The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-11-04
By MARTHA MAcWILLIAMS.

Maria held to religion of hate
against Homework A vain piece she,
pr0ud of her soft hands with taper
fingers and filbert shaped nails. Her
dream was to sit in airy fairy gar
ments in softly lighted spaces evolv-
Ing beauty from gay-cOlOred woods and
rich silks or turning lace and linen
into garments fine enough for prin-
cess. She loved rich and fine textures
and had an artists sensbllity to col
or. SILK especially fascinated her;
she glOated over her scant store Of it
with an approach to miser joy. In a
way that was lucky all around.
Her parents were just people of the
old fashion, and somewhat narrow.
When she was done with school and
restless in toO-abundant leisure, they
had settled her problem by offering
her wages to stay and help her moth
er, who was in vigorous middle age.
Neighbors had laughed at first
Maria had soft snap, Mrs. Lane
would do all the hard things and her
daughter get tidy sum for stand
ing by. There they reckoned with
out either mother or daughter. Shlrk-
ing was impossible to them-Marfa
did her full share. But not for love
of those needing 1t; instead, for love
of silk.
She put by her money to buy her
fill Of IT, permitting her parents to
clothe her in things fit for working
girl So the savings mounted steadily,
albeit now and then Maria was
tempted by scarf, length Of a rare
weave fascinating in color and texture,
a bit of satin or brOcade truly royal.
Nobody sought to hinder such spend
ings; an only daughter, even If rebel
lious against environment, is too
precious to he crossed needlessly. Be-
sides the elders We're sympathetic to-
ward Marfa's longings. She came by
them honestly. They themselves were
plain folk, but Grandma Marklen had
been just the same. She had craved,
saved and boarded and at last died
of shock and grief when her trunk
fuls of fnery were burned uninsured.
Cynthy, eldest daughter, sole inheritOr
in her generation of grandma's pas
sion, was thought by the two younger
girls to have borrowed several espe-
cialiy gorgeous things just before the
fire.
But she denied having them-so
there the matter rested. The deny
ing had made GOODNESS between the
sisters, but Cynthy. in her city home,
cared little for that.
She had married well; widOwer
twice her age. with an overgrown son,
and bad case Of crouch. Dying a
few years after. he had left her life
estate that assured her handsome
income. but nothing in fee-everything
reverted to the son. who had grown
out of his bulkiness but kept his
resentment to Cynthy. So when Joe
Lane went to work in the city, Cynthy,
otherwise Mrs. Jabez Clifford, had
sought him out, made him free of her
home, a handsome apartment-and in
troduced him to her friends.
He had done her much credit among
them, being clean-minded, straight.
tall and supple, fresh-colOred and
easy in manner with the ease that
comes from very kind heart. Yet
she did not encourage him to speak of
home nor home affairs. ~ want you
all mine, while you are with me-" she
had said in the beginning. Hence his
letters had not dwelt upon her kind
ness.
He was glad they had not when
the trouble came-the home people
might feel that he could appeal to her
for help. That was, on the face of
things, impossible; yet when she some
how sensed his deep disquiet, and
cross-eXamined him cleverly, he ended
by showing her his fathers letter.
"Son, don't leopard your own future"
1t ran, but if you can, lend me a
thousand dollars or so. What let
you have when you left us was a
gift outright; am not asking a penny
of 1t back. You know why, think,
so the land might go free and clear
to your sister. She may love it not
better than you do, but it can't die
nor run away, and can be so left to
her as TO make 1t certain she has
comfort. And 1t insures us old folk
a good living as long as we have no
debts to pay.
Now there isn't the scratch of a
pen against me, but with the fruit all
killed, the garden-truck more than
half ruined and wheat so hurt by last
weeks frost, the income in sight will
barely pay taxes, and insurance and
no matter how you save, saving isn't
possible when you haven't any money.
"A thousand will tide us over beau.
tifully-could get 1t on mortgage easy,
but l want to die as I've lived. mort
gage free. You will, know, be glad
to help me IL you can with justice Ia
yourself. That you must declde-if
you are likely to hurt yourself in
pocket or standing with your part
ners, say so like the man hope we've
made VOIL | know Won won't think