The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-10-20

nversstien and hy their party 'stun,.-
zines and candy. he pretended she
was a detective from the Twin
Cities. lie hid behind the prcscrip.
ton counter. and when she stamped
her foot he came out waillng. Hon.
est. ! haven't done nothing crooked
today--not yet
She never recalled her first Inn.
preston OF Main Street: never had
precisely the same despair at It's
ugliness. BY the end Of two shop
ping tours everything had changed
proportions As she never entered
q. the Minnicmashic House ceased
10 exist for her. Ciark's Hardware
Store. Dyer's Drug Store. the gro.
cerics OF Ole Jensen and Frederick
Ludelmeyer and Rowland a Gould.
the meat markets. the notions shop
they expanded. and hid all other
structures. When she entered Mr..
Ludeimeyer's store and he wheezed.
'Gcct mornin.' Mrs. Kennicott. Veil.
dis ISIS a fine day" she did not no.
tice the dustiness OF the shelves nor
the stupidity OF the Girl clerk: and
she did not remember the mute col.
ioquy with him on her first view of
Main Street
She could not find half the kinds
Of food she wanted. but that made
shopping more OF an adventure.
When she did contrfve TO get sweet
breads at Dahl a Blossoms Neat Mar.
ket the triumph was SO vast that
she buxxed with excitement and ad.
mircd the strong. wise butcher. Mr..
Dahl.
she appreciated the hornefy case
Of village life. She fked the old
men. farmers. q. A. r. veterans.
who. when they goasiped. sometimes
squatted on their heels on the side
walk. like resting Indians. and re-
fiectiveiy spat over tho curb.
She found beauty IN the children.
She had suspected that her mar.
ried friends exaggerated their pas.
sion for children. But In her work
In the library. children had become
individuals 10 her. citizens Of tho
State with their own rights and their
own senses OF humor. In the library
she had not had much time TO give
them. but now she knew the luxury
Of stopping. gravciy asking Bessie
Clark whether her doll had yet re-
covered from It's rheumatism. and
agreeing with Oscar Martinsen that
u would be Good Fun 70 30 trap.
ping ''mushrats.''
She touched the thought. 1T
- -. - -
my own. l do want one. Tiny
No. Not yeti There's 30 much to do.
And I'm sin tired from the Job. It's
In my bones"
She rested IL home. she listened
TO the village noises common TO all
the world. jungle or prairie; sounds
simple and charged with magic
doex barking. chickens making .
Rurxting sound OF content. children
At play. . man beating . rug. wind
In the cottonwood trees. . locust
fiddling. . footstep on the walk.
jaunty voices Of Bca and . Erocer's
boy In the Kitchen. q ciinktng anvil.
a piano--Aot too near.
Twice . week. At least. she drove
into the country with Kennicost. 10
hunt ducks In lakes enameied with
sunset. or TO call on patients who
looked up 70 her ~ the squire's lady
and thanked her for toys and maya
ZINES. Evenings she went with her
husband 10 the motion pictures and
was boisterously greeted by every
other couple. or. till II became too
cold. they sat on the porch. bawiing
to passerSby IN motors. or to neigh.
bors who were raking the leaves.
The dust became golden IN the low
sun: the street was filled with the
fragrance Of burning leaves.
W
But she hazfiy wanted some one
to whom she could say what she
thought
On a slow afternoon when she
fidgeted over sewing and wished that
the telephone would ring. Bes an.
nounced Miss Vida sherwin.
Despite Vida Sherwin's lively blue
eyes, n you had looked mt her In
detail you would have found her
face slightly lined. and not 30 much
sailoy as with the bloom rubbed off;