The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-05-30


 woman should think of those first" Nora looked at Hallie in the drab brown dress with the sleeves that showed her bony wrists, and the high black shoes laced about her distorted ankles.
 In the evenings now they clus- tered about the table where Fran ces pinned lengths of crepe de chine to tissue paper patterns, while Aunt Elm made the sewing machine hum, and Hallie set in one fine stitch after the other.
 There was something pleasantly intimate in these evenings as they laughed and talked together
 Mother, take those pins out of your mouth; you're worse than Dickie!"
 Aunt Emily laughed and related one of Dickies amusing experi- enceS.
 Nora listened, joined in their laughter, drawn closer to the heart of the family She saw that poverty had not embittered them. It seemed to have added zest for the hopes and struggles and small triumphs that they faced each day.
 On Monday Jon was to come for her. On Monday the sport dress of leaf green, the white crepe that Fran had made so exquisitely, the crisp linen were all laid between tissue paper; the slippers, the small hat, and suede gloves were ready to slip on, on the instant. And it was oh Monday that Dickie was burned.
 The colored woman, Matte, who came every Monday to wash, had lifted a pail of boiling water from the stove, and Dickie, who had been playing under the kitchen table, ran full tilt into it.
 Nora heard his sudden, piercing scream. She rushed downstairs to find the baby in agony and Mattie, ashen-gray, grooming and crying out to the good Lord to save them all It was Dr. More who lifted him up to his bed.
 will he live?' Nora whispered beside Dr. More in the bedroom He did not even answer as he gave his orders
 The antiseptic cotton, and tele- phone the drug store for this" he said, scrawling a list. "Hurry!"
 She heard Dickie's small moans like those of a tortured animal. She spent a terrible morning trying to get Aunt Elm who had gone out to give music lessons. Fran came home, so white and sick with fear that Nora could not bear to see her.
 Frances will help me-" Dr. More told Nora curtly.
 Trans intense quiet, Hallie so strong in this emergency were strange to Nora. Nora went out to the kitchen closet and hid her face on the towel crying, Please God, let him live. Just let him live"
 She knew she could do nothing for them. Aunt Elm would be home at any minute now and Frances and Hallie were here. She would go with Jon when he came at five. she thought, washing the dishes in greasy dish water.
 All day she had been answering the telephone, solicitous neighbors had come in; but she would still have time to dress and be ready for Jon.
 The bell rang again and she hur- ried up the back stairs. She opened the door to see Jon Thayer stand ing there. Back of him was the thin spring sunlight opening on a world that she had almost forgot ten existed.
 Are you ready?" he asked pleas Iantly. T know I'm a little early He looked at her hands still wet and greasy and at the kitchen apron she had not yet taken off. Her resentment at his superb in- difference flared up. l ''The baby's been burned. He may not live" she told him. "Is there anything I can do?" But he was not really touched. His indifference angered her.
 T don't see how I can leave them" she said.
 A few minutes before she had planned on going and then these words had sprung to her lips. But seeing Jon face to face she remem- bered how he had told Damon that she was tramp. She wanted him to urge her; to show in some way what he felt toward her.
 But there's nothing here for you to do. is there? His mother is with him?"
 They stood in the narrow hal and he glanced at the long line ot coats on the hooks and up at ths shabby young doctor who came run. ming down to his office without looking toward them. | aTt uo,,1d tva baortlacc to oov