Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-07-26
HAPTE sc.

Cha 90.
DUNG the week that / lived with
Winthrop's mother, ! had even more
strongly the sense that I was back
again at the point where life had
once begun for me. 1t was nat
ural enough, since I was back in
the same surroundings, and since
very little had changed.
Wellsville had stood still, had
marked time, during these two years.
For that 1 was grateful. Too much
had happened in the city, and far
too much had happened to me in
that same time.
Here. outwardy, everything was
the same and the changes were
small. Mrs. Taylor-or mother, as
1 still called her-had slipped back
since Win had left her, as so many
old ladies do. She had discharged
her housekeeper and found her
greatest pleasure now in "puttering
the house." as she expressed
It.
She had collected the most awful
amount of ornaments and souvenirs
things Win would have thrown
u in an instant. She never threw
away anything: the mantels were
covered with post cards, paper VAL
entines Christmas cards, tissue
paper roses in bottle necked vases
marked Souvenir of Niagara Falls
or Greetings from Minneapolis"
and cups of a rough surface china
that made ones blood run cold
when cup and saucer grated against
each other. with decorations of
''hand painted" ippossibly red roses.
Jardinierrcs were filled with dried
grasses from last veal and sat about
The fioor-though the garden bloom
ed with the most enticing array of
early flowers.
Through this maze Of ornaments,
odd chairs, unnecessary tables AND
tides, rugs laid over carpets, and
pictures hanging against Powered
wall paper, Mother Taylor pursued
her busy and con+ented way. She
baked herself ovens full of cakes
and pies and biscuits. and got up
dinners that required days of prep
aration. She scrubbed and polished
until she was thor oughly exhausted,
but she was much happier than if
yhe had had all this work done for
her. She could afford to- have it
done, but her money worried her
and she preferred to forget she had
my.
I would have been happier II she
had dropped the past. but she
wanted to know all about 1t and I
could not blame her.
"I thought you were In fault, Con-
ME-" she said one "Those bills
were for your car, your clothes,
your dinners and things. But I guess'
wiz was back II it. He always was
one for show. never would let me
have a minutes peace. Wanted a
housekeeper and a maid and Heaven
knows what. and got mad If I tried
to make him a batch of biscuits. AS
II I mightn't cook for by W SON
Ind he liked my biscuits. too.
"But I guess Win was to blame
rs much as you" She was afraid
Of %conceding too much. There's a
heap of talk about it in the town
here. ] had to say yes. you'd left
each other. They all know you're
here. and wonder why he isn't. It's
Too bad. but I guess you'll make 1t
up sometime"
1T hope So" I said. but my voice
rounded hopeless enough.
Eyes. Win has been a disappoint-
ment." she went IN. HE hasn't
written me for months. except about
this. I do think he could write
me now and then. What do you
hink you'll do. Connie?"
II want my little white house
back" I said suddenly. II was so
happy there-and I want to bring
the daughter of IA friend of mine
here, a baby named after me-"
I caught myself in time. I want
I'd little Connie with me, for the air
would do her good, and she was
looking badly when I last say her.
But I did not want it to get about
that she was the child of my wash
roman Social distinctions were
tightly drawn even in this village.
I did not get the same little
house. but I did rent n very much
like it. One end of the town was
building and here there were any
number of little white houses Of the
Suburban Colonial style. made o;
white weather boarding with simple