The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-05-07
Betty
Needed the
Money
By MARTHA WILLIAMS



wonderfully hence 1t was one Of hel
favorite phases.
Downright Betsy, her common-sense
commonplace sister, stamped an impa
tient foot as she flung back: "Well
you know we can't. Where'd we keeI
1t If we had it? On the mantlepiece
or In the pantry7 The hall is too clut-
tered to hold even an extra whip"
Betsy, stopl You hurt" Dairy
moaned. ut Is certainly bad enough
to be pauper, without having 1t
thrown in your face-for nothing at
! ALL"
III you don't like the estate In life
whereunto you were born-get out and
hustlel I'm going to-" said the I'M
daunted Betsy.
Then to be sure Dairy stared.
"Hustle!" she repeated. Now, what
can girl dol mean If she's a born
lady? or course, common ones have
heaps of chances"
And I'm going TO grab off few Of
them" Betsy retorted stoutly. you've
heard of the cigar factory they're
starting up in town? My name is down
plain for job in it, Piece work, they
say, so until l go there Pm practicing
all to my little lonesome, and mean to
stick hard at it till get somewhere"
What good will that be, I'd like to
know?" from Dairy, almost fearfully.
Betsy flung back with frown:
"Only this-all Corners have to learn
the trade-at five dollars a week, wEi.e
learning I'm going there cigar-per
fect-so I'll be head of the class, with
twenty-five or more coming to me Sat
urdays In about three shakes of dead
lambs tall"
''H-how c-can you be $3.50 vulgar"
Dairy sobbed. "And-you can't do 1t.
How ever will you get to town, when
we live so far out?"
by riding the ponies my mother
gave me-my two stout legs" said
Betsy. 1--WE may be too far out to
take boarders-folk born to board
want everything soft. I'm another
sort. Walking three miles day don't
scare me one Bit rather like the
thought-and know I'll love the mon
ey. Only think, Dial, If the factory
lasts, by next year l may manage a
car-got arrears Of taxes in the way
this season-but you know we're
bound to keep roof, even If we live
on ashcake and buttermilk."
"You-don't actually think you ever
could buy carp" from Dairy, breath
lessly.
Betsy glggled II learned the multi
pllcation table backward" she said.
Suppose l average even twenty
week-see If you can do the trick of
twenty by fifty-two."
"But-but all our friends will cut us
you go mixing In with low
down people" Dairy was almost hys-
despite the. hope of the car.
Betsy's mouth set grimIy. eve
won't lose a single friend she assert
I'd stoutly. Maybe because we have
so few to lose. Arch Trent may feel
ne can't take you to any more dances,
)ut that will be better for you, and
besides save slipper bills. Now that
our rich kin are out Of mourning, you'll
nave no more windfalls to party finery.
they'll feel they've been so generous
hey needn't think Of us again for
ears"
"You are spiteful-I hate you'll" Dali
v sobbed tempestuously.
Betsy snatched her upright. shook
Ter soundly and sprawled her on the
zig old couch that was always her own
raven in deep trouble. She loved her
pretty, foolish sister, but not ms she
owed independence. And they were
the very last installrnent of
Ter dead brothers insurance there
vas nothing beside it save the small
comfortable home and the ground
bout il. Six months of hard, steady
linking made 1t plain to Betsy that
he must have work outside her home
There was not room for gardening
poultry, or even Bookkeeping; besides,
he had no money to make a start at
nything. She had been brought up in
he old fashion: ITO pray to God, to
owe man, to knit and sew But so far
10 man worth loving had crossed her
and sewing were at the
inger-tlpS OF all Ile Wuulel size hhcW.
20 her assets narrowed to stout
leart, clear head and high temper
perfectly controlled. Also and fur
her, she did not know how TO be
Ifrald. That is to say, for herself
Dairy was different. She WAS full of
soft stubborness that was like loose
and No use to ask promise OF her
when she would, she would. when
he wouldn't, she wouldn't, and there
you were. Betsy's prayer for her was
husband, able to master and maintain
Ter, but wishing for him was like sigh
ne for the man in the moon.
Betsy made good and a little more
n her crst working fortnight. There
", of course. she got the envious Ill
Will of the rest. Not one Of them went
higher under five weeks, and even the
.hree who did 1t made nothing like so
much. Piece work, you see, demands
and rewards deft diligence. Betsy was
left diligence incarnate-first at her
machine, last to leave it-ready to vol
.--<oox for ouorffv,,o IN INV emergency.