Evening star., 1928-11-30
Her Husbands Mother.

AZ ARIAN STEWART was giving
her full confidence on an I'M
N portant subject to Mrs. Owen.
\ her next door neighbor. 1t
was 10 o'clock in the morning
Mrs. Overton had run in with plate
hf fresh-baked cookies and founo
Marian crying: - ?
Ho " Marian said. He doesn't realize
fhat his mother is an old woman and
that she oughtn't to live alone IN her
kouse the way she does. OF course she
Coul6nt hear to me but anything Tom
maid would have weight with her. Last
nioht when that awful storm was rag
Snp I sat right up in bed thinking OF
Mother Stewart being alone way over
There on the other side of town IN tnat
little house in that great orchard-Witnf
no telephone even! Oh, it's dreadtul,
Mrs. Overton" 5, ,o
mere and live with you?" asked Mrs.
Oyerton, who had possessed a mother
tn-law some years longer than mao
little Marian. LET me tell you, my
dear. you'll all three regret it."
But doesn't duty count?' asked
Marian. her blue eyes indigo with feel
ing. Mother Stewart is old and iran.
She knows she needs to be taken care
IF lust as we'll as I debut she Is so
beautifully unselflsh, That's the crux
of the matter She is sacritlclng hefsei
dust on that account. She Is determined
not to intrude upon our young married
life. vet all the time she Is lonely
End sad-and perhaps suffering" The
blue eyes overfloWed with tears.
That afternoon Marian carried neas
aittle basket of cookies over TO Mother
Stewart. She tapped at the drab pam
elel door and was gently bldden TO
enter Mother Stewart sat in her Ia
Eorite rocking chair. Her work basket
was beside her, but her hands were IDLE:
She looked older, less trim than usual
and there was a sad look on her dell
rate face. Marian's heart ached TO see
her. Not once during the call did the
older woman move from her chair. she
seemed preoccupied and occasionally
She sighed. At last Marian could bear
1t no longer and going to the rocking
chair she knelt down ana Ialo Ier tti Ilall9
tIpon the strangely idle one that reSteo
1Inon the starched white apron.
"Dear Mother Stewart" she said
koftlv. won't you come and live with
us this Winter? I want you TO very
much. I will do everything can to
make you contented and happy"
Mother Stewart looked down INTO
The blue eyes and Spasm OF PAIN
crossed her face before she smiled.
You are a good girl, Marian, but !
am better off here. Young folks snouio
be by themselves. You don't want an
Old lady like me cluttering up your nice
little bungalow It's only big enough
tor two, anyhow"
Stewart continued without explanation
to decline to leave her dull little home
in the orchard and go to live In the
lovely bungalow where there was so
much to see. At last Marian went away
more certain than ever that Motner
Stewart was committing a great sacrl-
flee for her children.
She was passing Mr.. Gregorys gro
kery store when she saw some tne
oranges in the window. knowing tnat
Mother Stewart loved this fruit, She
went in and bought half dozen! Then
She turned back toward the little drab
house with her gift. This time she
didn't knock, even softly, but opened the
door. From the room beyond where she
had left Mother Stewart sitting she
heard a voice, smelled strong aroma
Of hartshorn.
"I'm grateful to you for bringing me
bver this bottle of liniment, Sarah,
Mother Stewart was saying. 81 guess
III be all right after another appllca-
tion, but I'm black and blue from top
to toe. You see, Marian is dreadful
fussy about me- She thinks I am too
old to take care of myself, but lands
eakes. Sarah Bess, when she gets to
be our age she'll find she feels just as
young as she does now. Well, nothing
would do but Tom must fix up an old
biano box into a coalbin for me so
Wouldn't have to go downstairs the way
1 always have done. was reaching IN
after pail of coal when lost my bal.
ance and in I went headforemost.
couldn't get out till Jerry Peters helped
ane out. I was ashamed to yell for help,
for my feet were sticking up In the air
and I had my old red felt slippers on.
I'll never go near that piano box again.
4 declare, Sarah, I'm real put out.
was planning to make my usual fau
shopping trip to the city to get me q
new hat and here am!'
Sarah Bess, old-tirne neighbor and
friend, was laughing merrily.
"If you don't stop making such faces.
Mary Stewart, shall have mysteries"
she gaSped. Here, let me apply the
1inimuent for you. If was you I'd tell
those children of yours that wanted to
be let alone. The idea of their wanting