The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-27
AMY WRITES JORDAN.

Amy Talbot made her decision
Without knowing it, it was the first
really independent action she had
taken for many years. Before, prob
lem was decided by precedent-Jor-
dams mother her mother, the neigh
bors, custom, had done the thing, so,
and Amy did it so!
Or Jordan decided for her And Jor-
dams word was always law Somehow
ii never occurred to Amy that anyone
would oppose a contrary will to Jor-
dams. Young Amy was the first when
she fatty refused to return home ct
her fathers order.
Amy's mother knew now that Jordan
could be defed-or, at least, disagreed
with.
She went over to the desk In the
living room--a kitchen table enamelled
black and painted with tiny Chinese
figures in blue, gilt and coral by an
artist friend of the family. A row Of
books sat against the wall. on shelf
above was another row-belping dis
guise the origin of the desk. A blot
ting pad of coral color with bright lac
duered tin edges, given by Claire, com
pleted the disguise. 1t was a gay and
frivolous desk from which to write a
serious letter
And its ultra-modernism was In
strange contrast with the quaint, bent
old figure which sat before It. Amy
picked up the pen, a long green quill
which little Amy used quill two feet
long. whose length helped her write
the splashing, scrawling handwriting
she was adopting
1t was impossible to write a serious
letter, or a meek and dutiful letter
with such pen. II was meant to
send out invitations to tea, TO write
acceptances for theatre parties, ana
for nothing more sober than that.
Yet Mrs. Talbot wrote serious let
ter, surrounded by examples of Amy's
frivolty, James modern philosophy and
Luther's pipe.
My dear husband" she began, that
seeming a dutiful way of opening a
letter, Il am sorry you feel the way
YOU write. ! can't go back just yet
Maybe by and by, but not now"
There was pause while she read
over what she had written. The lonS
quill made writing hard and she was
not an experienced writer.
IL know where my duty is and it
Is here Amy is too pretty to leave
alone in a city full of strange men. A
lot come around after her now and }
don't like them all And Jane has
more ideas now than when she was
home, and Luther amt happy. hear
from the neighbors that you are well
looked after.
Anyway. YOU want me to come back
20 a freezing cold house, after l have
been in a comfortable one
She paused awhile, contrasting the
two places. At home in the winter
they cooked, washed, ate and sat in
the kitchen. where the kitchen stove
kept the air more than warm. The
other rooms were cold. the bedroom
seemed particularly icy when. shiveI-
ing. she slipped off only part OF her
clothes and rolled herself into a flan-
mel nightgown, to keep off the freezing
touch of the sheets.
Here her room though scarcely
larger than the couch she slept on,
was warm in an instant when she
turned on the radiator!
I've never told you all this, but I'm
going to now, the pen scratched on
as Amy grew eloquent under 4 sudden
sense of her wrongs.
But you have been too mean t.
pay Tor enough coal 10 neat the HouSS
with stoves. much less put in sys
tenn that would heat from cellar
You wouldn't even put boiler on the
kitchen stove, so | could have hot
water for washing. You wouldn't put
in a bathroom or any sort OF plumb
inc to make the work easier; yor
wouldn't even buy me a washing ma
chine. They ran the wires as far as
RoWlands and II wouldn't have cost
much 10 carry them on to our place
but you wouldn't spend that
Amy was writing fast now, hel
mouth set in a tight line, teeth bitin2
her lower lip, as the sense of hel
wrongs began to come over her.
You have been so mean and narrow
your children have turned against you
They are going to go to the other ex
IRENE. just because, like other people
they are contrary. We're all contrary
SO am !.
But | am doing this for you. 4!