The L'Anse sentinel., 1919-04-18

fleaSe don't call me Gert, ION,
besought his wife plaintively. "a f1g-
ure. wanted Innes to try to get one
| for me In Los Angeles"
"I did try," began Innes.
"Yours is good enough for anyone.
Why should you ger anotherT He
was openly admiring the ample bust
swelling under the pink gingham.
'Dont. Tom"
Innes tried to explain the sincerity
Of her search. She had visited every
store (which might be suspected Of
having Q, figure" She could not bring
a smile to her sisters face. "There
was none your size. They offered to
order one from Chicago. They have to
be made to order, If they are special
sizes. You are not stock size, did you
know that?"
| II should think not" cried Gerty,
bridling. 'My waist is absurdly small
for the size of my hips and shoulders"
| Innes wondered If it would be safe
to agree with her.
"When will 1t be here?"
| "Youll be disappointed" Innes
found herself stammering. "But not
for six weeks. did not know whether
to order it or not"
"And in Los Angeles with my sum-
mer sewing all done! What good will
it do me then?" The pretty eyes
looked ready for childish tears.
II know. That is, didn't know
what to do" apologized Innes Hardin.
II decided to order it as I'd found the
place, and was right there, but made
sure that I could countermand the or
der by telegram. So can this very
afternoon. / knew you would be dis
appointed. was sorry"
'I'll need It next winter" admitted
Gerty, helping herself to some of the
chilled tomatoes. SIN sure I'm much
obliged to you. I hope 1t did not put
you to much trouble"
Thee words raised the wall Of for
mality again. Innes bent over her
plate.o
"What made you change your plansr'
suddenly demanded his wife of Hardin.
"When Sam came in with your bag, he
surprised me So"
"My boss kept me-" Hardin's face
looked coarse, roughened by his ugly
passion. "Rickard, your old friend.
station"
"Oh," cried Gerty. "Surely, he did
not do that. Tom"
"Sure he did" Hardin's face was
black with his evil mood. "Tm only an
underling, disgraced underling. He's
my boss. He's going to make me re-
member It,"
"You mustn't say such things" pout-
ed his wife. 'Ie il does not hurt you,
If you do not care, think how must
feel"
"Oh, rotp exclaimed Hardin. The
veneer was rubbed down to the rough
wood. Innes saw the coarseness her
mother had complained of. the Gingg
fiber.
II suppose you think like to take
orders, to jump at the snap Of the
whipf" He was deliberately beating
up his anger into froth. "Oh, sure, ]
do. That's q Hardin, through and
through"
| Again the angry blood flooded his
wife's cheeks. He, too, was throwing
the boarding house at her.
"You oid 1t yourself" Gerty with
difficulty was Withholding the angry
tears. IT told you how 1t would be.
You would do It."
"Oh, ~ cried Tom, pushing back
his plate.
His sister looked drearily out the
wire-screened door. Her view was q
dusty street. Hardin got up, scraping
his chair over the board floor.
"And to keep it from me-" persisted
the wife. "To let me ask him to din
ner-"
"Does that dismal farce have to 60
onT demanded Hardin, turning back
to the table. you'll have to have II
without me, then. I'll not stay and
make fool Of myself. Ask him to
dinner. Mel I'll see myself"
Innes wished she was In the neigh
into a coarse fury.
To her dismay, Gerty burst into
tears. 1t was killing her. the disgrace
she cried. She couldn't endure It. She
couldn't stand 1t there; she had not
the courage to go to Los Angeles,
where her friends would pity her. II
was crushing her. She was not Har-
din; she was sensitive; she could not
justify everything q Hardin did as
right. no matter what the consequences
The pretty eyes obscured, she rushed, q
streaming Niobe, from the room.
The brother and sister avoided each
others eyes. Innes roso and cleared
the table of the dishes. She made O
loud noise with the running water In
the shed. racketing the pans to drown
the insistence Of Gerty's sobbing.
She kept listening for Toms step,
She wanted to go with him when he
left; he must not reach the office In
the blackness of that mood. She
wished he would not betray his feel
ings; yet she knew IL was not he who
was to blame.
When she heard the screen doc.
slam, she flashed cut the back way.
/ unnfp che BALLAD offor him tsxVoft