Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-02-17
The Wonderful
Oregon Roses
Nv LAURA MONTGOMERY

e. l'"''
.1otty, l think you are awfully
..olisb to plan about studying any |
no High school is enough for any |
.,r, What good will your education
Won when you are marriedf' de-
,onded Mayme as she settled her hat |
'..n, over the right eye; better spend
,h.t money for some dolly clothes.
You'll never get you a sweetie going
ohont in that suit. You might be
vour 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
Ton minutes before twelve she al
WAYS went in and powdered well be-
fore the noon hour so that the instant
tho big hands pointed to twelve she
would be ready to shrug into her tight
utt,e coat and vanish. II shall be
oh,e TO earn more when l have taken
,hot business course" Lofty replied.
"Your mother works. too, doesn't
shot" asked Mayme, who took frank
interest in Lotty's affairs. 80 you
don't have to earn for two"
Eyes, but mother doesn't like Chi
ooqo very well. You see, our friends
orc all out West; we lived near Port
land in Oregon and she would be glad
to go back there. If could earn a
GOOD salary for year or two, we could
save enough between us to go back
md take the risk Of being out Of work
Gov month or So What l would like
IN do would be to get small house
and take one or two roomers. Then
With what could earn we would have
ononph so mother would not have to
90 out every day."
Moyme applied her lipstick care
yul,y before answering: "You sure
talk like an old lady. Don't you ex-
meet 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, bu'
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 he
world for her.
Tom had, quite evidently, tired o
the sensible plan-faced girl, who hat
no spectacular accomplishments. Lott,
was Just a nice, average girl, with al
immense capacity for love and 70
making her loved ones comfortable
but as for dressing to catch the row
ing eye Of pampered young men. sucl
thought had never been entertaine
by her and she turned deaf ear L
the advice Wayne layished upon hel
Wayne was big. good-natured Cir
who frankly wished to marry and VIII
was willing to drag Lofty after he
In the pursuit of n compliant meal
ticket. Mayme intended, In a vague
inchOate way, to be q good wife, bu
her methods, in Lotty's eyes wer
very crude. Lofty lived In world @
dreams, where the man who loved he
sought her.
LOFTY, | am afraid you will hav
too much work IL 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 trouble,
but who had preserved a cheerful spil
II In spite of these.
NO" Lofty smiled at her acros
the tiny room. II shall enjoy tn
course. Three nights week ism
much and we are going to have jus
bite downtown those nights an
then I'm going to take you over to tn
public library, where you can read tn
new magazines until I'm through The
You won't have lonely evening Q
home"
The night Of the first lesson chance
70 be rainy. Lofty established he
mother In the reading room and the
sIoshed down through the mud m
ram to her class. She had had har
day and her wet feet did not add
her comfort The crowds jostled he
ana the glaring street lights onl
served TO Intensity her loneliness.
o'd seem as though there ought to i
some place for her All she crave
was n tiny home with warmth nm
privacy.
The crowded house where the
rented MISUNDERSTANDING rooms wa
never still. The married couple In Il
rooms next them wrangled far into III
night. The musical student aboy
practiced feverishly when she was M
cooking food with strange forcig
odors. A florists display reminded hi
OF the wonderful roses In Oregon
Even II get through In six months
she reflected, Keeling as hurryin
man almost knocked her or her fee
1t win be NJ least year after tn,
before we'll have enough TO pay o,
expenses back homo.