The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1922-01-13
The Wonderful
Oregon Roses
BY LAURA MONTGOMERY

Lofty, I think you are awruiiy
foolish to plan about studying any
more. High school is enough for any
girl. What good will your education
do you when you are married?" de-
manded Mayme as she settled her hat
well over the right eye; better spend
that money for some dolly clothes.
You'll never get you sweetie gong
about in that suit. You might De
your own grandmother for all the
style you have"
Lofty went on soberly with her
work. Mayme had taken advantage
of her employers absence to stop work
ten minutes before twelve; she al
ways went in and powdered well be-
fore the noon hour so that the instant
the big hands pointed to twelve she
would be ready to shrug into her tight
little coat and vanish. II shall be
: able to earn more when I have taken
that business course Lofty replied.
"Your mother works, too, doesn't
she?" asked Mayme, who took frank
interest in Lotty's affairs, 80 you
uOnI nave 10 0dIH LWV'
"Yes, but mother doesn't like Chi
cago very well. You see, our friends
are all out West; we lived near Port
land in Oregon and she would be glad
to 20 back there. If I could earn
good salary for year or two, we could
save enough between us to go back
and take the risk Of being out of work
for a month or SO. What would like
to do would be to get small house
and take one or two roomers. Then
with what 1 could earn we would have
enough so mother would not have to
go out every day."
Mayme applied her lipstick care
fully before answering: "You sure
talk like an old lady. Don't you ex-
pect to marry? Going to work all
your life?"
Lofty flushed and remained silent.
She knew that she would not marry
now. She had had her dreams and
they had dissolved into the mists of
the past. The man she loved lived
In Oregon and they had gone together
since childhood. She had never known
what had come between them, but
he had stopped writing. That some
one had made trouble, she guessed,
but she could do nothing to bridge
over the silence that had sickened her
world for her.
Tom had, quite evidently, tired OF
the sensible plain-faced girl, who had
no spectacular accomplishments. Lofty
was just nice, average girl, with an
immense capacity for love and fol-
making her loved ones comfortable
but as for dressing to catch the row
ing eye Of pampered young men, sucf
q thought had never been entertained
bv her and she turned deaf ear tt
the advice Mayme lavished upon her
Mayme was big, good-natured gin
who frankly wished to marry and VIII
was willing to drag Lofty after he
In the pursuit Of a compliant meal
ticket. Mayme intended, in a vague
inchoate way, to be good wife, Du
her methods, in Lotty's eyes, wer
very crude. Lofty lived In a world o
dreams, where the man who loved ne
sought her.
sIotty. l am afraid you will hav
too much work If you take up tina
course" said Mrs. Skitch, as he
daughter prepared their little mea
Mrs. Skitch was a frail, dark-eye
woman, who had had many troubles
but who had preserved cheerful spil
Il in spite of these.
mo" Lofty smiled at her acros
the tiny room. II shall enjoy tn
course. Three nights a week ism
much aAd we are going to have Jus
a bite downtown those nights an
then I'm going to take you over to I'll
public library, where you can read IL
new magazines until I'm through. The
YOU won't have a lonely evening {
home"
The night of the first lesson chance
TO be rainy. Lofty established HI
mother in the reading room and the
sloshed down through the mud al
rain TO her class. She had had hal
dav and her wet feet did not add
her comfort. The crowds jostled h
and the glaring street lights on
served to intensity her loneliness.
did seem as though there ought to
some place for her. All she crav'
was a tiny home with warmth al
privacy.
The crowded house where tn
rented MISUNDERSTANDING rooms W
never still. The married couple In t
rooms next them wrangled far into t
night. The musical student abo
practiced feverishly when she was 4
cooking food with strange forei