South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-18
Making Allowances
By Hlda Morris

Beth was very angry. In fact she
was angry with Bob. which is as
much as to say that she was dis
pleased with her whole world.
OF course il was righteous anger.
Who wouldn't be angry under the
circumstances? Bob had failed to
keep his appointment TO meet her
at the end Of her Red Cross after
noon. and she had waited in the
doorway for more than a. hour. If
the sun had been shining il would
not have been so bad but Beth was
used 10 being taken care in the rain,
having people worry about her rub
bers and her pretty clothes and
whether or not she were warm
enough. Ii was bad enough for Bob
to fail his appointment, but in the
rain
called a taxi and proceeded to the
nearest restaurant. a place where
she knew that business women were
I'm the habit Of dining alone. It was
very different indeed from the rose
shaded. music-laden atmosphere of
the place Bob usually took her to.
and it was different from the hre-lit
luxury of home. But she couldn't go
home and tell them all, she must
have time to think
Beth and Bob had been engaged
for three months. and during all
that time there had been nothing to
mar their happiness. Bob was do
ing valuable work for the govern
ment here at home and exempt from
service in the trenches He was
prospecting. too. and this very even
ing they were to have discussed the
plans of their house-to-be.
But now, of course. that was all
over. Beth could not consider keep
ing an engagement to a man who
used her so cruelty. There couldn't
be any explanation sufficient to ex-
cuse an offense so heinous Every
thing was over between them, this
was the end
BY which YOU may see that Beth
was a young lady accustomed to
having her own way in nearly all
things
The restaurant was one which
Beth had never visited before. she
seated herself in a remote corner
and fell 10 studying the menu. That
IS she appeared TO study il. In
reality she was gazing at il and
| nursing her wrath. A waitress came
and stood beside her but Beth gave
no order. After a while the maid
went away 10 some one else. Twice
she came back for Beth's order. and
twice the fashionably dressed girl
frowned and said that she had not
made up her mind. She was used TO
/ having servants wait But the maids
at this particular place were used
TO business girls and women who
worked themselves and had learned
/ consideration. Beth's waitress. a
buxom middIe-aged woman. decided
not TO put herself out for custom
/ er so rude.
! Beth came "to" with a start and
an impatient sigh She might as
well eat something and get out OF
this horrid place. She looked about
| for the maid. She fretted. she
! glared. she made signs, yet the inn
| pudent serving-woman took her own
time. Beth's anger was sufficient to
embrace her and the rest of the
| world so when she did have a
chance to order her meal it was in
an icy tone and with a complaint AT
the delay. But the waitress offered
no apology Again Beth sank into
a mood of angry reverie.
She was reused by the arrival OF
her meal. She didn't want to eat al
all. feeling as she did. but at Least
it was something to do. She toyed
with the food, or thought she toyed
! Being young and very healthy and
tired and hungry, in reality she en-.
/ ioyed the simple well-cooked food
And the coffee Dear me. tba'
stupid waitress had brought her nc
sugar! She had especially asked fol
| sugar it must be sheer impertinence
or ineXcusable carelessness. Agar
she frowned and fixed her eyes upor
the woman, but the waitress wa.
busy with other tables, she passed
and repassed Beth. giving no sigr
that she saw. Two girls who had
taken the seat opposite Beth haC
waited long time, too. They wer,
plain, sensibly dressed girls. bus
with talk about the office and mu
tual friends
We're waiting an awful while.
one Of them complained. good
naturedly "Katie's dreadfully bus,
tonight"
Yves, poor thing. I dare saw sh,
hardly knows what she's abou
either. You know her son has JUS
been wounded in France, the onl,