The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-03-19

their daily needs. 1t, too, would sooE
be exhausted, and Irene was confront
ed with the serious business of finding
n means OF livelihood for herself and
her mother.
She discussed her problem with Bert
Morrison, with whom she had formed
n considerable friendship. She Won
dered whether she might be able to
get q position on one OF the newspa-
pers.
"Don't think OF it," said Bert. "Lf
you want TO keep a sane, sweet out
look on humanity. don't examine it too
closely. That's what we have TO do in
the newspaper game, and that's why
we're all cynics. Keep out Of it,"
But I must earn a living" Irene
protested.
Ever contemplate marriage?" said
Miss Morrison, with disconcerting
f~rankness.
The color rose in Irene's cheeks, but
she knew that her friend was discuss
ing a serious matter seriously. "Why,
yes" she admitted, II have contem-
plated it; in fact, / am contemplating
it. That's one of the reasons / want
to start earning my living. When l
marry / want to marry Is a matter of
choice-not because it's the only way
out"
"NCw you're talking" said Bert.
"And most of us girls who marry as a
matter Of choice-don't marry. I've
only known one man from whom a
proposal would set me thinking. And
he'll never propose 70 me-not now.
Not since Miss Hardy came West"
"Oh," said Irene, slowly. "Tm-Tm
so sorry"
Its all right" said Bert, looking
| out Of the window. "Just another OF
life's little bumps. We get used to
them-in time. But you want a job.
Let me see; you draw, don't you"
Just for a pastime. I can't earn a
living that way"
I'm not so sure. Perhaps not with
art in the abstract. You must CONNER
cialiZe it. If you, on the one hand,
can make a picture Of the Rockies,
which you can't sell, and, on the other.
can make q picture of a pair of shoes,
which you can sell, which, as q woman
Of good sense, in need Of the simoleons,
are you going to do? You're going to
draw the shoes-and the pay-check.
Now I think I can get you started that
way, on catalogue work and ad cuts.
Try your pencil on something-any-
thing at all-and bring down a few
samples"
So Irene's little studio.room began
to take on a practical purpose. 1t was
work which called for form and pro-
portion rather than color, and in these
Irene excelled. She soon found her
self with as much as she could do, In
addition to the duties Of the house
hold, as maids were luxuries which
could no longer be afforded and her
mother seemed unable to realize that
they were not still living in the afflu-
ence Of Doctor Hardy's income. To
Irene, therefore, fell the work Of the
house, as we'll as it's support.
But her success In earning q living
| did not seem in the slightest degree
to clear the way for marriage. She
| could not ask Dave to assume the
| support Of her mother; particularly
in view Of Mrs. Hardy's behavior
| toward him, she could not ask that.
She sometimes wondered If Coward
For a long while she refused to COM
| plete the thought, but at length, why
not? Why shouldn't Coward marry
her mother? And what other purpose
| could he have in his continuous visits
| to their home? Mrs. Hardy, although
no longer young, had by no means
| surrendered all the attractions Of her
| sex, and Coward was slipping by the
period where a young girl would be
his natural mate. If they should
marry Irene was no plotter. but 1t
did seem that such a match would
clear the way for all concerned. She
was surprised, when she turned 1t
over in her mind, to realize that Con-
ward had won for himself such a place
in her regard that she could contem-
plate such q consummation as very
much to be desired. Subconsciously,
rather than from specific motive, she
assumed a still more friendly attitude
toward him.
CTo BE coNTINUED)