New Britain herald., 1925-11-24


This was intoerable. ut means ca
actly that" she said colby. III
means that I'm ready TO do anything
from interviewing the president 10
sweeping out the Telegraph Office,
1t means that I'm going 10 see life,
instead OF being tied TO u kitchen all
my days"
Bruce WINGED. But Barbara ran
on.
ut means that my mind Is going
to live as well as my body, and thai
I'm going 10 be person before ]
die.
rs there anything else you'd lilto
to know"
mo" said Bruce slowly. there
isn't anything else, guess, You've
said about all there is TO gay. But
you can't make it Barbara. Even il
you do succeed In the work. you'll
be wretchedly unhappy. You can.
live on intellect alone. You'll starvc."
He looked around for his hat. he
found 1t on the piano and crushed 4
between nervous fingers.
Barbara followed him to the door
Well say goodby, then" she u.
most cooed. You're q nice boy,
Bruce. but you don't understand me.
It's lucky found 1t out when ] did"
He looked al her outstretcheI
hand. Barely touching It, he said,
"Goodby." AS he stepped through
tbs door, he put on the hat, crush
ing the rebel lock that stood on the
crown OF his head.
| When Mrs. Hawley returned from
a shopping trip. that evening, she
found Barbara In the kitchen. stand
| ing over the ironing board, A pile OF
miscellaneous garments lay nearby
on chair. She was ,whistling little
out OF tune, and plunging through
the pressing job with reckless gay
ETY..
Well. Babs," cried her mother.
what news?'
Good news, muplsy," cried Bar
| lara setting the iron down with 2
clang on its metal stand. "A Job and
everything. Going to work tomor-
row. Expect to be writing magazine
articles on my success by the end
| OF year
Mrs. H&WIey smiled. There was no
| sign In Barbara's manner OF u re-
| lapse from her decision of the nigh,
| before.
Barbara pushed her mother into
chair, chattering gayly about the
new Job, the interesting personality
| Of McDermott, and the joys Of news
paper work, as observed In her ID
minute wait in the Telegraph Office
that morning.
WITS such a lovely, noisy place.
mumsy," she cried. And the smoko
Is SO thick it chokes you, till you &c,
used to it." She spoke as IL thu
greater part OF her 26 years had
been spent in smoky newspaper
| office. Do.
And people are al! running
around. as If they had a million
things to do. all Of them interna-
rionally important. Gee. What fun
it's going to be, to work In the GEN.
ter OF things, and TO know every
| thing before anybody else In town
knows"
Mrs. Hawley smiled uncertainty.
Sounds pretty strenuous, Babs," she
said. Il hope you wont break down.
I've heard tales Of what newspaper
life did to people"
Me break down." Barbara
laugh was scornful. "Now I ask you,
did ever have a sick day in my
| life, except with measles and
whooping cough? AS for its being
strenuous. III thrive on 1t. That's
! what ! want anything that's all
excitement-the opposite of school
| teaching.
What dressIl l wear tomorrow"
| Without waiting for a reply, she
! had run up the steps to survey the
closet in which her rather meager
wardrobe hung. Not word had been
said OF Bruce's visit.
After dinner, Barbara and her
mother settled themselves before the
! fire IN Barbara's room, to refurbish
her work clothes with fresh collars
and cuffs. and to sew on missing
buttons.
You know. It's really so easy to
look spick and span" remarked Bar
bara to her mother, IF only you will
give a little torethought to your
clothes and have the right things for
the right occasion"
At ten o'clock they drank hot
chocolate and prepared to go TO
bed.
When Mrs. Hawley went down
stairs to lock up the house for the
night, she paused by the davenport
in the living room. There, lying on
the carpet that she had swept that
morning was a cigaret stub, ground
into the nap OF the carpet.
She stopped and picked 1t up, as
she had picked up innumerabie
similar stubs, DUNG the last two
YEARS.
When she went upstairs, she said
nothing, But her brows were puck
cred.
hOHHlO"A bllCtJS VI kNSN
Britain at seven-thirty In the morn
Ing were a revelation to Barbara.
She had never walked through
them at such an early hour before.
She had had no idea that life was
stirring SO early, that crowds Of peo-
pie were swarming into restaurants
and office buildings before she rose
in leisurely fashion to make ready
| for nine o'clock school.
These crowds OF people. the
smoky fog that covered the face OF
the early sun. the film Of frost over
the sidewalks-the hustle Of the
lunch counters behind their plate
glass windows--all OF these things
were a part OF picture that later
came 10 typity to Barbara her whole
life as a working woman.
She walked rapidly, after alight-
ing from the interurban, trying not
TO think Of the ordeal that lay