The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-11-16
By MYRA g. LANE

By MYRA q. LANE
Copyright. 1s2s. Western Nswapspsr unisa.
Every spring, ais soon as Mrs. HaIe
had ceased to burn the FIRE % the par
Tor stove, the sWifts would build u
the chimney. Sometimes there was
the iutter OF wings against the iron
pipe, sometimes the "tWeetI tweetI' Of
fedglings.
There's the swifts back again.
the old woman would say to h0r
daughters, Muriel and Rachel.
She liked to hear them. and hove
ever cold that spring might be, o.
course the advent OF the building
sWtfts made fires. impossible.
Mrs. Hale lay In her bed upstairs.
She would never leave 1t again, but
she might live months, even years.
the doctor said. Rachel did all tho
homework. Muriel was a s~tenographer
In the mill.
Burton Hendricks was coming 10
see Muriel. He was twenty-five, and
a travelling salesman. He was con-
sidered g~ood-Iooking by the girls OF
the village. Muriel knew as we'll an
Rachel did that his reputation was
not the best. But she was tired OF
the mill. And Burton was infatuated
with her. There was no doubt she
could marry him.
Rachel found him nice too. But
Rachel was different from Muriel. She
believed in love, which, TO Muriel
meant only a fiat In town, d maid, per-
haps, a car some day. Anyway, a good
time. Rachel, who a only eighteen,
wondered.
She wondered what Burton could
see In Muriel. Did he not see how
shallow, how empty she was7 How
blind all men were!
He was coming to see Muriel Tor
the first time in q month. He had
written that he had made a killing
on the road. He was to be made sales
manager for his firm.
That week was freezing cold. In the
pipe the baby swifts were t~wittering.
Mother, we must have a fire I'm
the parlor for Burton. What will he
think of usT"
Are the swifts come yet, Murielfs
The old looked at her AM
iously.
'They haven't built yet. 4 little
smoke will cal them away. They
haven't made their nest, and Burton's
coming, Ma"
IF you're sure, Muriel . )"
Rachel had not heard. Her sister
had sent her to the village for pro-
visions. 1t was four miles to that par
ttcular shop where alone you could
buy things good enough for Burton.
Rachel trudged drearily through the
slush. How blind Burton must bel
She loved him. She was jealous Of
her sister. She thought her unworthy.
When she came back she saw smoke
pouring out Of the parlor chimney.
She threw the provisions on the
kitchen table and ran to Muriel In
the parlor. Her face was white. -
"Muriel!" she gasped. "You-you've
lit the parlor fire. The swifts-" y
Bother the swifts |" said Muriel.r
A little brown body, then another,
tumbled down the pipe and quiyered
upon the logs. With a cry Rachel
picked them up and carried them TO
the door. The eyes Of the IedgIings
were glazed. Their hearts had ceased
to p~ulsate.
Rachel stood there in horror. Then,
deliberately, she carried the dead birds
to the hedge and put them under q
heap of loose soil. Her eyes were
blazing. Burton ought to be told
Why shouldn't he be told? Muriel
was not fit to marry Burton, not ft
for any man. @
How long she crouched there she
did not know. Long afterward, when
she returned, she heard Burton's
voice In the parlor.
where's Rachel, I wonder?"
DAY dreaming somewhere, I guess"
answered Muriel carelessly.
"Say, Muriel, did I ever tell you
the story of the drummer and the
fear % !
Rachel listened. Muriel burst into
shrieks of laughter and Burton Joined
in. How coarse his voice sounded.
"Say, Muriel, when is 1t to beY'
BE? What beg" u- s
"Why, you and me-chureh-parsou
-ring-nice little fiat for two-hap-
py az turtle doves!"
Through the doorway Rachel sew
Burton's fat, jovial face. She shud-
dered. How had she ever dreamed
she cared for him?
She was glad Muriel was going 10
marry Burton. They were wei suited
to each other. Her eyes were opened,
har' heart, her understanding. She
had become a woman-through the
understanding of suffering, through
a0rrnw 1919
ThA Social Qnan.a~