The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-08-02
ONLY
GIRL HE
WANTED
S%$&.&S@% H@N.AH.S-ASsN
&c by D J. walshl


tn ELLA WATKINS beat away al
the carpet on the clothesline
IL Ii was an old fashioned brus.
sells carpet. thick and lSrd as
board and the faded roses were
dusty. Delia's mother cherished the
carpet for she had bought il Lerseit
with butter-aRd-egg money during the
hrst years of her marriage. But Della
hated the carpet just as she hated
many like things in her young life.
Now in thrashing the DrasSels roses
she was trying TO get rid of rehelli-
Gus energy so terrific that it fairly
1bSesSed her.
Della was eighteen. a slim thing
with smooth black hair-long, of
course-gray eyes full of light. red
lips and stubborn white chin. She
was not pretty, hut she had enough
charm 10 make Alec Bruce pick her
out of all the girls of his acQuaint-
ance.
II was Alec who now came whiStl-
ing round the corner of the house.
his arms full of groceries. Alec owned
the grocery store and sometimes drove
the red delivery car himself. He was
tall, with sandy hair, white teeth and
humorous crinkles at the corners of
his blue eyes. Scotch with a tang of
Irish, his ancestors had settled on
the north coast of Erin. drifting Thin
from fra
Alec's father had been horn beside
peat fire, hut Alec was first, last
- and always American.
Hey, there!" he accosted Della.
what you think you're doing. any
way-tanning the hides of all the
hOodlums in the Guideboard district?'
Delia's only reply was to thump
away harder. --- --
Alec took the groceries into the
house, where Mrs. Watkins received
them. Then he returned to Della.
Quit Furnishing that poor old rag
a minute, can't you?" he laughed
Here. let me have the club" He tried
TO take the carpet-beater from her
hand, but Della chung to it. Their eyes
clashed. Come. Delial This is man.
sized job" he said earnestly. "I'll fin
ISL cleaning the carpet for you"
Il wish you'd go on about your
business and let me alone" Della said.
exasperated. She was keenly conscious
of her looks. a tear in her old blue
Bingham. smudge on her nose and
patched shoes. Besides. she had a
broken finger-nail that hurt cruelty.
And she had just got a speck of dust
in one eye that was making it red and
watery.
TOO nice morning TO be whipping
carpet" Alec said, taking his hand
from the heater. Better hop into the
car and go with me. Della. I've got
TO take couple sacks of flour out to
Mrs. Peterson's."
81 tell you I'm busy. And-you're
bothering me-"
Sorry Guess I'll ask Helen Morse.
then" Alec was nettled. He did not
whistle as ne went away.
Della gave the old carpet two or
three more hard thumps. then she
collapsed against it in fit of passion
ate weeping. She had been horrid. She
had driven him TO Helen Morse. which
was just what Helen had tainted her
into doing. She peeped out around the
edge of the carpet at the next house,
the big, handsome house where big
handsome Helen Morse lived. But Alec
hadn't stopped there for all his threat
Hope scared again; maybe he'd for
give her. She'd had her lesson; next
time she'd behave.
Della finished heating the carpet,
dragged ii off the line, got it into the
house and tackled ii fast to the parlor
floor Mrs. Watkins bossed the job
without lifting a finger. Thin, pale,
anemic. she was obsessed with the
idea that she had heart trouble: she
saved herself at the expense of her
daughter
After dinner mother lay down and
Della, having bathed and put on
clean frock, sat down at the desk
in the living room to puzzle out the
family accounts. Some bills must be
PAID. WIN 1Beila III was constant
struggle TO get bills paid. Besides. she
had TO earn the money herself. teach
ing forty weeks year in the Guide
board district. That was a job, be-
lieve me. Twenty-three kids of as
sorted sizes and unruly dispositions. to
say nothing of dirty noses and things
in their hair" She sighed heavily as
she opened her crumpled little account
book.
Voices, laughter coming in through
the open window. She pulled aside
the stiff Nottingham lace curtain and
peeped out. Helen Morse stood on the
steps anC Alec was just putting
package into her lovely white hands.
Helen looked into Alec's eyes-and
dropped the package. White sugar
flew in every direction. Helen gave
little scream of dismay. That's all
right" Alec said. I'll bring you an
other FIVE pounds"
Mothers waiting for it." Helen
said.