Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-08-30
CHAPTER XIII
Calamity Coal Oil.

ment laQ D0eQ stormy ones IN noP
home, but through neighborly persua-
sion and intercession, Mrs. Percy had
raised no permanent obstacle. Lo-
rene's friends felt certain that her re-
lease from home rule was assured.
1t was the evening before the mar
rage ceremony. All the little PEN
fields had long since retired to their
sleeping-boxes and that they might
not be disturbed by the light, Mrs.
Penfield was sewing in the kitchen.
1t was late and she was very tired.
Twice she had caught herself nap
ping and had gone to the back door to
breathe in the fresh air and get thor
oughly awake again. The moon was
full; the sky was intensely blue ex-
cept where quilts of white cloud were
laid across it; the back yard was filled
with soft radiance that transformed
the ugly clothes-poles into slender
shafts Of light.
"What a beautiful world it isl" she
said to herself. "And we all go so
fast that we don't have time to look
at it the way it Is I wonder why we
get fretted up over lot Of pesky de-
| tails that we forget all about in a
week, when the universe is calm and
happy. Looks like we amt in har-
mony with it. / wish had time
No, I don't What I wish is that !
can stay awake and sew an overcoat."
Resolutely she went back to her
chair and fitted sections of the coat
together.
Footsteps sounded on the board
walk. There was quick knock. The
door opened
"Oh, knew something would hap
pen. just knew it would. And it
has, Oh-oh!''
Mrs. Penfeld sprang to her feet.
The voice was familiar, but she
would hardly have recognized, with
out this evidence, the figure that con
fronted her.
''Lorene!" she gasped.
sIook at mel'' cried the girl. Hef
tragic tone emphasized her ludicrous
appearance. Her face and hands
were covered with fine SCOT, in fiecks.
in streaks; her fair hair was curiously
darkened, as If a thin black veil had
been drawn over it; her light blue
house dress looked greasy and soiled.
"Why, my dear, can see you've
had a little accident" said Mrs. Pen
field brfskly, .'but 'twon't take long
to get you washed up again. I'll help
you. Oil heater. / s'pose."
The girl nodded. "My-Mrs. Percy
lighted it and put 1t in my room. was
going to pack. She said I'd take cold
If the room wasn't warmed. And-and
when went in few minutes later,
I couldn't See The air was full OF
black SCOT everywhere Of it.
Oh, dear; oh, dear, what can ! do?"
''Why, Lorene, I'll help. We
"Mrs. Penzie," shrieked the girl,
wringing her hands in distress, You
don't understand. Everything is ru.
ined.'
"Ev'rything?"
Eyes, everything. All my clothes
1 had them all laid out, ready to pack
on the bed, the chairs. The clothes
press was opers They're all black,
sticky, spo-oiled." She threw herself
on the wash bench and broke into
wild sobbing. why, by the time I'd
been in there two minutes-look at
mel"
"Oh, my DEAR" begged Mrs. Pen
field, "don't cry. We've got to think
Of something"
eve can't" walled the girl. "There
isn't anything to be-begin IN. They
were all there everything / own in
the world, everything I've been saving
for all these mo-months" She lifted
her herd and looked at Mrs Penfeld
with streaming eyes. Yes, | suppose
they can be cl-cleaned, but there isn't
time before tomorrow. There isn't
ti-ti-time." Her voice broke. Dick
has his leave of absence and the tic
tickets and all the de-details arranged.
We can't put it off and-and we can't
| can't be m-m-married like this, can
II" She threw out her arms in ges-
ture Of hopelessness.
Mrs. Penfeld could not restrain
smile as she gazed at the forlorn
Dr1Q0-el0CT, uuuulCu III VIC w ueAl-
bench, too abject to realize her own
appearance at the moment or to care
about it compared with the greater
calamity at home.
what can / do, Mrs. Penzie? l
can't ask Dick to take me like this"
mo, dear, you aren't going to-" Mrs.
Penfeld put her hands on the girls
shoulders and gave her gentle shake
that was half reproof and half caress.
"Grab your nerve, Lorene, and Wen
work a way out of this So long as
there amt nothing more vital in the
path than SCOT and cinders, I predict
you're going to be married tomorrow
noon. as scheduled-and all fresh and
dainty. too. You left your windows
open, didn't your
"Oh, yes, but"
"Then the air must be clear by this
time. I'll turn out the lamp, and
well go right over and see how things
look"