The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-01-14

borrow money for her. She shuddered
at the thought Of this. Then she
heard of the college Money-Making
Bureau" She discovered that there
were girls who were earning their way
through college and that the bureau
was one of the quiet ways used by
the university to help them.
There was the mending department
for example. Here were brought
every week by the well-to-do students
piles of mending Of every variety from
heelless socks and stockings, to thread
bare underwear and frayed cuffs and
collars. These were made into pack
| ages and farmed out to the money
needing girls.
Early in January, Lydia sneaked
into the little room and out again with
a neat but heavy bundle. She got
home with 1t and smuggled II into her
room without old Lizzie's seeing it.
Socks, wristbands and torn lace
there was fifty cents worth of mend
Ing in the package! Lydia calculated
that if she did a package a night for
thirty nights, she would have enough
money to. buy the making Of the party
dress and cloak.
The necessity for secrecy was what
made the task arduous. Lydia fin
i ished her studying as hurriedly as
possible each night and went off to
her room. 1t was bitter cold In the
| room when the door was closed, but
! she hung a dust cloth over the key
| hole, shawl over the window shade.
wrapped herself in a quilt and I'M
wrapped the bundle. By two o'clock
she had finished and shivering and
with aching eyes, crept into bed.
Within a week she was going about
| her daily work with hollow eyes and
without the usual glow in her cheeks,
but she hung on with determination
worthy of better cause.
The third week she took cold. an
almost unheard-of proceeding for Ly-
! dia, and in spite Of all old Lizzfe's
decoctions, she could not throw it off.
| At the end of the fourth week she
| carried back her last bundle, and
| with fifteen dollars in her pocketbook.
| she boarded the street car for home
| She was trembling with fatigue and
| fever.
When she reached the cottage, she
| stretched out on the couch behind the
old base burner with her sense of sat-
isfaction dulled by her hard cough
and the feverish taste in her mouth.
She was half asleep, half In a stupor
when Billy came in.
''How's the cold, Lyd?' he asked.
Socks" whispered Lydia, bushels
of socks, aren't there, BillyY
Billy picked up her hand and felt
her pulse, pulled the shawl up over
her chest, put his cheek down against
her forehead for moment as he muir
INJURED, "Oh, Lydia, don't be sick! /
| couldn't bear itr then he hurried to
| the kitchen where Lizzie was getting
! supper.
The next thing that Lydia knew she
was in her own bed and doc" Fulton
was taking the clinical thermometer
from her mouth. She was very much
confused.
where's my fifteen dollars?" she
asked.
What fifteen dollars, little daugh-
ter| Amos was sitting on the edge
Of the bed, holding her hand.
For my party dress-white null
with socks-please, daddy
Amos looked at Lizzie. 'It's what
she wanted for the junior prom, i
guess said the old lady, poor child"
you shall have fifteen dollars, just
as soon as you get well, honey" said
| Amos.
"All right" said Lydia, hoarsely,
tell Kent SOS he" She trailed off
again into stupor.
1t was hard pull, a sharp, hard
struggle with badly congested lungs,
for two weeks. Ma Norton took
charge and doc" Fulton was there
night after night. Margery came
every day, with a basket, for Elviry
practically fed Amos during the two
weeks. Billy did chores Kent was
errand boy with the little car. And
Adam sat on the doorstep for hours
and howled!
But Lydia was splendidly strong.
One night, after ten days of stupor
and delirium, she opened her eyes on
Amos haggard face. She spoke weak
ly but naturally. Hello, dadI Ask
Margery to get me the pattern we
were talking about. In a day or so
I'll be up and around"
Amos began to cry for sheer joy.
Once she began TO mend, Lydia's re-
covery was unbelievably rapid. On a
Sunday, a week before the Junior
prom, she was able to dress and to
lie on the living-room couch. During
the afternoon, Kent came In.
Hello, Lyd!" he cried. "Are you
going to go to the junior prom with
me, after ALP
Kent, can't go. might be strong
enough for one or two dances by that
time, but I can't get my clothes done"
"Pshaw, isn't that hard luck!
Kent's voice was soft with sympathy.
Never mind. old lady! I'm so
darned glad to have you getting well
so fast, that the prom doesn't matter.
Say, Lyd. Margery's come out fine.
since you've been sicki Err
Lydia, don't you think she'd 90 to the
prom with me? Seems to me she's
cut out society as long as she needs
to-
81 think she ought to go If she wants
to-" Lydia said.
Guess I'll ask her now" cried
Kent, disappearing kitchenward.
Lydia lay watching snowfakes sift
softly past the window. 1t was not
long before Margery and Kent an
peared-
She's going" cried Kent