The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-09-18
CHAPTER XIII

In the Stuart home there was
grave concern for Caroline. 'They
don't eat right, ! know they DON'T"
Mrs. Stuart declared in futile pro-
test 70 Malcolm. 'That poor woman
will never Be . housekeeper. It just
isn't in her and I guess she can't
help It, the poor thing"
II guess you're right, Ma" NAL
colin returned in q troubled voice.
i've noticed that Caroline's lunches
are pretty skinny"
*l1l put them up for her"
He shook his head. ~She
wouldn't stand for It. But you can
slip m extra goody for her into
mine. Something kind Of dainty.
III say you've gone hossy on me
and ! don't want to hurt your feel
inss By telling you can't eat the
Scheming in this way they At
forded Caroline the only food she
got that tempted her appetite. She
had tried whenever she had . mo-
ment to spare to stir some house
wifely pride in her mothers bosom,
but Ava hated it. Caroline bought
books on food and diet for her. Ava
said they bored her, aud continued
to feed her family badly.
Caroline was . pale wrath Of .
girl by the end Of August. She Was
learning what she could ct the fac
tory, acquiring knowledge 1t tho
university, but there was no salts
faction in doing either.
She had, in sheer need Of finding
new interests, attempted to form :
social club among the workers she
had met. But the girls SHE'D away
from her. They did mot dislike her.
but she was not popular. Because
Of her difference she was strange to
them. They felt self-conseious.
awkward, in her presence. They
knew nothing about her and It
seemed queer to them that . girl
could be % close-mouthed about her
self. They shared their condolences,
sometimes openly. talked freely Of
their boy friends, their "makes,"
their rows, their hard luck, their
rood times, their parents 'buttin'
IN" their illnesses. anything and
everything that directly concerned
their lives.
Some among them tried to pump
Malcolm, but he would answer them
with such . ridiculous story-al-
ways di6erent-that finally they
were discouraged in their curious
ity. They grew used 70 Caroline,
ceased to wonder about her and she
was left 70 her silence. her work.
and Malcolm.
Caroline WAS feeling one evening
when she came home that she hadn't
. friend In the world aside from
him. Neither, It seemed, had her
mother or father. Il caught her BY
surprise to zee, when she opened
tho front door. that they had COM
pany.
The caller WAS . woman who had
never before been inside Alva1
house. She WAS one Of those whom
Nrs. Rutledgs had refused 70 zee.
But the woman was not thinking
now Of how Mrs. Wade had turned
her back 1t the door with the in
formation that "the madam was
laying dc.a and didn't want to Be
Il was Alva who opened the door
70 her today, and invited her in. The
woman had asked If she might use
the telephone-not If there was one
IN the house, Alva had noted, and
surmised that her neighbors knew
more Of her house and it, contents
than she did Of theirs.
She had hesitated, uncertain
WHISTLER this might 30 setting .
precedent she should not care TO
hsvo established. "I'm Mrs.
Barnes," the woman had said. I'VE
haven't got . phone, Mrs. Rutledge,
and I want 70 call DR.. Shultz. Ny
little girls sick and ! don't know
what's the matter with her."
Alva had shown her 70 the tele-
phone and when the mother had put
IN the call she asked about the sick
child. "She's got . fever, I'm
afraid" Mrs. Barnes said, "she's
been getting hotter all day, and her
head aches. thought she was Just
tired from overriding maybe on
that camping trip. She's been away
for . few weeks, up at Gaylord
Forks. Ever since she's been home
she hasn't seemed 70 feel like lifting
her hand"
Alva remembered something she
had read IN the nswA 4 report q