The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-01-23
MARRIED LIFE.
BY Mabel Herbert Jrner.
Helen Finds Herself an Jninvited
and Unwanted Guest at Luncheon.

and Unwanted Guest at Luncheon.
! 1t was just eleven by the big. clock
| in the waiting room when Helen LETT
the ferry, hurried through the Thir-
| ty-fourth street station and out to q
crosstown car. She would have time
for an hours shopping before going
down to Warren's office.
| He did not know she was coming
in today She had not known it her
self until this morning after he had
! left, when she suddenly decided to
| come in for few things they
needed.
| 1t was the first time she had been
| into town since they had gone to
| the seashore, and now the heat and
noise of the streets seemed almost
unbearable.
Inside the big shop it was even
more sitting. Her heart ached in
sympathy for the pale-faced girls
/ behind the counters. How had they
stood it through all this dreadful
summer?
She glanced over the little shop
ping list in her hand:
Shoes for Winifred.
4 Veil.
/ Crochet silk for Warren's tie.
! Safety pins.
( Shoe laces for Warren.
Needles, No. z.
/ CASTLE Soap.
Tooth paste.
! Nail brush.
| Cold cream.
| Tan shoe polish.
! Leave pin to be fixed.
To save time she bought the arti-
cles on a shopping card and had
/ them wrapped in one package. At
\ half past II she took the Broadway
car to Warren's office.
How surprised he would be! She
would get there just in time to go to
luncheon with him.
! She Is Delayed.
A great truck piled high with
boxes suddenly blocked the car.
! Anxiously Helen watched the efforts
to clear the track. The driver and
A crowd gathered rapidly. They
might be stalled there some time,
! Taking up her bundle and parasol,
she left the car and hurried over to
the subway.
/! 1t had been sitting enough in the
streets and shops but down here it
was almost uncomfortable. And yet
/ Warren had to ride in this subway
every day No wonder he was tired
and cross when he come out in the
evening.
A lump rose in her throat and her
heart melted with tenderness, as it
always did with the thought of his
undergoing any hardship.
How quickly woman Is affected
by the slightest suffering of the man
she loves. And how gladly she would
endure it in his place if she could.
uater al
came up into the street once more.
She crossed the heat-wilted square
with its ever-hurrying crowd
| 1t was a sew minutes after one
when she reached the entrance of the
great building in which Warren had
| his office. But she still hopes to be
1 in time, as he rarely went to lunch
con early.
The elevator shot up with smooth,
sickening swiftness.
Twelfth floor"
| To the right and down the long dim
corridor So rarely did she come
here that Warren's name on the
| ground glass door still thrilled her
with sense of pride and possession.
Timidly she opened the door. The
| stenographer, Helen knew, was bn
her vacation. and now the outer Of
! flee was empty except for. the office
boy, copying something on the type
writer with slow awkward fingers,
plainly unusued to the keys.
"Mr. Curtis" Helen asked breath
lessly. HE hasn't gone to lunch
yet?"
"Yes'm,' indiferently.
ooh! where-how long has he been
gomez"
"Bout ten minutes"
"But I'll find him at Ks? Isn't
that where he usually lunches ?"
Dunno" unhelpfully. "He never
said"
1t was not until Helen reached the
elevator again that Helen realized
she had not even stopped to leave
her packages and parasol. Her only
Il a A.. u