny
establishment at Dicky's uncere-
monious departure / again started
10 write TO Mrs. Helen Brainerd
Smith. secretary Of the Lotus Study
club.
IL was now Saturday evening.
and had received her courteous
letter asking me 10 consider con-
Quoting the history class Of her club
Wednesday morning.
/ went to my room and switched
on the electric drop light over my
desk, an oldfashioned solid affair,
| which had been my mothers and
which | valued beyond price. and
returned 20 get my pen, which
Dicky had used to write his check.
As l picked up the pen my eyes
fell upon Dickys check book, from
which he had hastily filed out the
check for the old artist II lay open
at the page from which he had
taken the check, and | could not
help seeing the figures on the stub
$3.50. ] bent closer to see the
name. II I were to take over the
| finances of the family, / told myself.
had a right TO see where the
money was going. Yes, the name
on the stub was Maxon, Horace
Maxon.
| One hundred and fifty dollars. /
repeated the figures to myself as 1
went back TO my room TO write my
note. l hope L am not parsimon-
ious. and / always have tried to do
my share of social service. Out of
my salary 1 always contributed q
certain proportion to the societies
which have charge OF the charitable
work of the city, and in addition 1
have some of my time to help the
| regular workers in my district in
times Of emergency. But this loan
| 10 a man whom 1 had learned was
a constant borrower seemed crimi-
/ nal in it's recklessness. At the risk
Of more unpleasantness. I resolved
to speak 10 Dicky about IL when he
came back. He would ruin him
self if he persisted in doing things
| like this.
In the meantime I would write
my note. j thought il over for q
| few minutes. my invariable practice
in writing a letter. and then wrote:
Forty-six E. Twenty-ninth ST
Apartment Four.
My Dear Mrs. Smith, shall be
glad to consider taking up the work
of which you spoke in your note Of
| last Tuesday. the 18th. / can meet
you at any time to make the neces-
sary arrangements. l should be
glad to have you come to my homo,
or if il be more convenient for you
/ can meet you elsewhere. If you
will telephone me a few hours be-
forehand, we probably can arrange
a meeting place which will be con
venient for both of us My tele-
! phone number is Madison Square
I 246S. Thanking you for your
thought OF me, I am yours very
truly.
Margaret Spencer Graham.
Mrs. Helen Brainerd Smith.
Secretarv lotus Study Club.
215 w. Washington Avenue.
I read the letter over, noting that
in it's context three out of its five
sentences began with the letter
Il" The third sentence. l changed
| into two. reading, Can you come
to my home? If that is not con-
venient for you, however, / can
meet you elsewhere" Then l cop
led the letter over. addressed the
envelope, blotted il, put the letter
| inside. sealed the envelope and
slammed IL Az was debating
whether to call Katie TO post the
letter or TO go myself. she appeared
at my door.
"Wot you tInK Misses Graham"
she said excitedly, I'VE all forgot
everything today. Noting for to-
morrow dinner. Plenty for break
fast. Ham here, eggs. grapefruit.
everything. and l make cream pie
for dessert tomorrow. but no meat,
no salad, no vegetable. / take me
basket. 20 queeck before market
closes. Vot you want?''
why, Katie aren't you afraid or
the man with the black beard who
frightened you the other night? ?" I
asked slyly. I knew that she had
invented the man so that | would
allow her to sleep in the apartment
} instead If going 10 the miserable
tenement on the east side, where
Ter cousins lived. but she was so
transparent. l really could not re-
sisd asking the question solely to see
how she would answer it,
I tink he no dere. now" Katie