Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1918-08-16
Sugar"
Shortage
ran

~ BERTHA cuRRIE PORTER
Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure NeWspa-
per syndieate.l

Il don't see what you said we'd give
them tea for, when you know we
haven't any sugar."
"What difference does that makei
Some Of our best families don't have
sugar nowadays"
"Well, I'll bet the Clarkson girls are
rolling In sugarp
IF they are, oil we need to do is to
shake them over the cups, and there
you areV'
"You needn't Joke about 1t, Anne.
have some pride If you haven't, and
I'm not going to have those rich Clark
sons coming here and thinking we're
not as well able to have things as they
are, even If they do carry fifteen dollar
knitting bugs. all covered over with
pin-cushion fruit, and tassels."
Il don't know how you're going to
get II. I've telephoned to every store
/ can think of and they all say the
same thing-'no sugar."
"Telephoning and asking face to face
are two different things. I'll run out
and see what I can do"
Josephine Bruce, not in this bad
weather.
But Josephine had vanished into the
bedroom Of the little fiat.
1t was the worst day Of that ''never-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS" winter. There had
been a heavy snow fall, thaw and
then sudden freeze, with thick, black
Ice over everything. And In the night
the weather had moderated and rain
had fallen in torrents on the Ice. This
morning 1t was still raining, with q
heavy wind. It was a day when sensi-
BILE folk wore creepers over their rub
bers, and other people lost their pride
lin the good old Biblical way.
! Josephine appeared, clad In a very
becoming brown raincoat and little tan
hat, She wore brown boots and ridicu-
IlOus low rubbers, and carried brown
umbrella.
Sister Anne stood at her tower win
dow and watched Josephine slip down
THE hill, using her folded umbrella as a
STAFF, Anne began to chop nutmeats
for sandwiches, wondering what her
Ierratic sister might be doing. The
reality was this:
In the nearest store, Anne marched
bravely up to the counter.
1.-TWO pouRds Of sugar, please" she
said, with her sweetest smile.
mo sugar In the store" growled the
harassed clerk for the one hundred
and thirty-seyenth time that day.
There's no sugar In the store" the
next grocer told her, "and more than
that, there's no sugar up to my own
house, and I'm In the grocery business.
What was yours, madam" to a sleek
haired italian woman In red shawl.
Josephine went out on more Ice.
For an hour she slipped and slid
from one store to another, and heard |
the same story In flfty-seven varieties.
Josephine paused on corner to collect |
her forces and decide where to attack |
next. This particular corner was at |
the foot Of hill-this city was built |
on more than seven hills-and the side |
walk sloped at an unpleasant angle;
also the building on that lot projected |
IN such way that pedestrians coming
down the side street were completely
hidden from those on the main thor
)ughfare. Josephine had seen so many
people fall that day that she now me-
watched them all. Perhaps
hat was why she noticed the gray
'aincoat behind the big market basket.
New style coat" she thought, and
ooked again at the basket. She gasp
ID Not for months had she seen
light like that. She looked again. It
vas absolutely true. In that basket,
by a tapping paper cover
ng, but with tell-tale little yellow
harp corners sticking out were six
wo-pound cartons Of sugar. And. the
God commissioner had ruled that no
Iealer should sell more than ten
POUNDS to any one person. And she,
Josephine Bruce, had not one single
rain!
She looked above the basket to see
Who this plutocrat might be, and met
pair Of serious blue eyes staring
traight into her brown ones. She had
My time to realize that this law
reaker was young and very good
boxing when his feet appeared where
ad been his face-he bounced up and
own, landing on the woman who had
lid down the side street, and vanished,
4 the midst Of arms and legs and
odies that came faster and faster I'M
Il they piled up In slipping, stopping
narl Of humanity. And high In the
ir, flying merrily toward the blue sky
efore descending to the soaking side
ak, went the six packages of sugar.
Josephine lodged. She escaped the
edestrians because they all slid into
he gutter, but a couple of pounds of
1gar landed on her stylish little tan
at and bounced down into her yawn-
lg knitting bag. Josephine had no ]
Of opening her bag, but she
new exactly when she closed 1t. And
len, with the most outrageous polite
ess, she stopped and picked up two /
| the other packages. She handed
lem to the young man in the gray |
lincoat, crawling out from the chaos.
t.Ynnr sugar. SIR she said. smiling. i