Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-09-17
MISS MARTHA
sy ELIZABETH V. MNAUeHT.

Lt~lL seemed WEt-HtEI " AAG A-ttl-> a.
she climbed the incline Of the narrow
street leading t. the small lonely
apartment that she called home.
Tor over twenty years life had been
bur round Of work. Ia what should
have been Ter playtime of life she had
awakened 10 find her fran shoulders
burleue3 with responsibility so
great that she must seek the city,
enter a great store. become a nonentity
ike So many other girls. and IL she
felt tle usual pangs q longing that
fills the very heart Of the poor girl as
she sells 20 her more fortunate sisters
the pretty silks and laces that she, too
Graves but can never have. no one was
the wiser.
Nov she had reached the spinster-
hood Of life She craved nothing
fragile or pretty ana found her only
Gov in watching a small nest egg grow
year by year, each year bringing
fresh assurance Of at least an indie
pendent old age.
The responsibility was now gone.
Miss Martha was free, with but her
self to look after. However. the hab-
It's Of a lifetime are not easily broken,
and the instinct for saHtl : had been
instiIled far too deeply for any change
to take place IN her mode Of living.
Saving she had been. saving she was
and would be to the end Where 9TH
prs counted dollars. she counted pen
nles-where others saved pennies, she
saved dollars. To her nickels were
as sovereigns and to be boarded. To
spend fye-cent piece In order to ride
q distance that her feet could carry
her would be sacrilegious.
She lived alone Every winter morn
Ing the wind bufeted her small figure
around the corner and the hot. muCgy
nights Of summer found her dragging
along, coat in hand. warm and per
spring, after a long walk from her
place Of employment.
To the neighbors she was a pity and
a mystery. They pitied her in her
loneliness and they marveled at her
seeming good nature. for she had a
ready smile for anyone who glanced
her way.
The house IN which she lived was
divided into a score or more Of beehive
apartments
Each evening on entering Miss Mar
tina habi;ually stepped into the phone
booth. nor 10 answer the phone nor
vet to make a call, but Simply to see,
If by any chance. a fve-cent piece
might Rave dropped back from the
coin hex and lay in the open slot.
Economist was Miss Martha Find
ing was keeping. Il was not stealing.
Such would be her replies to a ques-
tonine conscience. and, to be sure, a
nickel was nickel
On this particular July evening she
had just emerged from the booth as
young woman, flushed and apparently
excited. faced her inquiringly. Miss
Martha began to mount the stairs. The
young woman inspected the booth,
then raced after the retreating old fig
ure.
MY money, my money. You have
It." she screamed, gesticulating wildly,
and a small child Juggling at her skirts
began to cry IN fright.
Miss Martha was almost too over
come to speak. Feebly. trembling, she
made denial. Later an inspector
called, but after fruitless questioning
went away, struggling his shoulders.
But thousand dollar biiI had mys-
teriously disappeared. 1t had been
handed to the young woman by her
husband just Il few minutes previous.
On hearing the ring Of the phone bell,
and being accustomed to answering It,
she had slipped the bill into her apron
pocket and missed the money just
few moments after returning to her
apartment. She had hurried to the
booth. discovered Martha, and-Of
course the older woman had found the
bin and was conceaiing it.
For days and weeks tongues wagged
and meaning glances followed the sus-
pected woman. To all appeals Miss
Martha was adamant. Her spirit was
proud. She would not let these crit
zeal people into the one secret of her
life.
Of course she was innocent. the bHl
having been discovered the following
day serving as a blanket on the wee
crib IN which the mothers small child
lai1 her doll. the little girl admitting
that She had taken Il from her moth