The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-14
The Story of Julia Page
 By Kathleen Norris

st teak well: George grow1ed as he cut IL. Emeline Jumped up for forgotten the rumpled doth. After the one course the head of the house would look about hungrd1y-
 ''No cheese in the house, I SUD- pose?''
 .tNo-I don't believe there is.'' Whats the chances on a salad ?''
 "Oh, no. George-that takes let tuce, you know. My goodnessl" And 1aole and yawn, the rough showing on her high cheek bones, her eyes gliE- eering, her dark hair still pressed down where her hat had lain. My goodnessi' she would exclaim inpa- tlently, "haven't you had enough, George? You had steak, and pota- toes, and corn-why don't you eat your corn? ?''
 What's the chances on a cup of tea? ?" George might ask, seizing a half slice of bread, and doubling an ounce of butter into it, with his great thumb on the blade of the knife.
 You can have all the tea you want nnhlki"
 and take himself and his evening pa per to the armchair in the front win dow. When Emeline would go in, after cursory disposition of the dishes. she would find Julia curled in his arms, and George sourly staring over the little silky head.
 IFS up to you, and it's your job, and it makes me damn sick to come home to such a dirty pen as 1his!' George sometimes burst out. Look at that-and look at Ehat-look at that mante1!"
 "WeIl-well-well," Fmelin would answer sharply, putting the mantel straigh., or commencing to do so with a sort of lazy scorn. 'I can't do everything!"
 e"Other men go home to decent din- ners.' George would pursue sullenly; rtheir wives aren't so darn lazy and selfish-'
 Dsa Such a start as this always led to a, bitter quarrel. after which Emeline, Trembling with anger. would clear a corner of the c1uttered drawin groom table and take out shabby pack of oards for solitaire, and George would Hut Julia to bed. All her life Julia Page renem bered these scenes and dhese betbtines.
 s@ Her father sometimes tore she tum- bled bed apart, and made it up again. smoothing the limp sheets with clum- sy fingers, and talking to Julia, while he worked, of little girls who had brothers and sisters, and who lived in the country, and hung their stock ings up on Christmas Eve. Eneline pretended not to notice either father or daughter at these times. although She could have whislzed Julia into bed in half the time it took George to do it, and was really very kind to the child when George, was not there. z When George asked the little girl to find her hafrbrush, and blundered over the buttons of her nightgown, Emeline hummed a sprightly air. She never bore resentment long.
 What say we go out later and get Something to eat, George? she would ask, when George tiptoed out Of the bedroom and shut the folding door behind him. But several hours of discomfort were not to be so lightly dismissed by George
 s; Maybe" he would briefly answer And invariably he presently muttered Something about asking "Cass' for the time. and so went down to the saloon of ''J. Cassidy just under meath his own residence.
 Enneline, alone. would brood re- sentfuly over her cards. That was The way of it. men could run off to Saloons while she, pretty, and young, and with the love of life still strong . in her veins, might as well be dead | and buried! Bored and lonely, she Svould creep into bed beside Julia, adSwn to a bead. and finging over the ''Aed lounge upon which George speQt the night. the nnusty sheets and sblah8<ets and the big soggy pillows
 But George. meanwhile, woIlld have found warmth. brightness, compan- ionship, and good food. The drink that was his passport to all these good things was the least of them in his eyes. George did not care par ticularly for drink, but he usually came home the worse for it on these occasions, and Fme1ine had a real foundation for her furious harangues in the morning She would scold while she. carried him in hot coffee or chopped ice, scold while she scrimped her hair and covered her face with a liquid bleach, scold as she jerIzed Julia's little bonnet on the child's lovely mane, and depart, with a final burst of scolding and a bang of the door.
 One day Emeline came into find George at home, i'll. She had said good-bye to him only the day before, yfor what was supposedly week, and was really concerned to ind him bling and apparently unable to get into bed. Emeline sent Julia flying to a neighbor, made George as com fortable as she could in the big bed, and listened. with a conviction as , firm as his own, to what he believed to be parting instructions and mess ages
 I'm going. Elm" said George heavily. I'm worse now than I was when I started for home. I wanted to see you again. baby girl. and Julia, too. IT can't breathe-
 Julia presently came flying in with doctor and with a neighbor, Mrs, Cotter, who had telephoned to him, The doctor said that George had a sharp touch of influenza, and Eme- line settled down to nurse him.
 George was a bad patient He had great many needs: and he mention ed after another in the weighty, serious tone of a person inIparting valuablei information
 '"Ice-ice." said George. m owing hot eyes to meet his wife's glance as she came in. And take that extra blanket of, Emeline, and--no hurry hut I'll try the soup again whenever YOU say-I seem to feel weak. must have more air. dear Help me sit up E7a. and you can ShaKe these pillows up again. I think I'm a good deal sic<er man than Allan has any jIc1-'
 Erleline got very tired Of It. espec- iaIiy as George was much better or the third day. and could sit up. He developed a stiff neck. which made him vory irritable, and even JuHa /: LooIinr Hyoon9 ?