Palisadian., 1923-04-27
A First-Year
Happening
By BERTHA M. JONES


TO- 1879, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate }
Thursday was the day, and clothes
washing was Mrs. Andrew Ayers oc-
cupation. Now Thursday was not Mrs.
Ayers usual wash day. Monday was,
and on thot very Monday the regular
laundry, which now lay neatly folded
In drawer or clothes press, had been
washed and dried as per schedule in
that little home.
And yet this morning, a dark, foggy,
found Mrs. Aver splashing and rub
bing clothes over Il wash board. A
checked house dress, pale blue after
noo4l dress, striped street dress and
one of Mr.. Ayers best shirts were be-
ing treated to an impromptu cleaning.
A picnic, perhaps, was coming the
Ayers way when the sky cleared, or
an evening at the theater If the moon
broke up cloudland.
Oh, no! Mrs. Ayers plans were as
gloomy as the morning. She was pre-
pairing to leave Andrew forever, and
to make her way alone in the world.
She had arrived at this decision the
night before as she lay sleepless,
listening to the angry shuffiing OF
leaves as Andrew progressed with the
book he was pretending to read, and
TO the tower clock nearby which thun-
dered It's strokes (forty-eight in al)
directly at her aching head. Even the
clock seemed to have turned against
her, and was driving home the terri
BILE words Andrew had hurled at her
that evening: 60! If you don't like
my ways, go! I've lavished my love
on you and done everything l could
do, and you don't like my ways, and
you don't like my friends"
GO! Go! Coz thundered the
tower clock. And Mrs. Andrew lay
with a great big hurt on her heart
and pondered ways and means for
living without Andrew.
Morning came early In the Aver
household that Thursday. for neither
Of its members had had a night of
rest. but only horrible, black waking
hours
Mr. Aver descended to the kitchen
in semi-darkness. and. starting the
gas, prepared his light breakfast. Mrs.
Aver followed, and found her hus-
band seated sternly at the bare dining
table, eating toast and drinking strong
coffee.
On happy mornings he was never so
hurried th.t he could not wait for
Mrs. Ayers pretty touches to the table
and her fragrant, steaming breakfast
dishes.
'Have an omelette this morning, An
drew" asked Mrs. Aver casually
as she passed his chair on her way to
the kitchen.
mo, thanks" was the cold response
"Don't let me make you any trouble.
I'm going at once"
"Good-by." crustily, minute later.
"Good-by," floated pertly in from the
kitchen. Mrs. Aver was busy cleaning
up the mess that her husband had
left on the kitchen table when he
made Ills toast.
She came and stood in the dining
room door. Mr.. Aver stood In the hall
way, hat in hand. They looked at
each other for moment. 1t was too
dreadful, parting this way-Mrs Aver
impulsively held out her arms. Her
husband crossed the little room in two
strides, and she put her arms around
his neck They kissed each other,
though not so warmly as usual, and
the door banged after Mr.. Aver.
To Mrs. Aver it was their last part
ing. She turned and looked out of the
window xopelessly. The yellow cat
was sitting just outside waiting for
its breakfast. She had always dis
liked the thing, but ti9now it assumed
the proportions of dear pet.
The tiny backyard garden which An
drew had helped her to make into
vegetable and flower plots never be-
fore seemed so alllIring. How beau
tiful that ugly board wall would ap-
pear when covered with sweet-pea and
morning glory vines, the seeds for
which she had tucked into the little
trenches Andrew Lad prepared for
them. How delicious the fresh let
tuce and radish would taste just a
few weeks later! How Andrew would
exclaim with delight when he came
home and found them garnishing the
dinner table!
These were yesterdays thoughts.
Now her world had turned upside
down. She had fallen hopelessly
among her broken plans, and the only
way out of the mass of troubles had
a gloomy forbiddlng appearance.
She turned resolutely from the WIN
dow and opening the Kitchen door,
gave the fellow cat his breakfast
The fos had raised slightly by the
time her dresses were ready for day.
Ing and she hung them on the clothes
line outdoors. Then she took the
morning paper, which came from
nearby city, and studied the adver-
tisements asking for domestic help.
AT last SHE found tne that seemed to
meet her needs. 1t stated that the