Evening star., 1929-05-19

Or even one that wasn't so good. Shed
find some way to make 1t up to him,
she promised.
And, when Tom found it out and
stopped her, she was terribly bitter.
X X y
w HEN Betty left for college she cried
w all night and spoke of Betty as
though she had died, though she was
actually coming home for Thanksgiving
After Bettyd gone Mrs. Coates spent
half her time at Marice's bungalow, do
ing things for the baby that Marice had
been learning to like to do for herself.
and begging Marice. day after day, TO
Sublet the bungalow and come back
home. Shed manage Phil and Papa'S
arguing, she promised passionately.
why, Will" I exclaimed one day,
! when the truth had at last sunk in,
Mrs. Coates is really selAsh. It's a
hard time for any mother when her
children grow up and leave-T remem-
ber how lost mother was, after Kathie
and had both gone, and Rosie Mer-
tons mother and Mrs. Dunwoody-
and Mrs. Coates just won't go through
it. She's so determined to get her three
back home, to keep them all children,
depending on her and imposing on her,
that she's perfectly willing to ruin their
that looks from the outside, call 1t
selfish"
Will agreed, but, in the carefree tone
of one who figures that it may be true
but it's not his funeral. I suppose that's
the way should have taken it, too, but
some way couldn't. I'd got SO fond of
those Coates children that I felt I just
couldn't stand by and see their lives
ruined. And by their own mother. Of
all people.
But what could T do? Day by day
that Fall I watched them weakening.
Their mother got thinner and thinner
and Sadder and sadder. She talked about
children being ungrateful; you wear
your fingers to the bone for them while
they're little and when they grow up
they're through with you. You're kicked
off, like an old shoe. Well, she'd finish
sadly, she probably didn't have many
more years. anyway.
And the Coates children couldn't stand
it. Tom would go back to Verblen Sun
day nights after having been home over
the weekend. looking as though he'd
been out all night. Marice told me that
Betty had about decided not to go back
to college next year, Mother wrote her
such blue letters. But 1t was the hard
est of all on Marice.
She is the tenderest hearted little
thing, and she was just torn two ways
Phil wouldn't hear of their giving up
the bungalow; he'd just got the furni-
ture paid for, and he wanted to start
buying the house.
why, Dot, he's different person In
his own home" Marice told me. HE
feels so proud and responsible. He
struck the boss for raise this Fall and
got it-father's beginning really to re-
Spect him. And I'm afraid, If I coax
him into going back to the big house,
he may slip right into his old ways"
Anv one could see the truth Of that
But then Marice's pretty blue eyes filled
| with tears.
But I just can't bear to feel that I'm
going back on mother. It breaks my
heart. When she talks about my not
caring about her any more, or not loving
my home-T just can't tell her that this
little bungalow seems like home to me
now"
Why. honestly, living right between
the two, began to feel torn myself.
Sometimes I'd see Mrs. Coates sitting up
on that upstairs porch all alone, and
I'd see her wipe her eyes, and I'd feel
work.
And then I'd see Marice, trying to do
the right thing by both her husband
and her mother. and being so unhappy
all the time, and I'd feel as troubled as
though it were my own problem. Actu-
ally, there was more than one night that
I couldn't go to sleep for worrying.
The worst of it was that felt hope
1essly sure of how it would turn out. I
knew that 1t would be ruination for both
Marice and Phil to move back into the
big house. and yet I felt just as sure
that they would eventually do it.
Marice would never be able to hold out
against her feelings.
y X X
GO I wasn't surprised, late one Fall
~ afternoon, when I ran over to her
bungalow, to find her crying on the
couch. and to have her tell me that
she'd made up her mind; she was going
to tell Phil that night that they'd SIM
ply have to 60 back.
Mothers failing every day" she said.
"the work in that big place is too much
for her And today, she told me that.
on top of that, she's going to take Aunt
Kate's youngest girl for the Winter.
Aunt Kate, out in Colorado, you know.
She's just had new baby, her eighth,
and she's having terribly hard time
getting along"
Wont the little girl be able to help
your mother?" I asked, desperately
hopeful. Marice shook her head.
"She's only six. Just the age to be
nothing but care. AS though mother
didn't have enough without that"
Marice talking like that-Marice who,
six months ago, was perfectly willing
to lie in the shade while her mother
took all the care of her baby!
Don't tell Phil tonight" I begged
Marice. wait. anyway, till the little
girl actually gets here. Maybe her
mother won't let her come maybe
she'll get lost on the way. Maybe some
thing will turn up. Oh. don't tell Phil
tonight" And Marice agreed. though
hopelessly, to wait till the child was
actually here.
That night I prayed over it. I'm
very religious, but I only pray for
something special. when I'm pushed be-
yond belief I don't believe that the
Lord should be troubled with things
you can possibly handle yourself. But
this was beyond me.
Don't let that child come" prayed
that night. And don't let Mrs. Coates
get Marice back home"
But, In spite of my fervent prayers.
little Katie arrived. And, as though
that wasn't enough, the day after she
got here she came down sick. Poor
Marice was nearly beside herself.
"Oh, should have gone back when
I first thought of 1t! Now it's too
late. Poor Mother! There, in that big
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