The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1921-12-22
Marfa's Wedding
Gown
By MARTHA MACWILLIAMS,

| tGs lsz1, by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate
Maria held 10 religion of hate
against fOusework. 4 vain piece she
/ proud Of her soft hands will, taper
fingers and filbert shaped nails Her
dream was To sit in airy fairy gar
ncnt~ in softly lighted spaces evolv-
Ing beaniy from gay-colorede woods and
rich silks ar turning lace and linen
into garments fine enough for prlI-
cess. She loved rich and fine textures
and had an artists seEsibility Ia col
OF. Silk especially fascinated her
she gloafed over her scant store OF il
| with IN approach to miSer joy, liz IA
way that was lucky all around.
Her parents were Just people Of the
old fashion. and somewhat narrow.
| When She was done with school and
restless in tOo-nb,mdanl leisure, they
| had settled her problem by offering
her wages to stay and help her moth
| or. who was in Vigorous middle age
Neighhors had laughed at first
MARTA had II soft snap. Mrs. Lane
would do al the hard things and her
daughter get tidy sum for stand
| In. by. There they reckoned with
Out either mother or daughter. SIii,k
IN. WAS Impossible to them--Marfa
did her full share. Rnt not for love
| of those needing it: instead for ,cve
| 0f silk
She put by her money to buy her
fiji IF ii. permitting her parents to
cl"the her in things fit for working
| girl. So the savings mounted steadily
albeit now and then MARTA was
| tempted by scarf. a length of a rare
weave fascinating in color and texture
bit Of satin or brocade truly royal
Nobody sought to hinder such spend
ings an only daughter. even If rebel
| lions against environment. Is too
precious to he crossed hee1lesSy. Ee-
sides the elders We're sympathetic to-
ward Marfa's longings She came ny
them honestly. They themselves were
plain folk. but Grandma Marklen had
been just the same. She had craved.
saved and boarded and at last died
II shock and grief when her trunk
fuls Of tinerv were burned uninsured.
Cynthy, eldest daughter. sOie inheritor
In her generation of grandmas pas
sion was thought by the two younger
girls to have borrowed several espe
cjaliy gorgeous things Just before the
fire.
Rmt she denied having tliem-so
there the matteY rested. The derry
ing had made GOODNESS between rhe
sisters but d'ynthy. in her city holae.
care, little for that.
She had married we'll n widm'er
twice her age. with IN avergrown son,
and q bad case at gronch. Dying Il
few years after. he had left her q life
estate Tint assured her handsome
income. hnt nothing IN fee--everything
reverted to the son. who had grown
cut Of his bulEiness hit kept his
resentment to cynthy So when jos
Lame went to work iil>the city. Cynthy,
otherwise Mrs. .jabez Clifford had
sought him out made him free of her
home. handsome apartmentand in
troduced him to her friends.
He had done her much credit among
them. heing clean-mnded. straight.
tall and supple. fresh c0lored and
easy in manner with the ease that
comes from Il very kind heart Yet
she did NOT encourage him to speak Of
home nor home affairs II want you
all mine. while YOU are with me-" she
had said in the beginning Hence his
letters had not dwelt upon her kind
ness.
He was glad they had not when
the trouble came--the home people
might feel that he could appeal to her
for help. That was. on the face of
things, impossible; vet when she some
how sanseti his deep disqniet, and
cross-examined him cleverly, he ended
by showing her his fathers letter
Son, don't leopard your own future"
1t ran, '.but If YOU can. lend me a
thousand dollars or SO. What l. let |
you have when you left us was Il
gift outright; am not asking n penny
OF II hack. You know WHY. think.
so 7fhe land might 20 free and clear
to your sister. She may love it not |
better than YOU do. but Il can't die |
nor run away, andNcan be so left To
her aS to make II certnin she has |
comfort. And It insures lis old folk
q good living as long Ms we have no
debts to pay.
Now there isn't the scratch Of
pen against me-, hnf with the fruit all |
killed. the gatsien-truck more than
half ruined and wheat SO hurt By last
weeks frost, the income in sight will |
barely pay taxes. and Insurance ana
no matter how yo.l save. saving isn't |
possible when you haven't amy money.
a thousand will tide us over heau-
tifnlly could get II ON mortgage easy,
hut ! want to die as I've lived. mort
gage free. Yau will, | know. be glad
to help me II you can with Justice to |
yourself That you must decide III
you are likely 10 hurt yourself IN
pocket or standing with your part
ncrs. ~ - like the man hope we've
made you. know ron won't think
?. Il