The Red Cloud chief., 1922-08-03
MOTHER /: SLIPS
.ByELlzssETA M'NAUoHT

q isaa. u Mctliufsl NSwspaper syndicate.
81 don't. tsihk she's as pretty as
Billie Bnqss,g Isabers voice was tense
andspuSttlye in defense Of her fayorite
screen sfAr ~
,"oh, doat Know" and Isobel's
twin sister, Bess, shrugged IA dainty
shoulder. rYop1think there's no one
quito So pretty as Billie Bunts but
there are others"
Tom, the elder l.other, Il young stu
dent of twenty, stirred uneasily but
soon settled back into his accustomed
calm, his mind absorbed i'm the latest
best seller. Father dozed in his chair,
glasses In perllous juxtaposition with
bis noddng 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 a Bunts it's time for me to
explode"
-why, mother, Billie is perfect
peachv y
"Peach nothing! Haven't known
John and Mollie Bunts all my life?
And If you think they could produce
anything pretty Or"
"Oh, splash I" in unison, 1--WE aren't,
discussing the Bunts up the street nor
their Billie. We mean the movie star"
Mother reiapsed into very, very
Yigid silence. But In the hours that
followed and next day, her mind was
not at all rigid, II was making most
unheard.Of decision. and the following
evening, about potato-peellng time.
6pund her ordering a well-chOsen, X
meager, repast In 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
Mked in these moving pictures. for,
quite frequently, had come the eve
snlpg message over the wire, Don't
Keep supper for me, ma, I'm going to
the movies"
The woman passed quietly into the
I. darkened auditorium and dropped
nervously into,the nearest vacant seat.
SHE gazed: spell-bound at the screen
and 'fierF eyes moistened with SYM
Npdthy as she became familiar with
3e' 'vicissitudes of woman about her
own. age who, after life Of hard
: work and struggle, was now facing
: the poorhouse.
u With mother, the words "poorhouse'
I and ''extravagance"-e OF
theakind she herself had been guilty
:, sk werefsynonymous. She felt fol
:" hef fpifse.s Horrors, it was gone!
-. In a. Hash. she was on her feet
SIihd1y making her way toward thu
exit. II did not occur to her to ap
proach an usher or the desk; hom'
vas her one thought.
She approached the girl presiding
over the turnstile In the subway.
ave lost my purse, Miss" meekly.
The girl eyed her suspiciously.
what's that dangling from you
aumi" The young woman snapped
cut the question as calmly as II alb
sent.minded customers were her spe
eiaNy. The distressed woman glanced
at her arm and there swung heI
purse as airily as young imp.
IN a more composed state Of mint
she continued home, quietly let hersel
m and ~stepped expectantly to th'
Kitchen. The usual well-Ordere,
Kitchen was now rather pathetic II
its array Of dlshes and pans, pile,
high ana unwashed, and the air wa
Keeking with the extra warmth Of
nOrgotten gas oven. In the dinip
room the two girls were stretched on
fall length on the door, absorbed In
paper pattern Of z coming gown. an
Jimmie. the young pride OF the house
slept comfortably. dressed even to tn
Boots, In his small bed. Mother Dc
tected the remains of tears on hi
grimy cheeks and her heart re
proached her.
Couldn't you girls put your littl
brother to bed one night without leav
ing him in the state he's In and break
ing his heart besides? And bet 20,
forgot his prayers"
The girls were aroused. Don,
mention that kid to us, mother;
took the combined efforts of dad an
TEN and us to get him as far as W
have. and we nearly had to call ol
me ueiSIlDoTS.
"Gee, what kid" added Bess, Il
her more quiet, yet positive voice.
"And where's your father an
Tom?"
Both gone up to Bunts' for iittl
game"
]Did they have anything to eat O
AHve they gone to Bunts for that?"
"Anything to eat" indignant!
~well we guess we had the best SUI
per ever! Beans and frankforts, an
sausages for Tom"
"And griddle cakes" Bess inter
posed. ave baked them; decided turI
zng them too bothersome, monot'
aOus"
4And lots of fun" giggled the bean
sug Isabel. "All scores are now pal,
ysa know, mother, when you al
Anound we have to behave, but da
asesnt care"
sNow. II you please, where wei
YsuY'
Mother laughed nerv0usfy.