The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-08-03
A SECRET
SHE NEVER
TOLD
GO by d. ]. Walsh.l

u FRS. MEADE looked at the
N gray-enameled washing ma
V chine with troubled eyes that
usually held a spark of laugh
ter hidden 10 the corners. She hated
to part from that electric washer, for
since it had been In the house things
had gone smoother and she had been
able to double, her orders for wash.
ing curtains and blankets.
''It's a shame, isn't it?" said Lila
standing in the doorway, hot indigna'
ton in her eyes. "Just makes me boil
Oh, I'm sick of this town and all the
mean people In 1t Yes, they are mean
tool Like old man Romibold In back
of US, high-hatting US all the time, the
old crouch Living in great big house
with servants and all kinds of luxuries
and we can't even keep our electric
washer!"
Dent be little goose, Lila" smiled
her mother, "Mr. Romibold certain
ly isn't responsible that I'm back In
my payments even IL he Is president
of the Fair-Day Washer company.
They've been very nice and lenient,
but if / don't have the $50 by the first,
of course they must take it back"
Its my fault for getting pneumo-
mia, that's what!" Bills voice on the
cracking bridge between boyhood and
maturity. "See here, nom. let me get
a job-you're not going to go back to
washing blankets by hand!"
young man, you're not going to
quit school until you're through high
school," Mrs. Meade told him.
''If | only earned more!" Lila flung
out fercely, pounding typewriter
for measly twelve per week! Look
here, mother. you got to let me go
TO the ethyl / know l can earn more
there. Myrtle Rodman told me so and
she's going! Let me go. pleased I'm
nineteen and | hate the people here
That contemplate Romibold-"
"Say. stop knocking Mr.. Romibold ;
he's not so bad. Yesterday he stopped
me and asked how my radio was.
said, Rotten last night and he said,
so was NINE Course, he's not so
pleasant as Mr.. Crick, but"
"Oh. you and your awful radio! I've
never heard anything but squeaks
and squawks and bowls from it ~
Guess it needs a new battery or
something" Bill muttered. reddening.
"You forget. Lila" Mrs. Meade hast
lily interposed. shat Bill assembled it
all himself and worked after school to
pay for the parts I'm just sure when
the weather clears it will work fine ~
Bits face lighted with an idea.
"Moml I've peach of an idea I'm
going TO sell my radio and then you
can keep our washerl It's a good ra-
dio; ought to get $40 for it. and
maybe you and Lillia can raise the
other five"
Lilla's laugh fairly rocked the kitch-
en-. Hold me, somebody Twenty dol
lars for that radiol Why not fifty?"
A warning glance from. her mother
made Lila smother her laughter. but
when Bill had strutted out of the
kitchen In his noisy No. 9 Boy Scout
shoes she broke out IN a low, vehe-
ment voice: Mother, why let Bill kid
himself about his radio? He's due for a
terrible disappointment and he'll be
just as disguised with the people in
this town as I ami"
I'm not going to smash his first
hope OF helping me-" Mrs. Meade an
swered slowly. "BiIl's always been in
cined to be a little selfish, and now
he's ready to sell something that is
awfully dear to him."
Mrs. Meade did not sleep well that
hight, her head ached. Bill had tried
late hour and the noise had been fear.
full, but it wasn't that which kept her
awake. She was worried over Lila.
Her singing remarks about the rich
Mr.. Romibold i'm back of them had be-
gun from the first day of her friend.
ship with Myrtle Rodman. Mrs. Meade
did not like Myrtle nor the poisonous
little stack of thumbed magazines she
had left on the library table.
In the morning the April sunshine
danced on the worn rag carpet in the
kitchen and Mrs. Meade. using her
electric washer, felt more cheerful
"Might as well use 1t while still have
It." she smiled; "guess Bill thought
the same about his radio last night
My, it was terribleI" She glanced out
of the window across the hedge at the
end of her lot and shook her head
"There's Mr.. Romibold proving
around his yard looking as If he'd bite
somebody any minute. Wonder what
makes him so grouchy" She turned
off the electric current and thought,
Losing this washer Is going to make
Lila more bitter and unhappy at be-
ing poor. And now when Bill comes
home I'll have another one on my
hands. He just won't understand ii
that nobody wants his radiop
But Bill came home with very i'm
portant business-like manner. Had an
offer for my radio set" he mentioned
nonchalantly, but it wasn't enough. 1
can't let 1t go for SIS"
Two gasps and Mrs. Meade and Lila