Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-02-17
They Had Mas
Help
copyright
By H. LOUIS RAYBOLD

door and gingerly, holder In each
hand, drew forth the steaming meat
pie. This she set on the back of the
coffee, dipped out the last of the
French fries and cut the apple pie
into five equal pieces.
This was the moment for which
Jenny lived all day. The great mo-
ment when the children and their ia
Their came home to supper.
Tonight Jim and his father came In
together Rita followed. And, last of
all, Thea, her thin little face redeemed
with the cold, her delicate nose shifting
gratefully the delicious aroma.
Jenny was apt to look wistfully at
Thea, wondering how her dainty. elf
Ike beauty happened in the midst of
the others healthy robustness She
was what Jenny, who had always been
stoutish, would have liked to be and
Jenny always hoped that the sort of
thing she would have liked to happen
to herself would happen to Thea.
She never felt that there was any
ger in her little escapades. After all,
it was more normal for young thing
like Thea to be interested in the boys
than to wear heavy spectacles, like
Rita, and find ones greatest pleasure
In the reading room of the public
library. No, Thea was doing just as
she, Jenny. would have liked to do
when she was young-gad a little,
f1irt little enjoy herself great deal,
Tonight there was an unusual shine
in Thea's blue eyes, although in the
casual supper conversation she gave
no inkling as to what might be the
cause. Afterward she insisted on help
ing her mother do the dishes and was
rather more than usually affectionate
toward both parents and forbearing
with her brother and sister,
About eight o'clock she went up
stairs to dress for going out. She
was rather vague as to Just where she
was going, and Jim took his mother
to task in filial way for not insisting
upon knowing
"Ill wager it's to meet Pete Os-
good" offered Rita who was going out
herself with an armful of books which
gave no one any doubt as to her
destination. "He walks to work with
her in the morning and home with her
at night. That's why she always
comes in last And you don't seem to
care, ma ~
When Rita had gone and Jim had
settled down to the radio, Jenny stole
upstairs to the room Rita and Thea
shared. She found Thea dressing hur-
riedly-her suit skirt and a soft silk
blouse being slipped on as Jenny stood
in the doorway.
Jenny watched her wistfully, but
turned away without saying anything,
although she had many words on the
tip of her tongue Thea ran down
the hall and threw her arms about her
mother. "They poster you about me,
don't they, ma? But never you
worry"
Jenny was comforted. Would she
have been had she seen Thea take
little weekend bag out of the closet,
raise her window, and let it fall with
soft thud to the grass strip below!
Rita came In promptly at nine-thir-
ty, the library closing at nine-tifteen.
Jim and his father. too, sat over the
radio the earphones preventing them
from hearing any possible sounds in
the house. Jenny held magazine,
but there were many minutes at a
stretch when she read not one word.
When the clock struck eleven she
grew restless and crept over to the
window, where she sat peering OUT
through the lace curtains down the
deserted street. Thea was late
Suddenly she started and little
smile played about her lips. she
turned so abruptly to the others that
the two men removed their phones
and Rita looked up from her book.
"Thea and Pete have been married,
she announced "And they're coming
to toll us. Oh please be kind to
Ahea!"
\ moment later and Thea was In
her mothers arms. 'Your note did 1t,
mother. | found it on top in my bag
when I opened it at the parsonage to
slip In my wedding certificate. on,
how did you know
81 didn't for sure" whispered Jen-
nv "But | suspected. and because
like Pete I didn't mind. ONLY didn't
want you sneaking away without your
family's blessing. I've worried CON
siderable. but now. married to good
young man I kind of feel as If you
were safe Thank you, dear, for com
ing home first
A little later, as Thea and Pete
turned to leave the house to eaten
their train which was to take them on
their honeymoon, Jenny remembered
something. "Wait a mlnute! she
begged them. She was gone but an
instant, and when she returned she
held handful Of rice.