The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-03-28

~ ~ up into the lace OF ner tai
- young husband as he flung down
his napkin and arose from the
breakfast table. After an instant's
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.
Dicks silence was getting on her
nerves. For three whole days now he
hadn't spoken single word to her.
Until he spoke she wouldn't. If he
wanted to be stubborn, she could be
stubborn, too.
Dicks kiss, punctually and dutifully
delivered, had become a 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.
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 astonished 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
if they had done duty for best for
long time.
"You must get up from here, ladyw
Betty heard. "Nobody sits down on
front steps in a respectable street like
this. We can't let you sit here any
longer, lady,"
"L'll sit where I please and how
please" retorted the sitter. go away
and mind your own business. if you've
got any,"
81 can't allow it," cried the janitor's
wife. She was terribly fiustered, 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 good ways to walk from the sta
ton. Why, they make railroad sta
lions so pesky unhandy, 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
where it was thick. I kinda wished
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.
"My goodness !" gasped Betty.
"Dick's my husband. You must be
our dear Aunt Maryw
IL don't know how dear I am to
Dick" sighed Aunt Mary. 81 thought
I'd come and see, anyway, If 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 lamplight.
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
a little reticent about Aunt Mary-"the
best ever, present company expected,
but set. First, she didn't want me to
get job in town. Then she didn't
want me to marry anybody but Edna
Pratt, neighbor 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 Mary's eyes. But
how could she excuse the fact that she
and Dick were not speaking? But,
forlorn hope! Maybe Dick would give
in! That would settle things nicely.
By $50 Betty's cheeks were 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" vouch-
safed Betty.
Aunt Mary shook her gray head.
She sighed tempestuously.
swell, maybe you'll get along in
spite of that" she said.
At 6:35 Dick bounced in, his cheeks