Evening star., 1919-02-23

self for reading what i hdu' hhe"
II was stolen informationi II WASH
mine to use"
He came nearer And you used
it,"
wait. 1t was right before we got
to the works / read that paper. got
in to see Fanston at once. lie started
at me cruelly-more cruelty than ever
this morning--you know how he ls.
He tried to make me think at first he
meant to give us the business at
decent price, and then--then--he be
gan fighting me down--down-in eX-
actly the old way. until l knew 1t
would drive us to the old scraping for
any profit at all from 1t.
''He made his last cut from our fig
ure and signed it with his initials
and tossed it over to me--the lowest
price he had ever tried to make us
lake. | got my nerve up and threw
1t back.
~ can't take IT," said.
"'Thats all l can pay you,' he
said
"If you knew what was the exact
date and conditions of the original
agreement between Eastman and the
yarrows,' ! said, do you suppose you
might be able to pay a little more
for your printing"
"Iie was at me like fash. What
do you mean? he said. DO you know
that?'
Yes faced him back; 4 do
And then | told him.
He proved up on it. of course.
lie kept me there while he telephoned,
sent for people, went out and came
back Then-'Wen,' he said, with his
nasty. mean smile. YOU came through;
III come through now. What's your
figure?
Il handed him back our bid--the
original one we had made out. lie
signed il. 1 ran from his Office almost
singing--singing. You saw how |
came into the shop. knew that
had sold some one else's secret to get
that order But j didn't care. All
could think of was that ] had the
order and wouldn't have to be at the
office any more and could think Of
children. But, of course, I know now
we can't take his order. 1t wasn't
got honestly, Oh Ralph, I didn't see
meant to you, too"
He put his arm about her compass
sionately, my dear. dear little wife:
knew 1t already You didn't have
to ten me that. l knew It."
That l got the order dishonesty?
NO. dear; not that, of course. But
! knew we didn't really have the
order F'anston cancelled it this aft
ernoon."
"Fanston cancelled What did he
say"
"Nothing-just canceied, that's all
! suppose after he'd learned what you
knew. he thought better of his-sen-
eroslty. He's going to send his busi-
ness to the city or else, If we get an
order from him, it'll be at the same
price as before. SO were just about
where we were this morning, dear;
that's all"
Her eyes gazed into his "No; we're
not back there, Ralph, We can never
be back there again. ] got that order
dishonesty; he's cancelled il. But
what do we care? What difference
can that make to us now? Hasn't this
given me-hasn't it given you--us--a
DAY, or half day, at least. in which
we've let ourselves know what it
means TO live--to have babies Gomez
Think! All this afternoon. here alone,
! let myself dare to listen and hear
little voices-little Voices-and TO feel
little fingers--a small. warm body, and
then, later, the sound of little feetl
I've had that this afternoon: so we
can never go back--we can never go
back where we were this morning."
she seized her husband and clung to
him closely
Yes" he cried to her as he felt the
beat of her heart against his. This
afternoons changed everything for
me, too---it's changed everything"
so what do we care If this is going
TO be our home? What do we care
II we cant keep even these rooms il
" nave " iiNe In TWO, IN one? what
40 we care, now that we know"
We won't have 20, Edith, Well
get along better. even in the business.
Ior this afternoon. All | needed was
not to be afraid. I've got some good
straight business that won't cancel at
better price already. I'll get some
more. Tor I'd got into a rut trying to
work with you too long in a way
nan and his wife were never meant to
,eip each other for very long. Tiwas
depending on you in she wrong way.
Z IN going to work for you now," For
'ou-and I'll really do things. 1 feel
4! / know itr' ss
And for long time he held her
win her head upon his shoulder.
neither of them speaking At last,
Rhen she got up and turned on the
light, she stared around strangely aud
surprise at the plain, cramped little
Dom In which they had lived For eight
ears; and as he saw her eyes he saw
ne room in the sudden, strange new
way too. and he steadled her as. she
rembled.
why, everything Is the same" she
'ald "Nothing's changed here. moth
ns need be changed We can live
lKht on mere IL We must-rright here
a ! this same cheap old room. But how
Y ,imerent 1t is now. my husband, how
'lnereht' Why, all the riches of the
arth are within it--all the riches OF
he earth"