The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-06-24

| have thought about IL IL now, on the
| very day before, he had not received
a letter from his mother. who was off
on a years holiday somewhere in
France with his father. The letter
had reminded him of the fact that he
was to have birthday and money
order had slipped from the letter. 1t
was for hundred dollars and the let
| ter had explained: 81 know you can't
possibly need the money but am
| hoping you'll take it and spend lido
something that you really want to
without thinking whether it is extrav-
agant or not. Do you remember what
fur you and | used TO have on your
birthdays?"
SO when George sat in his bachelor
apartment that evening he fell to
thinking of those birthdays long ago.
From the time that he was a very
little boy his mother had devoted the
entire day TO him. There had been
| other brothers and sisters, so in the
ordinary course of events he never
saw quite as much of his mother as
he wished. But when his birthday
came his mother somehow disposed of
all other duties and from early morn
ing until bedtime she was his. And he
could do Just what he wanted to do
and no one need know what they had
done if it was something that the
brothers and sisters might tease him
about Once he had wanted to spend
the entire day in her car with her
not to go where she wanted to go or
where other people went. but just
where he wanted TO go. And they had
gone down through all the dingiest sec
tons of the city, through narrow
crowded streets, along the waterfront
and finally out in the woods-not to
pick flowers as his mother might have
suggested on any other day, but to
play Robinson Crusoe. One day they
had gone together TO the seashore and
spent most of the day swimming. An
other time they had followed fire en-
gines. Once when he was in his teens
he had asked to go to an architects
exhibition-and it was an afternoon
spent there that had really started him
on his career.
Recalling those other birthdays he
decided to spend the next day as he
had done with his mother-doing just
what he wanted. all day long. He
would do just what he wanted-and
yet as he thought about it he couldn't
come to a decision as to what it
should be.
By the time morning came he had
somehow managed to get himself in
perfectly irresponsible mood, but he
found himself eating just the same
sort of breakfast that he usually did
in the same little restaurant where he
always went. He left the restaurant
and strangely enough his impulse led
him in the direction of his Office. Yes,
that as where he really wanted to go.
He wondered why-yet all the time he
really knew. He didn't like to let the
day pass without seeing Edith Lee.
Edith worked there as a craftsman,
and a mighty good one she was-shy,
curly-haired, freckle-nosed little Edith,
who somehow felt that to work in an
architects office was the consumation
of all he ambitions. Or, at least
George thought that was what she
thought.
Well, he went to his Office, and when
he said good morning, Edith smiled,
and George rather surprised himself
by asking her if she had great deal
to do. Perhaps she could get time to
go with him to the next county to see
the new church in which they had each
in their own way had hand. Edith
had a good deal of work before her,
but while she hesitated, she decided
that she could take the work home
and work till midnight to get it DONE
Then she said she would go with
him.
George and Edith took a taxi to the
garage where George kept his car that
he used only when he went to the
country. and while they sat together
George smiled to himself to think that
he was really there with Edith. Ordi-
narily he wouldn't have thought of
asking her-because ordinarily he new
er acted entirely with an idea of his
own personal satisfaction. He called
on certain girls because for some rea-
son or other he thought it was his
duty to do so. And there was no
earthly reason why he should be spend
ing time with Edith, except that he
found pleasure in doing so. He didn't
even think that she cared about it.
So it was that, after they had seen
the church together and talked about
it as one architect to another, he asked
Edith to have luncheon with him-be
cause at the time it seemed as if moth
ing else in the world would be sc
pleasant. Then they went on another
drive In the country. He asked her te
have dinner with him and to go to the
theater, too. Edith said she couldn't
She had work to do that night and be
sides-"It seems so strange that you
really wanted to be with me-" said
Edith. "rve often thought 1t would
be fun to be with you, but you've bare
~ looked at me-"
George. sitting in his car beside
Edith, explained about his birthday.
Then he drove TO the curb and stopped
the engine. Edith he said abruptly.
Il believe I've been in love with you
for months. | believe can never love
anyone else. Forget the work-Tn
help you with it tomorrow It isn't so
pressing. Make the day perfect, come
to dinner and go to a show with me
and before we part promise you'll mar
~ me-" And Edith promised.