Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-02

and everything hu, the last load is
ready to complete the new home. Ihey
| spend the last night in their old nome
with great expectations for the omor-
row.
CHAPTER x1.
Shirley was awake early that morn
ing. almost too excited to sleep put
ftfully even through the night. Now
that the thing was done and theS
were actually moved into a barn she
began to have all sorts of fears and
| compunctions concerning it. She
seemed to see t.r delicate mother
shrink as from a blow when she first
learned that they had come to this.
Try as she would TO bring back all inc
sensible philosophy that had caused
her to enter into this affair in the first
place. she simply could not feel any
thing but trouble. h longed to rush
into her mothers room. tell her all
about it. and get the dreaded eplsode
over. But anyhow 1t vas lnevltaoie
now. They were moved. They had
tbarely enough money to pay the
carriage and get things started before
next payday. There was nothing for
it to take her mother there, even
il she did shrink from the idea.
OF course mother always had been
sensible. and all that; but somehow
the burden Of the great responsibility
of decision rested SO heavily upon her
young shoulders that morning that it
seemed as if she could no, longer bear
the strain.
They still had a good fire in the
kitchen. range and Shirley fastened
to the kitchen. prepared a delicate
piece Of toast. a poached egg, a cup
o. tea, and took it. to her mothers
room, tiptoeing lightly lest she still
slept.
But the mother vas awake and glad
to see her. She had been awake since
t. the little bakk window. She had
the look Of one who was girded for
the worst. But. when she saw her
daughters face the mother in her tri-
umphed over the woman
Whats the trouble, little girl? Has
something happened?"
The tenderness in her voice was the
last straw that broke Shirley's self
control. The tears suddenly sprang
into her eyes, n her lip trembled.
ooh mother" she walled, setting
the tray down quickly on a box and
fumbling for her handkerchief. I'm
so worried! I'm so afraid vol won't
like what we've done. and then what
shall We do?"
II shall like'it":' said the mother
with instant determination. Don't
for a minute think of anything else.
Having done something i~rrevocably.
rever look back and think you might
have done something better. You did
the best you could. or you thought you
did, anyway; and there didn't seem to
be anything else at the time. So now
just consider it was the very best
thing in the world, and don't go to
fretting about it. There'll be some
thing nice about it, I'm sure, and
goodness knows we've had enough
unpleasant things here: SO we needn't
expect beds of roses. We are just 60
ing to make it nice. little girl. Re-
it. There's a tree there. you say: SO,
when We find things we don't like.
we'll just go out and look up at our
tree and say. We've got you, anyway.
and we're glad of it,"
You blessed little mother!!" laugh
ed Shirley, wiping her tears away. Il
just believe you will like it. maybe,
after all. though I've had a lot of
computations all night. I wondered
il maybe l oughn't to have told you
all about it; only I knew you couldn',
really judge at all until you had seer
it yourself, and we wanted to sur
prise you"
Well. I'm determined to be sur
prised," said the brave little womai;
$50 don't you worry. We're going to
have a grand good time today. Now
run along. It's almost time for your
car. and you haven't had any break
fast yet"
Shirley kissed her mother, and went
smiling down to eat her breakfast and
hurry ava to the ONCE.
There was a big rush of work al
the Office, or Shirley would have
asked for a half holiday; but she did
not dare -endanger her position by
making a request at 30 busy a season.
She was glad that the next day wal
Sunday and they would have q whole
day to themselves in the new home
before she would have to hurry away
make it seem less lonely for her
mother, having them all home that
first day. She mean to work fast to.
day and get all the letters written be.
fore five II possible. Then she would
have time to get homo q few minutea
before Graham arrived with his car
and see that he mother vas all com.
fortably ready. 1t was a good deal t.
put upon Carol to look after every.
thing. 1t wasn't as IL they had neigh
bors to help out a little. for they were
"S wy A0s ~ so ~ ~
block to leave. All the others had
gone two or three weeks before.
Thinking over again all the many
details for the day, Shirley walked
down to the ONCE through the SUM-
shine. It was growing warm weather
and her coat felt oppressive already
She was 20 thankful that mother
would not have to sleep in those
breathless rooms after the heat be-
gan. The doctor had said that her
mother needed rest and air and plenty
Of sunshine more than. anything else
She would at least have those ct the
barn, and what did other things mat.
ter, after ALI Mother was game
Mother wouldn't lot herself feel bad.
~ over such . silly thing. They Ger.
tainly were going to be more com
Portable than they had been for sew
eral years. Think of that wonderful
electric light. And clear cold water
from the spring! oh. It was great!
And q little thrill Of .ecstasy passed
over her. the first she had let herself
feel since she had. taken the greAt ne.
sp~onsibility Of .transpIaHting her fam
Ait.l IL q. ~ ,.s.s4 VI,