New Britain herald., 1923-02-26
The Reason Tar kalie's Tronbie
 Which Madee nissayerai

The thermometer of ms spirits,
 pleasantly rising at the favorable ae-
 count my father had given me ef
 affairs al home, took sudden slump
 when he told me 0f Katie's condition,
 "she either isnt well. or IS unduls
 worrying about something" he had
 said, Now. l know only too well by
 experience that my little maids som
 hre moods usually spell domestic dis
 asier Of some sort, l felt more anx-
 ious than ever ta reach home, and
 was glad indeed when my father turned tha ear into the driveway and
 ! saw the welcoming lights of the
 farmhouse.
 Mother Ora ham, with Junior by the
 hand. and Lillian with Marion dane. ing in glee beside her, were al Inc hall door with the loving welcome so dear 10 a returning trsveler-bnt there was no sign or Kane. And when ] had rapturonsly hugEed my small son, and had greeted the others. I asked after her.
 "I Feel Better Now You Coom."
 She's in the kitchen where she belongs" my mother-in-law said tart ly She rushed in here iupt now when she heard the car. aa if she were some circus wild animal just broken through its cage. yelling My 1 Missis Graham 2 packed her back | in a hurry. can tell you. It's a crime, Margaret. the way you let that ape run over everything"
 Over her shoulder l caught Li- lian's commiserating smile, and slight inclination of her head in the direction of the kitchen. l knew she meant 10 tell me that Katie needed mo, and I put my hand up in pre- tense of tueking in my hair as an answering signal that had under stood her.
 Come. Junior" I stopped to m> son rspturously clinging to me Sup pose we go upstairs to Mothers room.'
 Mother Graham. have you seen this?" Lillian asked holding an open magazine out to my mother-in-law. Its another attack on American lit- erature. This author declares wee never have produced any one worth reading
 Mother Graham's eyes famed with the light of battle as she held out her hand for the magazine.
 Come into the library by the fire" she said. "Ill probably feel like , throwing if into the fire before I've gone very far, and you'll have to res , cue it."
 With the certainty that she was 1 safe for several minutes at least, went upstairs with Junior. followed { by my father with my bag. When we reached my room. I spoke hur- 1 riedly to my father.
 T must see Katie at once,'' I said in { a low tone. Will you take care Of i Junior. please?"
 He caught up the little lad with l an expressive laughing glance at me, l and l flew down the back stairs to the kitchen, where. as ] feared. found Katie seated before the kitchen table. her head bowed upon her out I flung arms. and her slender body shaking with sobs. !
 She was so absorbed in her own r emotions that she did not hear me a lntil I gently lifted her to her feet. She opened her lips for character | stic shriek Of welcome, but I put my T hand over her mouth with firm Hush l' and she obeyed the iniunc- ion, expressing her joy instead in hugs which threatened the ,afety Of my ribs.
 Where old vomans?" she whis- ,ered fearfully at last. II
 "In the library with Mrs. Under III wood" I whispered back, Now III want you to stop crying and go on sI with your dinner. I'm home now, and \ when I get an opportunity to see you " yourself. you shall tell me all bout whatever troubles you, and I'll <. 'traighten it out"
 You no can straighten dis out, he said hopelessly. T no can be :. happy in this world ever any more, |. md l tink I too bad to go to good ~ ,der world. Tnd I no mean to do :, anything bad dot time eder. I tink =, safe everybody" r