The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-05-04
A First-Year
Happening

$*****$*******************
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 that 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, dark, foggy,
hopeless sort of morning it was, too,
found Mrs. Aver splashing and rub
bing clothes over wash board. A
checked house dress, a pale blue after
noon dress. a 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 IL the moon
broke up cloudland.
Oh, mol 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 shufliing OF
leaves as Andrew progressed with the
book he was pretending to read, and
to the tower clock nearby which thun-
dered its strokes (forty-eight in ally
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: go! II you don't like
my ways, go! I've lavished my love
on you and done everything I could
do, and you don't like my ways, and
you don't like my friends"
go! Col Co." thundered the
tower clock. And Mrs. Andrew lay
with 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 hur-
band seated sternly at the bare dining
table, eating toast and drinking strong
coffee.
On happy mornings he was never so
hurried that he could not walt for
Mrs. Ayers pretty touches to the table
and her fragrant, steaming breakfast
dishes.
"Have an omelette this morning, An
drewY 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.
Tn going at once"
"Good-by." crustily, a minute later.
"Good-by," floate1 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 his 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. It was too
dreadful, parting this way-Mrs. Aver
impulsively held out her arms. Her
husband crossed the little room In two
strides, and .he put her arms around
his neck. They kissedc 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 hopelessly. The yellow cat
was sitting Just outside waiting for
its breakfast. She had always dis
liked the thing, but now II assumed
the proportions Of a dear pet.
The tiny backyard garden which An
drew had helped her to make into
vegetable and flower plots never be-
fore seemed so alluring. How beau
tiful that ugly board wall would ap-
/ pear when covered with sweet-pea and
mornlng-glory vines, the seeds for
which she had tucked into the little
trenches Andrew had prepared for
them. How delicious the fresh let
tuce and radish would taste just
few weeks later How Andrew would
exclaim with delight when he came
home Hnd found them garnishIng the
dinner tablet
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
gloomy. forbiddlng appearance.
She turned resolutely from the win
dow and, opening the kitchen door,
gave the yellow cat his breakfast.
The fog had raised slightly by the
fine her dresses we're ready for dry
Ing and she hung them on the clothes
line outdoors. Then she took the
morning paper, which came from a
nearby city. and studied the adver-
| tfaonnouta asking for domestic holm