South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-02-26

Tho Curious News ~ Katie Mother
Graham's letter Gave.
Tt qvas not until the new car, with
Dicky driving and Bees Dean sitting
b. his side had disappeared down
the road that with a little start I
recollectcd au important erraud un-
.fulGued Tbe collection or mail FOR
Dthe family was -tlu n my hands.
Seeing ms guest with me. the 9TH
err had waited nos convenience with
q courtesy that spelled unusual self
restraint ] FASTENED 20 the rear or
the grounds where the cabins were.
made uE apologies distributed The
mail and retired 20 my own vcranda
with the epistles FOR our Immediate
household Dlrkys professional mail,
tho letter from Alice Holcombe-
which bad read ar the postohice-
ai Hn LZgas and thickest OF ALL
the missive from Dickys mother.
Mother Graham invariably writes
L ... letters. ono 90 Dicky one %
l.. and one 60 Junior. inclosing each
g. small envelope suitably adj
dressed adds r. collection Of picture
nails for Junior. then puts them
ell together leo "a big manuscript en-
veIopc addressed 90 Dicky. She has
e.r.e intricate system OF reckoning
D. which sue figures that she saves
stamps br this method had no
computation in opening the big en-
vrIopc. even though addressed to
j. cky. for his letter within was
scaled And after giving Juniors
lester and tlc cards 90 him. with
Marion eager ,o read them 20 him,
] opened ms own letter from my
uo-ntr-lu-iaw. knowing that all the
household news go important 20 the
Chateliue % a home would be forth
q ming
scanned it's first pages hastily
for roy motner-iu-law. like many
elderly women. never gets down to
the real meat OF her letter until she
has gone through a series Of preiim-
iaary epistolary exercises. Thus
read again of the wonderful time
DicEy's sister. Elizabeth and her
children We're having at the farm
they fortunately were able 90 keep
Mother Graham from fretting dur
tug our absence because her heart
81 the neighborliues5 OF Mrs Ticer
and the good showing Of milk and
eggs made by the cow and hens
\ Distant Memory.
Then after her usual invective
converting Katie's housekeeping
faults. something which never take
seriously knowing that Mother era
ham only means about one-tenth of
what she says. I read with suddenly
acute interest and real dismay, these
sentences:
Actually. Margaret. 1 think the
Girl IS going out OF her mind For
nearly a week now she has gone
around looking as II she just had re-
ceived advance news of the Judg-
ment Day, and Elizabeth and I have
had TO wash the good china our
selves. for she breaks almost every
thing she touches. have asked her
what is the matter several times
but she just throws her apron over
her head. rocks 90 and fro and
means a little, then gives a sullen
'NotinEs.' and goes on about her
work"
Like a lightning flash nay memory
went back 90 time long distant
when Katie had acted iu much the
same manner as Mother Graham
had described But that crisis in
her life had proved 60 have no real
fly save i'm her own fears. There
WAS no possibility OF any breath
from that far distant experience
blowing adversely upon her now.
WithN an Involuntary. puzzled shake
az my head I went back to my
mother-in-law's letter.
But that isn't the worst Of it,"
her screed ran on. You know she