Show THE EVENING STORY I I A A. HOME AHOME Copyright 1912 by br W. W Werner As tho the big clock in the cathedral across the way chimed 6 S Esther slowly got out of ot bed She shivered The iThe morning was dull and gray On s sunshiny mornings she did not mind BO so much the tho dreary round of living the tho lonely breakfast the l long ong ride to work An And as soon aa as she ahe was seated In the big factory where girls turned out ready to wear haUl hats by byI I the dozen she was almost contented At the end of ot the day she shot was usually so tired that the thought f of pf even a a. lonely supper was a relief But in the tho morning especially a gray misty morning that seemed seamed to shroud all hope and Joy jay she wondered as she shead h had ad wondered for many years rears why she must drag out a a. life Ufo so bare of pleasure pleas pleas- ure I i wr e A few of at the less capable envied he her was She Sho was 32 years ears old this little shrunk en woman with a face so 10 b scarred by fire that the tho children n turned a away l in tri fright ht She had hod been C 6 years old when It happened ened and her father had been killed while trying to drag the furniture from the cottage where they lived Jived Besides Be Be- sides spoiling her face the fire had seared one shoulder and co so robbed hor her of ot one foot of ot her rightful stature She wished bitterly that she sha had mot met the same sama ate fato as u her poor father Still while her mother lived life ICe had not been had stood between her and a great deal of the inevitable le misery Esther went to work when she was only 12 After marring marring mar mar- ring her face and form tate fate had tried to compensate by making her fingers In Incredibly In- In 1 credibly skillful Before h she nhe- was waa 20 she abe was gett getting tg 18 is a week and always had bad steady work It was WM quite enough to ket keep two to women whole tastes ta tos were elm sim pie Then one cold sprIng her mother died Esther could not bear to stay in the three cosy osy rooms where they had lived 00 so contentedly They Thoy seemed too Jar large e for tor one ona small almost crippled girl She left the tho neighborhood and took on one some distance away where she would not be bo reminded so much of her mother She Sho kept at her work but she sho continually quivered before tho the ineffable dr dreariness of at her life Every morning it St struck her her- afresh She cam camo to hate the one room In which Isho she sho cooked cooke and ate ato and slept On ac account ao- ao count of ot her deformity she he would not riot enter a a. restaurant But she he sobbed moro more often otten than sho she ate Sometimes she de decided decided de- de to take tho three rooms room again but she eho knew that thaL she ahe on only 1 would feel more lonely at mealtime at bedtime and In the gray STay mornings She the coming years ears with anguIsh anguish an an- that grew sharper each week and month Other lonely Jonel girls even tho the most unattractive ml might ht hope to marf marry and have homes and children But no man ever willingly looked at Esthers Esther's pitiful piti piti- ful face In the workroom her quiet IwaY and even temper won her a a. sort of ot friend friend- ship but it t was a friendship that began at S 8 o'clock and ended at 6 The lives Jives of or the other girls oven even of the most Unfortunate un un- un fortunate were fuller than Esthers Esther's They plU pitied ct her A few of ot the less capable envied her hor the deft dort fingers which never erred In twisting a loop A few thought It a a. pit pity that she should get so many dollars when the they who could have spent the money to better advantage o. o struggled along on 6 or 7 17 I But no one ono ever thou thought ht of running over o to visit her at her room or asking her to Join a n a party to a a. theatre or or an amusement park On this morning she felt unusually de do- do pressed She pushed her breakfast back half paten eaten It was weary eary work always eating alone alona Her iier heart swelled In bitter bit bit ter longing for the small ISmall White table across which her mother ue used t to smile While who she walked to the car and hung to the strap every nerve throbbed with v increased rebellion against the fate that set act he her apart fr from tn the world But the day passed like bike all aU other da days daya It was waa th the busiest time of ot the th year ear She partly forgot her orrow sorrow as aa she trimmed hat after hat which the packers snatched and Rodl crammed In big boxes boxe aa u soon as Ule they left leU her fingers She worked hard to keep up with with the demand D By fly 6 S o'clock every bone bona ached and she he he thought with l longing of or supper supper- a d rest As she he gathered th the scra scraps s of at chiffon and mull from the floor and put away scissors and thread the forewoman brou brought ht a tJ bandbox over to to her Esther she began In worried tones you live on the t e west t side aide dont don't you I forgot to put this hat In Goldbergs Goldberg's order and it Is a special He Ho telephoned this morning that h he must have It today A customer of his had ordered it St Would mind delivering eing It Every Elry boy Is busy Esther Bather was as always alwa's obliging which was one reason the for forewoman woman asked her Gol Goldbergs Goldberg's bercs berc's store tore was two miles out of ot her way woo but the tha forewoman who was more harassed and ond tired than any of or girl girls would likely be reprimanded by the manager er the fhe next morning if It tho the hat had hl not boon delivered as aa promised 1 80 So 1 Ii Esther Esthor took the bandbox and oilS Uti she would attend to to- the matter po Goldberg's Goldbergs store w WIL was on i a lead 5 n nue e and and Jt it It wa wad wa closed when Esth 1 reached It But he lived In the thu tI above above- BO so she went up the the- then n narrow narrow stairs and ond rapped at th the door at the tho of ot a dark k hall hail 1 th 1 l black eyes eyes' es' es were vere snapping A nice time he grumbled grUmble h b was madI mad mad mad- I thought you were th thIngs the evil In Ings I Esther tried to to explain But the themar theman man was angry anTY Ha O pp n d f box to examine the hat Over his hll h der Esther caught a L glimpse of ot a a 1 lar bergs bergs' J dull faced wamon handling slices of bread to four of oC five children who 1 ored shrill shrilly And th then n she ehe started oni On of ot the little I girls b. b a. a forlorn mite made no effort to get a L share of th uP per was looking toward her lice The Th Un tin face was scarred Cl and distorted a w wEsther's Esthers Esther's own And on one tiny aJ shrunken In the tha same distressing way t i OhI ohr cried Esther pitifully a i What 1 Goldberg d. d Ull Iner-at Iner tho the hat hat 4 rl Your she said sadly Hel H face face face- vi 1 Tho child caught tho word words and Ib ab t. d t j Goldberg threw u up both hO Goldberg turned turne around and hll UI ug face darkened You Rose I told you 1 get to bed Dont give her no no supper he told his wife who was stolidly the bread She works so slow he ho to tol Esther She wont won't tr bi t fast F r You should take her her to to a 3 doctor Ma Mabe be he ho could help tier bier face tace while she Is la a II young young Esther began j Goldberg threw up both hands banda in hot hoj rot What for forT I feed her hez and give h ha a place to sleep Just because her fath fathe was my cousin Aint that enough with wit out paying doctors doctor's bills she your own Esther crl crie quivering under the thought that h h haj leaped leape into her mind and taken full poi po A session Not mine mine- She's Sho's an orphan But j jam am so so 0 good that that-I I r take her in In Esther caught the tho look of ot t terror In Ih U j childs child's dark eyes and felt a a. S great t wa of ot pity sweep over her Would you l mo have havo her herl she asked naked 1 I I make plenty of ot m money ney I could ado ador her fl Why suspiciously I 1 dont don't knO knol kno you Esther Eather stepped Into the room so 10 tin tho the light lIht could shine upon her scan scam face I I 1 am all all' alone alono she told hIt and I want somebody f A AHo Ho looked quo questioningly at his wi wIt t f who came camo forward and stared intently 4 j Esther She Jool looked ed back at her har 0 1 brood Perhaps she thought that the thi S needed all aU tho the food her tight fisted hUI huil band would buy You will bo boo good goodher t ther her she asked f fIll Ill rn try to make her happy Eatto Zeth promised premised eagerly Then rhen she held out hi Ii fl arms anns to the child who hod had crept fro the dark corner cornot Will VIII you come Hos Rose Rose looked long lone at Ether taco face and without a word took hold bold of oft t I extended hands 1 |