The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-04-17

cheek-boned, In work apron; cook,
apparently.
"Good morning." said Selma. "Would
you like some fresh country vege-
tables?"
mo" She half shut the door, open
ing 1t again to ask, SCOT any fresh
eggs or butter? At Selina's negative
she closed the door, bolted it. Well,
that was all right. Nothing so terrible
about that, Selma told herself. Simply
hadn't wanted any vegetables. The
next house. and the next, and the next.
Up one side of the street, and down
the other. Four times she refilled her
basket. At one house she sold quar-
ter's worth. Fifteen at another. Twen-
ty cents here. Almost fifty there.
Twenty-hrst street-Twenty-fifth-
Twenty-eighth. She had over four dol
lars in her purse. Dirk was weary
now and hungry to the point of tears.
1.-THE last house." Selma promised him,
1.-THE very last one. After this one
wen go home.'
|
| dollars, earned in the last hour. "Just
Ave minutes" she said to Dirk, trying
to make her tone bright. her voice gay.
Her arms full of vegetables which she
was about to place in the basket az
her feet she heard at her elbow:
"Now. then, where's your license?'
She turned. A policeman at her side.
| "License?"
"Yeh, you heard me. License.
Where's your peddler's license? YOU
got one, s'pose." /
"Why, no. No." She stared at
him. still.
"WeIl. say. where dye think you
are, peddlin' without license! A good
mind to run you in. Get along out of
here, you and the kid. Leave me ketch
you around here again"
| whats the trouble, of1icer?" said a
woman's voice. A smart open carriage
of the type known as victoria, with
two chestnut horses whose harness
shone with metal. whats the trouble,
Reilly?" The woman stepped out of
! the victoria.
woman peddling without license,
Mrs. Arnold. You got TO watch 'em
like hawk. Get along wild
you, then" He put hand on Selina's
shoulder and gave her gentle push.
There shook Selma from head to foot
such passion, such storm OF out.
ragged sensibilities, as to cause street
/ victoria, silk-clad woman, horses, and
policeman to swim and shiver in haze
before her eyes. The rage of a fas
tidious woman who had had an alien
male hand put upon her. Her face
was white. Her eyes glowed black
enormous. She seemed tall. majestic
even.
Take your hand off me!' Her
speech was clipped, vibrant. "How
dare you touch me! How dare you
Take your hand!-" The blazing eyes
in the white mask. He took his HAND
from her shoulder. The red surged
into her face. A tanned weather
beaten toil-worn woman, her abundant
hair skewered into knob and held by
long gray-black hairpin, her full skirt
grimed with the mud of the Wagon
wheel, pair of old side boots on hei
slim feet, a grotesquely battered ole
felt hat Cher husband's) on her head
her arms full of ears of sweet corn
and carrots and radishes and punches
of beets; woman with bad teeth, fiat
breasrs-even then Julie had known
her by her eyes. And she had stared
and then run to her in her silk dress
and her plumed hat, crying, "Oh, Sc
lima! My dear! My dear!" with G
sob of horror and pity. "My dear!'
And had taken Selma, carrots, beets
corn, and radishes in her arms. The
vegetables lay scattered all about then
on the sidewalk in front of Julie Hem
pei Arnold's great stone house or
Prairie avenue. But strangely enough
it had been Selma who had done the
comforting, patting jules plump silker
shoulder and saying, over and over
soothingly, as to a child, There
there! It's all right, Julie. It's all
right. Don't cry. What's there to cry
for! Sh-sh! It's all right"
Julie lifted her head in its modisf
black plumed hat, wiped her eyes, blew
her nose "Get along with you, do,
she said to Reilly. the policeman. using
his very words to Selma. I'm going
to report you to Mr.. Arnold, see If
don't. And you know what thai
means"
"Well. now. Mrs. Arnold. ma'am.
was only doing my duty. How cud ]
know the lady was a friend of yours
Sure, Il" He surveyed Selma. cart
jaded horses, wilted vegetables.
"And why mott" demanded Julie
with superb unreasonableness. "Why
not, I'd like to know. Do get aloEg
with you"
He got along, a defeated officer o.
the law, and bitter. And now it wa.
Julie who surveyed Selma. cart. Dirk
jaded horses, wilted leftover vege
tables. "Selina, whatever in the world
What are you doing with" Sh,
caught sight of Selina's absurd boot.