The Ely miner., 1930-07-25
buttons, he Thought as the car sped

| on.
Jimmy. where do we buy lacquer
paint?"
Her voice startled him. 1t almost
| seemed to explode with new flood of
interest. Lacquer. honey?" he an
| swered. 81 never even heard of it,"
We'll, she said lacquer, and I've
| kept on saying il all the way home"
"Well. who in thunder is she? She's
! goi YOU all excited"
We'll, she set me to thinking, J.;;;i-
my, and | can't stop. She's ahead OF
=! Us in everything. Yes, in everything" ;"
i, Ahead % us? I'll say si'o isn't We
amt no sideshow."
Were moi the main circus, either,
Jimmy. Resides we don't need TO
show anybody anything. We've just
got to be ourselves. We've got TO
have trimmings. She has trimmings
on everything"
Ave known folks to get their feet
all tangled up in trimmings" he said.
"You stay right home taking care of
me-"
II vi an IiSldIIl AldIy NdLHcllllt .
thoughts returned to Mary CordeIia's
husband. He was wretched and un-
happy and they had everything that
money could buy. But her voice took
on new eagerneSS as she continued
"Oh, that makes me the happiest, TAX
ing care of you, hut it's got to he diff
ferent, everything's got to he different
after this. We won't have thrills. al
though she couldn't live a day with
out a thrill"
.ScOWls were gathering over Jim's
face. Wasn't he the foreman in those
mills with cool thousand bucks in
the bank? Didn't he insist on having
the washing done for his wife, when
the neighbOrS all did their own?
"Ain't you sitting pretty?" he said.
I'm not working on the farm for your
father any more"
Jimmy, remember the day fell in
the creek on the farm with the sand
wiches for the picnic? That was a
thrill, guess"
"Hm-talking about that woman
again?" he snapped. II remember we
had to eat eggs with dry crackers
spoiled the whole darned picnic for
me-"
My Sakes, | must run in and get
supper" she answered as they drew
up in front of their garage That's
the very place for Selina'S sand pile
this summer"
HIN. going to make mud pies, kid?"
he laughed as he glanced at the pool
of mud.
Mary Katherine had the teakettle
on when he entered the kitchen. He
was hungry and his wife could cook.
To the thought of Mary Katherine
everything in the kitchen haC changed.
The walls were blue now. There were
blue muslin curtains at the windows
and a yellow canary in cage over
head. A round faced clock stood on
a shelf over the kitchen table. She
could almost hear it tick. 'I'l put
that blue centerpiece mother sent us
on the dinner table tonight" rhe de-
cided as she caught up the growing
baby and put her in her chair.
.'WllO put that blue rag on the din
ner table?" he growed moment later
as he dragged it out of place
Mary Katherine was astonished.
How could Jim be angry over any
thing SO pretty when he had never
been angry before? Don't weep," her
mother had said, when man talks
up to you. Don't suIk and never talk
back" my sakes!" she moaned.
what is there left, then, for me to
do? | won't be scared. ri just talk
up TO him." Mother always gave me
exact Instructions, Jimmy" she found
herself saying. "She told me just
what to do if you ever acted up as
you're beginning to act up right now.
It's your house, too, Jimmy. and !
wanted it pretty, but what would you
like me to do?"
Jim had been thinking rapidly. He
was thoroughly ashamed of himself.
Mary Katherine was missing the farm.
She had everything about right out
there Well, he wouldn't take a back
seat if he hadn't been brought up
proper. No man ever had wife like
his. Poor little kid. 81 guess the mills
have gone to my head" he burst out.
You see"
Mary Katherine interrupted him.
'YOu see, Jimmy, had everything
trimmed up all over the house in my
mind. especially the room we give our
two families. | wanted painted bed
room set with bluebirds flying all over
it,"
Get rid of all this old junk" he
groaned, get rid of everything but the
old car. We won't go back on old
friends"