Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1922-10-05
MOTHER SLIPS
BY ELIZABETH M'NAUeHT

""' i'NHi'iNt IA uclSilSt Va ltl 4hNolllS
screen star.
"oh, | don't know" and Isabel
twin sister, Bess, shrugged a dainty
shoulder You think there's no one
quite SO pretty as Billie Bunts, but
there are Others"
Tom, the elder brother, young stu
dent of twenty, stirred Weasily but
soon settled back into his accustomed
calm, his mind absorbed in the latest
best seller. Father doZed in his chair,
glasses in perilous juxtapoSition with
his nodding chin. Only mother was
awake, alert and interested, intensely
so at the mention of the Bunts name.
"Well, when you girls begin finding
beauty In Bunts it's time for me to
explode"
why, mother, Billie is a perfect
peach ~
Peach nothing Haven't | known
John and Mollie Bunts all my life?
And if you think they could produce
anything pretty or"
"Oh, splash :" in unison, I'VE aren't,
discussing the Bunts up the street nor
their Billie. We mean the movie star"
Mother relapsed into very, very
rigid silence. But In the hours that
followed and next day, her mind was
not at all rigid, It was making most
unheard-of decision, and the following
evening, about participating time
found her ordering well-chosen II
meager, repast in a well-known cafe
terra in the heart Of the city.
Yes, she vowed, she would find out
for herself what II was that the girls
liked In these moving pictures, for,
quite frequently, had come the eve
ming message over the wire Don't
keep supper for me, ma, I'm going to
the movies"
The woman passed quietly into the
darkened auditorium and dropped
nervously into the nearest vacant seat
She gazed spell-bound at the screen
and her eyes molstened with SYM
patty as she became familiar with
the viciSsitudes of woman about her
own age who. after life of hard
work and struggle, was now facing
the poorhouse.
With mother, the words "poorhouse'
and "eNirayagance'-- extravaganza Of
the kind she herself had been guilty
Of were Synonymous. She felt for
her purse Horrors, it was gone
In Il flash, she was on her feet,
blndly making her way toward the
exit. II did not occur to her to ap-
proach an usher or the desk; home
was her one thought
She approached the girl presiding
over the turnstile in the subway.
1--WE lost my purse, Miss meekly.
The girl eyed her suspiclously
WHATS that dangling from your
armY" The young woman snapped
out the question as calmly as II alb
sent-minded customers We're her spe-
cialty. The distressed woman glanced
at her arm and there swung her
purse a. air!y as a young imp.
In a more composed state of mind
she continued home, quietly let herself
in and stepped expectantly to the
kitchen. The usual well-ordered
kitchen was now rather pathetic in
its array of dishes and pans, piled
high and unwashed, and the air was
reeking with the extra warmth OF
forgotten gas oven, In the dining
room the two girls were stretched out
full length ON the floor, absorbed in
paper pattern of coming gown. and
Jimmie. the young pride of the house,
slept comfortably dressed even to the
boots. in his small bed. Mother de-
tected the remains Of tears on his
grimy cheeks and her heart re-
preached her.
Couldn't you girls put your little
brother to bed one night without leav-
ing him in the state he's in and break
ing his heart besides? And / bet you
forgot his prayers
The girls were aroused. Don't
mention that kid TO US, mother; 1t
took the combined efforts of dad and
Tom and us to get him as far as we
have. and we nearly had to call on
the nelghbors,"
Gee. what kid" added Bess, In
her more quiet. yet positive voice.
"And where's your father and
Tomf
Both gone up TO Bunts' for little
game"
"Did they have anything to eat or
have they gone TO Bunts' for thatF'
Anything to eat" Indignantly
"well we guess we had the best sup
per ever Beans and frankforts, and
sausages for Tom
and griddle cakes Bess inter
posed. eve baked them; decided turn
jng them too bothersome, monoto.
nous
"And lots of fun" giggled the beam
Inc Isabel. IAN scores are now paid
You know. mother, when you are
around we have 70 behave, but dad
doesn't care
"Now, II you please, where were
your
Mother laughed neryously.
Come, do tell"
ar you please, your mother has been
TO the movies"
gro the movies y shrieked Isabel,
a. tr,in who had talked first and