Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-02

little lines at the corners of her mothers
eyes; a line down each side of her smiling
mouth. Mother was forty-five.
It had grown upon her ever since she set
foot on the station platform - the mere
thought OF settling back in Slow River was
heavy and poignant az doom. And her
mother was going to escape with her. Nov
ing casually about the little living room,
she went over to the tall backed writing desk
which had always hen there arra-casually
turned over its contents. Yes. there were a.
dozen unpaid bills for small amounts; the
desk was always furnished with unpaid bills.
Her mother did not even take notice Of the
action. as Elizabeth glanced them over. but
kept on talking about other things. Some
unpaid bills in the desk were as much a mat
ter of course as some leaves on the trees In
summer. Elizabeth tucked the bills back
IN the pigeonhole. There was to be an end
Or that!
Yet from moment to moment she put of
disclosing the grand secret; no moment
seemed exactly the right one. And then,
having put it off so very many moments,
there was a certain awkwardness about
bringing 1t in. At length:
Mother, I'm going to marry Mr.. Har-
wood" As soon as she uttered them the
words had a rather strange sound In her
own ears. ~
There was an instant IN which Mrs. NAL
den seemed to suspect a joke-and a touch
of breathless incredulity in her tone az she
asked, Really. Bess?"
Really and truly" Elizabeth affirmed,
smiling and reaching out her hand. I'm :
terribly fond Of him, mother. You've no
idea how nice he is-and good"
"why-of course. I'm glad, dear" hsr
mother answered.; and thus. so to speak,
they got on their feet, claspine hands tight
the mothers pattng the daughters hand.
:" It took my breath away she confessed
with a little laugh. Then Elizabeth told al
about how it happened; they talked It over.
Rugged and kissed.
Yet, somehow. it had rather failed TO
come of; the bornb had sputtered. but not
exploded. A sense Of that failure lay In the
back Of Elizabeth's mind as she sat On her
old, familiar iron bed in the little half story
room with sloping ceiling so low that. lying
In bed, she could reach UP her hand and
touch its rough plaster. It was the bed she
had slept in when at home ever since she
could remember. Somehow it hadn't quite
come off. An odd little look in her mothers
eyes now and then, as though there were
some questions she wished to ask, but held
back. Well. naturally, Elizabeth reflected.
her mother would have been surprtsed at
the news.
They had another long talk about It ut,
breakfast of toast and coffee in the kitchen
both Of them in kirnouos. Bess described the
house on Lake Shore drive and the country
club and the parties Her mother was ID
smiles and congratulations, yet 1t some way
seemed to the daughter that she wasn't quite
convinced, ,
The talk was interrupted by a caller who
came to the kitchen door. which she opened
without knocking. The caller was Aunty
Prothroe. who conducted the boarding house
at which Steinman took his meals. She was
stout, with a shortness Of breath which did
NOT prevent her conversation from flowing
Unfortunately but only gave it a ripping and
eddying effect.
Aunty had heard that Bess was home and
had come over to say how d. do, and how
we'll Bess was looking, and they'd have to
excuse her appearance, as shed just thrown
a shawl over her head to come to the kitchen
door.
They drifted into the living ROOM, where
Aunty overlooked a rocking chair and rocked
and talked until in due time she got around
to the object OF her call: Professor " Stein
man had disappeared.
Il suppose it's all right" Aunty flowed on,
IN the resigned voice Of one who is prepared
to believe that it's all wrong. He always
was odder'n Dicks hatband-never opened
his head except to put food in it. But he
seemed a real nice little man. OF course, 1t
amt any Of my business, and I'm no hand to
be pryin' into other folks affairs. But I
never did lilSe that Mr.. krom. l know he
drinks. because I've snlelled it on him lnoren
once. If we've got prohibition in this coun
try, where does everybody git all this whisky,
- I'd like to know!"
She related several instances Of the failure
of prohibition which had come to her per-
sonal knowledge. --.-.,
They say Peter Green was down in LATE
Hartman's poolroom drunk as a goose last
night, and I don't doubt it,. I've smelled it
M, THE Mr. krnro Voore'n or,ce I Gar tell
you. He'd been drinking when he come to
the house yestiddy.. noon and asked me to
put Professor Steinman's dinner in a basket
. for him.. He said the perfessor was SO busy
he didn't want to come out fer dinner. It's
quite a chore. putting up a dinner in a has
ket-just when you got all the others to feed
but Idon't complain. I put him up a good
dinner and this Mr.. Krom carried 1t off.
"Of course, l didn't think much about l,
then. Come supper time, and the p~erfessor
didn't show up for supper. But I supposed
he was busy or had forgotit like he done
several times before. Land sake. I got
enough to think about, I should say! Abou,
seven o'clock this Mr.. Krcm come to the
house again with the empty basket. He'e
been drinkin' more'n he had at noon. Yol
can't fool me! He gives me the basket and
says Professor Steinman is goin' away &
3 while to rest and won't be back for meal,
any more. He looked surly and I didn't ,asi
no questions. I>ain't any hand to pry int
my neighbours affairs. He paid the per
fessor's board for the week and went of.
II suppose I wouldn't have thought an,
more about it, but ! mentioned it at break
fast this morning and Lem Miller spoke RICH
up. He says, That's queer, for the per
lessor told me yestiddy he was going to b
here two weeks more and We was goin
f1shin'. Lem Miller, you know, speaks Ger
man. Guess he's more'n half German him
self. by what they say. He wouldn't sui
scribe to the Red Cross durin' the war ii
they threatened to tar and feather him
but, my land! I can't pick and choose VIII
I'll give meals to. longs they pay their boar
and behave themselves: Lem Miller Away
pays prompt and behaves himself in m
house. If he's half German; 7 amt help !
But him speakin' German, he and the pc
lessor used to talk more'n the perfessor eve