Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-04-25

1T WAS
ANOTHER
SHIP IN
DISTRESS

60 BY D. J. walsh.J


IN ETTY BRITTON looked wistful-
* ly up into the face of her tall
~ young husband as he flung down
his napkin and arose from the
hesitation Dick came round to Betty's
chair, bent and kissed her. Then,
whistling noisily but without a single
word to her, he hurried Off to his days
work. 10 d fr
Dicks silence was getting on her
nerves. For three whole days now he
hadn't spoken a single word to her.
Until he spoke she wouldn't. II he
wanted to be stubborn, she could be
stubborn, too. "
Dicks kiss, punctually and dutlfully
delivered, had become mere form, an
artificial nothing. Each hour Of ST.
lence seemed to be pushing them a
little farther from each other
From the moment Of Dicks depar-
ture until his return, Betty was alone.
They were new to the place and hadn't
yet made any friends. y
Betty killed all the time she could.
She put the small apartment in per-
feet order, changing the position Of
the furniture as far as possible. Then
she put on her things, took her basket
and went to market. The mere sight
Of Betty's alert and smartly-clad young
figure brought Joy to the faces Of
butcher, baker and candlestick maker.
Coming back with her well-filled bas-
ket, Betty was astonlshed to find lit
tie tableau being enacted upon the
front steps of the quiet apartment
house, where she lived. A woman sat
upon the steps, shiny new suitcase
beside her. The woman was old and
very stout and her clothes looked as
II they had done duty for best for q
long time.
"You must get up from here, lady !"
Deity heard. Nobody sits down on
front steps in a respectable street like
this. We can't let you sit here any
longer, lady"
"Ill sit where l please and how I
please" retorted the sitter. go away
and mind your own business. II you've
got any"
1T can't allow itP cried the janItor's
wife. She was terribly Mustered. poor
thing, because the old lady had al
ready been sitting there an hour.
"Mrs. Olson is right" Betty said
quietly. IF you are tired you can come
inside"
'I'm tuckered out. I'm subject to
spells, too" said the old lady, rising
to her feet. II thought, maybe, one
was coming on when sat down here.
It's a good ways to walk from the sta
ton. Why, they make railroad sta
tons so pesky dnhandy beats me-"
"My goodness You didn't walk all
the way from the station - cried
Betty.
II did. First off, | kinda enjoyed
walking, there was so much to see.
Policemen kinda helped me when got
my boy was a policeman. He lives
somewhere round In this neighborhood.
Ever run across anybody by the name
of Dick Britton?" She looked anxious
ly at Betty. .t.....
my goodness gasped Betty.
Dicks my husband You must be
our dear Aunt Mary"
II don't know how dear am to
Dick" sighed Aunt Mary. IT thought
I'd come and see, anyway, II he'd got
over his mad. SO you're the girl he
married. You're pretty, anyway"
Betty took Aunt Mary up to her
apartment. She made her lie down
and babied her with cakes and good
hot tea. Aunt Mary admitted that
she hadn't had bite or sup since she
got her own breakfast by lampllght.
Meanwhile, Betty milled over the IN.
creasing complexities Of her own prob
lem. Here was Aunt Mary, an unex.
pected visitor. Dick had always been
little retlcent about Aunt Mary-"the
best ever, present company expected,
but set. First, she didn't want me to
get a Job In town. Then she didn't
want me to marry anybody but Edna
Pratt, a nelghbor girl. Don't know as
Aunt Mary will ever forgive me-" Not
only had Aunt Mary forgiven Dick.
but she had come all the way from
Pine Grove to see him. Betty felt that
as a rival to Edna Pratt, she must
make good in Aunt Marys eyes. But
how could she excuse the fact that she
and Dick were not speaklng7 But,
forlorn hope Maybe Dick would give
mi That would settle things nicely
BY 0: 80 Betty's cheeks we're flaming
with suspense Aunt Mary sat com.
fortably with her tatting, waiting to
surprise Dick. All afternoon she had
talked about Dick, how he'd been set
In her lap to take care OF when he
was only a couple Of years old. Aunt
Mary had raised him best she knew
how, but Dick was awful stubborn.
I'm a bit stubborn myself" youch.
safed Betty.
Aunt Mary shook her gray head.
She sighed tempestuously.
"Well, maybe you'll get along In
spite OF that" she said
At 6.35 Dick bounced in, his cheeks
fresh, his eyes bright In spite Of more
than ten hours Of buckIng In the world
He saw Aunt Mary. paused
swell, for cramps sake" Then he
had her In his boyish embrace
After moment Aunt Mary said.
Don't you see your wife, DlcFyT But
Grtty had fed to the Kitchen.
DIR. r. ERNEYHOUGH,