The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-12-06
vbo had followed I'm her wake.

o. ilOuSc IuIO utI uNII, anu tliNhNN "P
stairs to the room where muteiy re-
posed the untouched food. Gathering |
the articles in her arms she rapidly |
retraced her steps, and as the young |
man came TO consciousness he saw a |
not unbeautiful girl standing on a |
chair holding a tiny pot above the gus |
jet She smiled down at him gehu- !
inc, comforting smile.
Hot milk in a minute Toasted
crackers and mite of cheese. HOW
does that sOund?' Her voice sound
ed merrily in the room and the man
answered the smile with a wan et-
fort.
1T smells better" came the whis-
per from the bed.
And it tasted equally good as Bet
sy held his head and fed him the
Drowned biscuit dipped in the warm
milk The man slept and Betsy tip
tOed from the room. Mrs. Slattery
mounted guard in the hall with
Dame Grundy vigilance.
His room rent he behind" Evl-
IDENTIFY in Mrs. Slattery's makeup
there was no trace of that impeding
I force which had governed Betsy :
S spontaneous act Of loving kindness.
I She looked into her meager purse,
: wearing out at the corners.
: will a dollar on account be salts
e factory" she asked. The bill WAS
rendered and accepted in silence an"
y Betsy returned to her room, supper
0 less and happy AS she crept 'ntH
s bed she shifted the alarm clock. II
l. registered awakening at half past hV@'
) The hour thus gained next morn
ing was devoted to assisting her new
T. ly acquired ward. With a promise to
Is the man who lay weak and inert 10
1t stop in on her way home from work
e in the evening, she turned to go.
III why are you so good to me" he
III questioned her.
"Why doubt the motive? by IN
terrOgatiOn she answered.
PreOccupied with her thoughts. Bet
10 sy failed to be annoyed as she was
4 i0stled about on street and car hH
Ill throngs Fastening to work. Morning
s. duties were fulfilled in like SubcoD
I'll scious fashion, for mind was helping
T. the lad lying i'll and helpless IN I'M
IL hot bedroom. Noon was sounded b!
ne sirens over the weltering city as BET
sy passed the music counter OF Ill
hu denis, Inc, on her way out OF INT
10 store for luncheon. In raucous tone
~ sang the song-boOster through his Dril
M liantly coIored megaphone, which n
et- turned alternately to right and lei
DIS so that all might hear:
at "When our Ship O Dreams comes II
irt dear,
us When its cargo comes to shore,
no With gold so fine, 1t will all be thine
You alone / adore"
Betsy smiled as she, recalled th
first occasion when she had heard IN
,os words and sacrificed the precious mil
~ ntes of her luncheon period to hes
rev the end of the lyric.
md 'When our vessel comes sailing bac
IN dear,
uld Laden with wealth all for you,
I'D Then we'll marry; no need to tarry,
the When our Ship, our Ship o Dream
comes true"
She caught up the lifting. catcl
melody and the easy, rolling wore
Inc. and ate her luncheon with the tu'
in her head. Anxious for six o'cloc
.tsy the afternoon flew quickly by al
Ice. closing time found her hurrying
,wn ward her boarding house with tho
ma. sands of other souls, all closeted up
ned their own little worlds Of personal
ems, terest. Mechanically she bought t
her evening paper and mechanically re
ran the usual run of news, and equa
lid mechanically turned toward the clas
fied section In, search for the aiwa
wer nossible but never probable, bet
bell, job" Her eye drifteo 10 .he au'o
IN. inc column of Personals" attract
sus- possibly by the words, ship
eled Dreams" They seemed to pursue
kelly this day. The man seated to her rli
hummed with heavy breath. WI
ed" our Ship O. Dreams comes sailing
lfor- dear"
he Betsy read:
II II "Royalties awaiting Leonard 5
cliffe. Information wanted as to pl
but emf whereabouts of composer
snail ship O. Dreams Phone Popu
self Music Co"
from. Hetsy gasped. Could 1t really
he so wonderfully romantic? 1t
con more than food she brought him.
"Are you Leonard Sutcliffe|
ho+;c asked as she entered the room
,o,no smiled to see him seated in the en-
q do He nodded with surprise and loo
come at the newspaper she laid in his la
aThen your Ship o Dreams
after come to port, Captain Singing-M'
lshed Betsy announced and picked out
d up stopper OF the mix Do'ue WIN
or to tine Of q FORK
man A wonderful light danced in
hove, eyes. "Good Samaritan. it's our
nging o. Dreams, isn't itF
'cious And over the toasted crackers
ttery, sy nodded assent.
ACE them alive. All the summer OF
' the countryside lay under pal