Woman's enterprise., 1921-10-14

desk and signed the agreement ou'
myself; I told the President that ]
could not afford to buy one even oy
installments, as my salary was barely
sufficient to meet the high cost Of liv-
ing. One of the girls called me q
Stacker, another said I was Pro-Ger-
man, that my name Won Achen was
German, and that accounted for my
want of patriotism. Mr.. Brown, the
President, gave me such pitiful look;
you know that he has been paying
me some attention lately; inviting me
out to the movies, and bringing me
home in his car on rainy evenings. l
like him so much, that I wanted him
to have good opinion Of me-" n
ut is true that you have German
name, but your father though Of Ger
man parentage, was born in America,
and had never been in Germany. One
of his ancestors was Johann Won
AAchen, a celebrated painter The
American family dropped the second
"A' in spelling it, said the mother.
"But | am not German; am Me-
Lauren. good old Irish stock an vou
are half Irish.'
Furthermore they said that I had
no father or brother to fight Uncle
Sans battles, and that it was nv
duty to help the boys Over There
who are fighting for me-
Helena, the only support of wild
owed mother could see no way out of
the difficulty; various emotions
spread over her face, the most pre-
dominate was an expression of injur-
ed feelings, for she almost choked as
she continued, ut is painful to be mis-
judged, Heaven knows would help if
I could" The old lady put her arm
over the girls shoulder as a Demon
stration of her protection.
eve will buy Liberty Bond.' her
mother said with much emphasis.
"What would my Revolutionary, and
Confederate War ancestors think, if
I faded in performing my patriotic
duty?"
"But how can we do it," asked
Helena discouragingly. "Our land
lord gave US notice that he would raise
the rent on this house, on the first Of
next month, all staple commodities,
that we absolutely need are advancing
in prices. everything is going higher
but my income"
"Where there is will, there is a
way her mother quietly quoted an
old adage. 81 will think out a plan,
| feel that ways and means can be de-
vised." Helena seemed pacified, and
willing as usual to leave matters in
her mothers hands, without further :
questioning went up stairs to her
.oom.
The next morning after Helena had
zone to her work Mrs. Won Achen took
|own market basket that hung on a
lail on the wall. She went up stairs
o closet partitioned off at one end
f the hall, that served as "catch
IL" and raising the lid of an old
runk, she lifted from its depth, four
ieces Of heavy silver ware, black with
ge, that had been reposing upon 4
ed Of silks and laces for many years.
he placed them in the basket as rev.
rently as if she were consigning some
wed member Of her family to the
rave; for each piece had a history
with her past life. She
'iped the tears from her eyes, but
er face bore an expression of some
e5ermined action, that she wanted to
secute before she could change her
lind.
Descending to the kitchen, she got
1t jar Of silver cream polish, and a
ece of cheese cloth, that rendered
aluable service, combined with her
forts of vigorous rubbing in making
lem shine like new silver, which she
aced in a row on the kitchen table
I'd regarded the display with sorrow
il satisfaction.
She took each piece separately in
II hand, and talked to it as if it were
human being:
This large loving cup was present.
to father by our town people, in ap-
'eclatlon of his success, while a menu
n OF Congress, in obtaining an an
opriatlon from the government to
'ld a new Post Office building. It
ems that can hear him now, make
at speech Of acceptance when he
ID, I am extremely proud to leave
IS prize to my descendants