South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-17
YOUR MOTHER NOW"

room. she sank into the armenian,
and Dicky took off her hat and
locsened her cloak. She leaned her
head against the back Of the chair.
and her face looked so drawn and
white that felt alarmed.
Katie. prepare a cup Of strong
tea Immediately" I directed. and
Katie vanished as there nothing
can do for you. Mrs. Graham" I
approached her chair.
Nothing, thank you. You may
save the maid the trouble of pre-
pairing that tea if you will. I could
not possibly drink it. I always car
~ my own tea with me. and prepare
II myself If IL is not too much
trouble. Dicky. will YOU get me a
pot Of hot water and some cream ?
n have everything else here"
really felt sorry for Dicky. He
caught the tension in the atmos-
TO me with a helpless caught-be
tween -two-fires expression. With
masculine obtUseness he put his foot
in il i'm his endeavor 10 remedy mat
ters.
Why do you call my mother Mrs.
Graham Madge?" he said queru-
lousy "She is your mother now as
well as mine, you know"
II am nothing Of the kind" His
mother spoke sharply. "Of all the
idiotic assumptions, that is the
worst. that marriage makes close
relatives and friends Of total stran-
gers. Your wife and T NAV learn
TO love each other. Then there will
he plenty of time for her to call me
mother As it is. 7 am very glad
she evidently feels as I do about it,
Now. Dicky. if YOU will kindly get
me that hot water"
ct will attend to it," ! said decid-
edlv. "Dicky. take your mother 20
her room and assist her with her
things / will have the hot water
and cream for her almost at once. ="
In the shelter Of the dining room.
where Dicky nor his mother nor
Katie could see or hear me.
clenched my hands and spoke aloud.
Call her mother Give that ill
tempered. tyrannicsl old woman the
sacred name THAT means so much TO
me Never as long as I live"
How Dicl1y's Mother Refused the
Flowers That Madee offered.
Dicky met me at the door of the
dining room and took the tray
carried. It held my prettiest teapot
filled with boiling water. tiny plate
OF sailed crackers, together with
cup. saucer. spoon and napkin.
Say. sweetheart he whispered,
IT want 20 tell YOU something Nv
mother isn't always like this. She
can be very sweet when she wants
to- But when things don't 60 a. suit
her she takes these awful icy dig
nifty tantrums, and you can't touch
her with a ten-foot pole until she
gets over them. She was tired from
the journey. and the fact that you
kept her waiting in the taxicab made
her furious. But she'll get over it.
Just be patient, won't YOU. darling p"
If the average husband only real
lied how he could play upon his
wife's heart-strings with a few low
ing words + believe there would be
less marital unhappiness in the
world. few minutes before I had
been fercely resentful against
Dickys mother. And my anger had
reached to Dicky, for l felt in some
vague way that he must be respons-
ible for his mothers rudeness.
But the knowledge that he, too,
was used 10 her injustice and that
he resented it when directed against
me made all the difference in the
world. I reached up my hand and
patted his cheek.
Dear boy. nothing in the world
matters. if just you are not cross
end displeased" assured him.
Run along now with that hot wa
ter. and call me if you need any
thing. Your mother probably "
want to be alone with you for
awhile, as she has not seen YOU for
so long I will see 10 the luncheon
and arrange my flowers"
Don't BE CcrcmOniOus."
"Dicky," The querulous voice
sounded impatient. Dicky cast "A
ccmical glance at me and fled with
his tray i went into my own room
and removed my hat and coat.
Then. taking the box Of flowers, I
spread the blossoms out on clean
sheet which I laid on my bed. There
really was no other place where 1
could arrange them, / told myself,
with a queer sense of being an out
slider in my own home.
The carnations were soon in their
bowl and vase on the table and man
tel in the living room. ! went 70
the kitchen. found toe brown crock
whose possibilities Dicky had first
revealed TO me. filled il with water
and brought il back 70 my room,
where I set it carefully on my low
stand and arranged the daffOdi!s
and narcissi and asparagus fern in
it. Carrying il 10 the dining table
and placing il in the center. ] for
got all my annoyances for moment
in admiration Of its delicate beauty.
What should I do with the sweet
peas? In the face Of Mrs. Graham's
manner. 7 did not feel like offering
them TO her. And vet I had bought
them for her room, and I felt that
Dicky would like me TO show her the
little attention.
After all. she can't do any more
than throw them at my head I re-
fected whimsically. as I lifted the