The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-04-22
SHORT
SHORT
STORY


resplendent in their
crowned beauty against a sky of
bright ravishing blue.
1t was but a moment she could lin
ger; tasks, horhely tasks, mental
drudgery, claimed her and crushed
out all but the immediate present.
'Phyrne!" came Miss Shale's
voice, high, querulous. And Phyrne,
as though an eraser had been passed
over the surface of her mind by the
sound of her name in that voice,
turned quickly toward her employ
er.
81 want the kitchen floor
scrubbed, today. You will have to
use brush. And don't put soap di-
rectly on the linoleum, but first
make a suds."
'Must I scrub it on my knees
Miss Shale?"
"Of course! how else could you
use brush?"
Humanity, the half-formed venge-
full thought, Il hope she skids and
gets jolt on it," was strangled in
its inception by, "You beast, you!
You richly deserved to go down on
your knees! Better smile and do it
joyously-and pray!"
Miss ShaIe, tripping out on stilt-
heeled mules, inspected the result
with a smile and generous words
Of appreciation. Her pale pink neg
ligee, swirling and trailing about her
like heavenly cloud, her pointed
heels clicking on the highly polished
floor, she started across to the pam
try beyond, and--A sudden sense of
being poised in the air, of being
hurled through space in the crack
OF doom, and Miss Shale lay in a
queer, sickening position on the i'm
maculate floor The dish in Phyrne's
hand fell UNDECIDED with clatter, as
she leaped toward the PROSTATE fig
ure. She lifted the head tenderly,
but no response came from the
closed and pale grimly set lips.
Phyrne lowered the head and
sprang to the telephone, summoning
( doctor and neighbor friend, then
she returned and Graded the head
with her two hands beneath. On
her knees, row, praying with all her
heart, stricken with an unnameable
horror at herself for even her half
formed vindictive thought. Over and
over again, "Oh, l didn't mean it!
Oh, God, thou knoWest l didn't mean
it in my heart! Do not let her die,
or Father in Heaven, I've killed
herr"
The friend fastened in, and be-
tween them, they lifted the uncon-
scioUs form. The doctor soon bus
tied in and made short shrift in re-
storing the frightened women to
swift, ordered movements of help
ful ministrations. Bad, bad enough
and mighty painful. Leg broken just
above ankle and clip on the head
that knocked her unconscious. Not
dangerous, though"
Three weeks of a trained nurse.
Three weeks of abject solicitude on
Phyrne's part. Then one morning
when the nurse was taking her daily
walk, Miss Shale spoke:
"Phyrne, do you suppose you
could wait on me and get us some
thing to eat, too? You can have
someone to come by the day to clean
up"
They had grown very close to
each other III the close confinement
of the sick room, and she made
haste to assure her employer that
she would be delighted.
One evening when Phyrne started
to read, Miss Shale said: "Let us
talk, instead, Phyrne. Tell me what
you aspire to do or be, for I know
you are preparing for a certain fu-
ture. Please tell me for 1 am your
friend"
A different Miss Shale was this
from the one Of five weeks ago. A
kindly speaking, tender Miss Shale,
and to her Pbyrne opened her heart.
She had already spent two years at
an art school, had won scholarship
and needed the means to support
herself while taking the course.
Miss Shale listened quietly, and
| tl'ClI' L va ~ ave, VI ave HSdIL! 1Ou
sweet companion and comforter!
Stay with me until l can get about,
as you are now. Then we'll have
someone to DO the work, and l want
you as my guest. You may move
your things to the guest chamber
and begin your duties at once. Will
you do this for me, child? For
love you very much"
Phyrne burst into tears. "Oh,
Miss Shale, you are too good, you
do not Inow--I had a wicked
thought"
There, there, my dear, not an
other word. l, too, had a wicked
thought. l relished seeing your pride
humbled. / got my punishment swift
ard sure We both seem to have
had to suffer to find the panacea for
our self-justifcation. Mine was the
greater. Shall we forget everything
except that we have found each 9th
er's real self"
"Glodly, oh, gladly, dear Miss
Shale, and thank you with all my
heart. l feel now as though l be-
longed."