The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-22
four DANCING FEET
A CHERISHED PLAN RENOUNCED
BY JANE PHELPS

A CHERISHED PLAN RENOWNED
Chapter 81
CT got NV raise, Maj Mrs. Cum
minRs had waited up for Gertie, fear
full she might lose her position by ask
ing for more morney; and they had
hard enough times to get along as
How much, Gertie ?" her face light
.:Guess?"
Five month more? 1t would help
a lot. dearie.'
give a MONTH" with superb dis
dain. II guess not! I'm to have $25
a week! What do you think of thatE
Jennie can stay in school, and OH you
won't have to work so hard, Ma!
And"
mings was crying. The Lord be
praisedI You, a bit of thing like
you, earnin' all that money"
stop crying, Ma, you're dead tired
out"
know, dearie. Things is awful, dear.
and seems as if everythin' was wearin'
out all at onct.'
There. Ma. your troubles are over,
for a while anyway"
AS usual the entire family was told
of the good fortune. They shared each
others troubles and joys. Tim was
loud in his praise of Gertie's grit in
asking the manager for $25 and stick
ing to it.
but think of standin' up and askin' fo~
all that money! Wonder he didn' t
chuck you out
'It don't seem right, Gertie," Jennie
said soberly, for me to stay on in
school, and you working. I could earn
something too instead of taking your
money for clothes and books"
Don't talk that way, Jennie! The
money is part yours anyway! 1 never
would have got up the spunk to ask
Fagin for so much if it handn't been
for thinking of keeping you in school:
Don't you dare talk about stopping!
she flared eXcitedly.
Jennie wasn't going to grow up as
she had, ignorant, not fit to be friends
with educated people-men like Tom
Norris, and girls like the girls she saw
in the street, and occasionally in other
places-wen dressed, soft voiced, well
bred girls, the kind of a girl she had
longed to be ever since she first met
Tom Norris, and even vaguely before
she met him.
you needn't snap my head Off"
Jennie returned, II was only thinking
of you, and that I ought to help Ma
too"
II know Jennie. I'm sorry spoke
so sharp But I can't bear even to
think of you stopping school. 1t makes
me sort of sick all over to think OF
having YOU. be alike me-not edu-
how to put into words her feeling
about Jennie-save her love for her
mother it had been the strongest i'm
pulse of her life, Jennie's education
On Saturday night when Gertie
brought home her first SIS she had
said to her waiting mother:
Don't you think. Ma. we might
not just now. but after you get what
you all need-don't you think we
might find q better place to live-a
little better? It's getting awful tough
around here now-and it isn't good
for Tim
awful high, and if you should lose
we'd be strangers to the landlord,
and he might throw us out. We've
lived here always, and L know all the
neighbors. 1t would he mighty lone
some to go where I didn't know no
one"
Gertie hadn't thought of that-poor
Ma she would be lonely If she had no
one to gossip with. She had had a
hard hfe-it wouldn't be fair to take
her away from all her old friends. But
had been in her mind ever since she
could remember-as soon as she earned
enough to move to a better neighbor-
hood.
But she let ma hlAOH SAlS " as
giving it up because of her. Ma was
so unselfish, so good, that she would
not let her She might even pretend
she wanted to go. if she thought it
made her (Gertie) unhappy to stay
So. after a moment she said brightly:
I guess you're right. Ma, like you
always are No new landlord would
be like the McGinnisses to us. But I'll
tell you what wen do. That front
fiat on the floor below-Mrs. McGin-
Miss told me the Dugan's were going
to move out Westwe'n take that,
And I'll get them to put fresh paper
on the walls. and fix it up real nice
I know I can get them to do a little
and we can do some. too It's $40 a
month more, but I guess we can man.
age it; and Tins getting a big boy
and that little room off the kitchen
will be Just the thing for him.
"Oh, Gertiei" Mrs. Cummings fairly
beamed with happiness Ever since
you was little I have wanted that flat.
Wanted it somethin' awful. but didn't
even dare think about it-yes. we can
manage the $40 and well be right
here. so il anything happens we can
move back again
CTomorrow-A better place to IIve.1