The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1923-08-30
1t Was a Case
of Duty
&~~~ ~~~ - ~~~~~~
BY MORRIS SCHULTZ

70. 1928. Western Newspaper Union.)
UP UT don't understand, Yankel n
And Miriam Schwartz looked
up appealingly into the face Of her
lover.
1t was no setting for love scene
the exterior of the grimy factory,
owned by old Yenezel, where half a
thousand men and women toiled-
toiled all the time making Yenezel's
boots. The whlr of the machinery,
which had just stopped, still sounded
In their ears.
Yankel and Miriam had worked In
the same department three weeks, and
already they were head over ears in
love with each other. And Yankel had
shown his love and yet never spoken
it.
Until now it seemed impossible to
keep it back any longer
Il oughtnt to have let you know ]
cared, Miriam"
"But you did care, Yankel, and so
did I, and how could we help showing
it?"
81 shouldn't have let you see. l
ought to have gone away"
"But why, Yankel?"
Then Yankel told her. It was a COM
mon enough tragedy among the first
American-born generation of immi-
| grants families. There was Yankel,
the sole support of his mother and
| two younger sisters. His father, who
had had a pushcart, had died recently
after long illness which had taken
every penny Of their hard-scraped saw
ings.
And Yankel must marry well. There
could be no thought of taking wife
for years to come
And something had happened only
few days before. Old Yenezel the
owner Of the boot factory, had sent
| for Yankel.
"You're clever young fellow he
had said. "Too good for this kind of
| job. Why don't you go through col
lege and become lawyer or doc
tori"
When Yankel innocently explained
the state of the family finances old
Yenezel laughed
"Why don't you find rich girl who
puts you through college, then, and
you marries herr" he asked.
Then Yenezel came to his proposal.
He had a daughter, Lily, the prettiest
girl Yankel could find anywhere. He
wanted husband for her and had had
his eye on Yankel as q man with a
future. If Yanke would marry Lily
he would put him through college,
support his mother and sisters and
start him in profession.
And Yankel was to see Yenezel that
night.
Miriam listened coldly to Yanl1el's
exposition. "That means you like her
more than me-" she said.
"But I've never seen her, Miriam.
Only-only guess I've got my duty
to do"
"I'm sorry I ever saw you, then,
said Miriam.
Miriam, can't we-part friendsY'
But Miriam had only turned her
back and gone away with disdain-
full shrug of her pretty shoulders.
And Yankel turned away, too, know
ing that the ache In his heart could
never be assuaged.
And dozen times on the way home
be was tempted TO 60 to Miriam, ask
her to marry him, a2d-let the rest go.
And he remembered his fathers
dying words: "Take care of your
mother and sisters, Yankel."
IN Well, It was all settled. There was
mo- use thinking about it. He must
| just marry Lily.
His mother, with no suspicion of the
facts, (hovered round him as he put
| on his best clothes. She put out
clean shirt and collar, adjusted his tie
1 for him.
"Good bless you, Yankel, you're a
good boy" she said.
But Yankel's heart was like death
as he made his way to Yenezels house.
Old Yenezel greeted him with a
twinkle in his eye "My Lily, she be
down soon," he said. "She's sprucing
herself up for you. My, fine couple
you'll makel"
He left him. Presently Yankel heard
a light step in the hall. The door
opened.
Miriam stood there smiling.
But he would hardly have recog-
nized the factory girl in this radiant
apparition in evening dress.
Yankel stepped toward her. "Mir-
| osrr T t1vp
"Tm Lily" said Miriam, smiling
softly. "You see, father wanted ms
to learn the business from the bottom
up, because Tn his only child. 1t was
I who asked father to--oh, must sa,
eny more, Yankel7 Won't you JUS
4o,, ,na that Won love me?p