The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-06-01

ths work of managing h household WnB new Co Donna md, With h helpless invalid Co care for, she found herself H0 over worked and hnrThsHod that by nightfDll she was too tired eVGn Co talk. She had nc time to speculate on the results of her quarrel with Mrs Planter.
 Tho older womnn, without com mont, hnd packed her trunk, tolo. pbonod Co n nolRhb0r tO send her son for il, md bnd departed. Alp. pDrently Hho had pGhBcd out Of DOnnn'B life, for nothing more was heard of her.
 For n week Grandfather SiddaI lay like n block Of wood on his bed. There wns only tho fIutter- Ing 0f his eyeIidS and his slow, painful breathing tO indicate that he wns stlll alive Donna did what she could 10 make hlm comfort. able, following Inc doctors inHtfucs tioDB exactly, Ench day Dr Free man cnpn out tO sec the old mDn and on the fourth dBy he brought n placid, efficient, middle.nged woe man wearing n white uniform who quietly took charge Of the sick man The arrival of tho nurse lifted B go0dly portion Of the burdens from DoDDa'H slender shoulders.
 Tho minute she had tbs Opp0r. tunity to roIns, DohnaB problem reared lts ugly fnngs again, Al night, though her back and legs hohod from long hours spent lD the kitchon and In the dairy, from trudging 10 hen houses and back and digging in ths truck gardens, she would Iie beside Bill, her eyes too heavy 70 keep open, but her mind too active for sleep.
 She grew thinner and BilI had the added worry Of watching his bride grow hOll0w-eysd. He wor- ried about her health and tried with clumsy tenderness to comfort her, thinking she was grieying over her graDdfathor's illness fas, iD- deed, she wag) He did everything l.. could to make things easier for her, but even love cannot cure n sick soul when the illness is the result or fl guilty conscience.
 Donna, busy with cooking for hungry farm workers, with wash Ing dishes and sweeping and scrub bIng and making beds, could not work fast enough 10 forget her fears. She tried 10 tell herself that they were exaggerated, that MrA Planter had never really intended 10 harm her but merely enjoyed making bullying threats.
 Besidep, the woman W1s gone now and the circus bandbilI---the only bit of evidence she had pos sessed WAS destroyed. But such reasoning held schnt comfort for the girl She realized by this time that she had paid too much atten. ton to the handbill. It would have been far better to have treat. ed inc matter with calm indiffer- ence. Yes, Donna's own impetuOusr ness had made a bad situation worse.
 Then Madeline's letter arrived asking Donna what she intended 10 do about the farm and the mon ey Amos Hiddal would leave 10 his granddaughter after his death Daily Donna had postponed the un- pleasant duty of informing the 0th- CT girl that the old man was seri' ouEly iII and that the doctor had small hopes that he would recover The arrival of the letter made Donna sit down immediately to write 4 long reply. Tn it she told Madeline all the facts about inc old mans illness. From that houl she waited, expecting at any mo fnent the blow that would wreck her marriage.
 Donna did not know whether ii would come in the form of fl letter addressed to Grandfather HiddaI 0f Bill, or whether Madeline herself would arrive at the farm. Bui since the other girl was concerned about her inheritance without even Knowing that Amos ktddsl was ilI Donna vas sure that Madeline would take drastic measures ta make certniB nhe did not lose what. ever fortune Amos fiddal sheuid leave. it made Iitf1e difference hos Madeline went about it Any reyeIa ton, Donna fell, would crush her own happiness forever
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