The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1949-01-06

cot course don't, honey" Sadie
answered quickly; then she had to
leave the room for the hot angry
tears were crowdtng close In her
eyes She just couldn't bear the ex-
preston In Bill'S face when he spoke
Of John so wistful, so, hopeful.
1t always made her want to cry, be-
cause In her heart Sadie didn't be-
heve In John at all. She was very
much afraid he was really a snob
just as the town said. And Sadie was
not only red-headed, she was Irish,
and sometimes when she thought Of
the way John ignored Bill in his
trouble, she got fighting mad inside.
Bill walked the town over every
day. 1t didn't take long. He asked
everybody he met and practically
every business man on the main
street if there was any hope of hav-
ing a vacancy before long. Bill wasn't
too proud to do any kind of honest
work, but there just simply wasn't
anything.
The days were long. When night
came, they sat close to the small gas
stove with their coats over their
shoulders. to save gas. Winter had
just started and it was showing signs
of being long hard one.
Bill and Sadie never stayed up
late 1t was cheaper to go to bed.
Then they could lie in each others
arms and comfort each other. But
sometimes an involuntary groan
would escape Bill, ooh, how long,
how much longer must we wait and
try to have hope?" and Sadie's heart
would almost burst with it's pain
And nearly everyday the neigh
bors with their sly, sometimes sar-
castle questions, Heard from John
P. yet?" always pronouncing the mi
tial with a sort of contempt, as if
to say, they knew that for all of
John, Bill could stay right here in
Sunpterville and starve..
One day Sadie's Irish got the bet
ter of her She was mad, clean, fight
ing mad all the way through, and
when she was like that, she knew
she should never attempt to do any
thing. She was likely to say things
she shouldn't, or get things confused.
Better to wait until she felt calmer.
But she couldn't. She was too keyed
UP. She wrote John a letter that al
most scorched the paper it was writ
ten on.
There were some letters on the
desk Bill bad written to various
firms in and around the state, hop
ing to find position. Sadie picked
them up and hurried with her let
ter to the postoffice.
A few days later they received &
letter from John. He wrote that he
had a place for John in his own or
ganization, but had been having
trouble finding an apartment for
them in the city. He'd managed to
find nice one at last and they were
to come on as soon as they could get
ready. He'd meet them at the train.
Sadie knew she would always re-
member Bills eyes as he turned to
her, shining with such faith and re-
lief. "See, honey, John didn't for
get. knew he wouldn't"
eyes dear, I see" Sadie
couldn't say any more because tears
were singing the back of her eyes,
Bills belief in John had always been
eart-breaking. He must never, never
know the truth.
The next day the postman handed
Sadie a letter that had not been de-
livered at point of addresses. Sadie
stared at it. 1t was the one she'd
written John. In her haste and ang-
er, she'd confused the street num-
bers and the letter had come back
unclaimed. So John hadn't even re-
cevied it.
She tore the letter into tiny bits
and sat down with little plop. One
thing certain: she'd learn a lesson
from this--how to control her hasty
temper, how to have more faith in
her fellowmen. And always as long
as she lived, she'd be glad she'd made
mistake and her angry letter had
come back to her.