Evening star., 1926-03-21
NER

Hcn d WOnuerIuI thouBHt CdHao 10
Mathilde. OF course tomorrow would
had said. what oil Of Meldon might
say, couldn't alter facts bit. 1t hurt
only to realize that Meldon knew
| what Mathiide had always known.
She knew that she was homely. She
hadn't thought Of 1t too much, had
rather grown used to the fact. as
you might grow used to English spar
, rows. though you preferred bluebirds.
But she knew she was homely. She
| also knew that when she went to
| work for DR.. Fred she was dowdy.
dowdy now. II she had changed that
way. however. 1t was not for any
horrid reason that outsiders might
impute. 1t was just her new pride In
herself.
Could they take that from her by
saying things? Not II she didn't lot
them! For the first time In her life
| she felt she had something to defend,
and all her subdued instincts arose
20 the call. She had gone into DR..
Freds Office in the first place knowing
that soon he would marry q Miss Lois
Blair. that she ana he would always
be strangers that way. She would so
back to that shining Office tomorrow
knowing the same thing. Of course. as
she had known 1t for a year. Miss
Madden and other gossips would be
like flies outside a tight screen. They
couldn't get at her to sting her. be-
cause. whatever they said. that tight
screen was her own innocence. The
thought was like guarding hand
over the delicate white flower In her
heart.
Suddenly Mathilde began to cry.
| Not noisily as before, but just as
lncurably-slow streaming tears. She
thought she was crying because she
hated Miss Blair 30.
Is + y X
IN the morning Mathiide was still a
little shaky and hollow.eyed. But
"silly thing" she kept saying. as she
nuffed her hair to mask the hurt eyes.
Everything Is just the same"
Her mother brought "a box wrapped
In brown paper to the breakfast table.
II baked some ginger cookies yes
terday," she said. you didn't eat
any last night. ] wrapped up a few
for DIR. Fred. He always makes such
a fuss over them"
Mathilde thought she mustn't take
the cookies. But II everything was
just the same, why shouldn't she take
her mothers cookies. as she had been
doing after most of the bakings all
the past Winter?
But nothing was the same that day
nothing at all. In the first place.
when Mathilde passed through the
outer waiting room to her ofilce she
had meant not to look at Miss Blair's
picture on the high desk. II 1t had
been standing where 1t always had
stood she wouldn't have looked at
IL. But out Of the tail of her eye she
missed 1t. 1t was gone completely
from the top Of the desk. Mathilde
looked for It then. and found 1t face
down in the deep waste basket at
the corner Of the desk. Oh! Tho care.
while dusting and the picture had
fallen. With no especial Difference.
only her customary precision. Ma
thilde picked up the hateful thing and
replaced II. So she had to look at
the naughty. lovely face. and the
haughtiness or the lovelincss or both
made her sigh. She was provoked at
that. She had done all the signing
and sobbing that she meant TO allow
the night before.
So she hurried into the lavatory to
change to her business aspect--that
is, her becoming uniform-before DIR.
Fred arrived. But he had arrived.
His hat and coat were hanging on
the regular hook and his white jacket
was. gone. Everything seemed to be
happening to upset her determined
program Of casualress When she
stepped out Of the closet she heard
DIR. Fred's steps in the hall.
She heard him come into the wait
ing room and stop. He stopped for
quite a few minutes. looking at the
picture.
Good morning. Miss Matilda" he
called from out there.
How had he known she was pres
ent?
Good morning." said Mathilde, and
then, as he stood in the door. "Oh,
aren't you we'll, DR.. Fred?"
He looked glum and mad and dis
gusted--and queerly flushed.
I'm all right" he said. smiling at
his assistant. however.
Mother sent you some fresh
cookies" faltered Mathilde. This was
no time to mention ginger cakes, she
knew. But there they We're.
The guinness broke into bits before
her eyes. The doctor threw back his
head and iaughed-long and joyously
and altogether unreaSonably.
BLESS her sweet heait"' he said.
And Mathilde blushed furiously.
Then she knew that. no matter how
she tried, things couldn't be the same
any more. Even the routine of work
hardly helped.
X X x 4
THE farmer came at II. He vas
q nice farmer, young and brown
and strong and hearty. He had nice
eyes. They watched Mathilde closely
as she stood at the little swinging
| or atytn oh
the window came through the fun Of
her hair and made her seem very
bright and lovely all In her white cos
tune. And her dainty hands were
deft at the mixing.
When the patient was released he
picked UP bundle and presented 1t
to her.
II feel owe you something as we'll
as the DOCTOR" he said, flushing shyly.
And l knew you wouldn't be men,
toned in the bill. made bold to
bring you a little something. It's a
queer sort OF present, maybe. But I
had such nice Spring chickens that
thought you and your mother might
enjoy a couple"
1t was very nice Of the farmer. and
Mathilde said SO In q warm rush OF
appreciation, but all the time she
could feel DIR. Fred laughing at her.
"Oh. Miss Matilda" he burst out
when the man had left, what do l
know about you?"
Mathilde really yearned to kick him.
He was 30 wicked when he chose to
torment q body.
ibid you see how he kept looking
at you all the timer" he went on.
"Never blinked. / could have taken
out all the teeth he had, and he
wouldn't have known what was
doing. Well. he's a nice fellow. Sur
prised he stayed bachelor all this
time. Got a nice big house and a
housekeeper-"