Show JI 21 Like the Fallen Leaves By VIVA S. S ELDRIDGE Copyright M MARTHA RTHA J STACY picked up the fat LYL white envelope where It s shame shamefacedly lay on the table Martha pulled it out out- and read It over then dropped It Into the fire Weary Veary and unsatisfied Martha went vent I Ito to the tile window to rest her tired eyes on the tile row row of ot trees bordering the river Their Thel vivid leaves fluttered beckoningly In the tle autumn wind and Martha went to wander wunder under their branches les She found the ground covered with dry brown leaves leaves that blew ht hither and yon on stirred by every vagrant vagrant va yn- va- va grant breeze but bu lifeless dull Like the words in her story Martha 1 thought Fluttering down from the branches of the tho maple overhead came a brilliant red leaf leat Martha caught and held It It U was glowing now and filled with ih the sap of ot life A few short dl days s 's Would d Ond find It lifeless dull lUll because Its contact with that which gave it life was gone Martha wondered If Ir this r were ere not the matter with her stories her bel contact with life the lIfe the life Ufe of or the multitude was multitude was de-was was too remote she could I not give her stories reality r Fat Farther on she came to a smeared- smeared I looking paint lacking g three It was vas the usual kind she SlId had hInd seen It many times timea before But today It seemed to take on a new quality It sheltered three families From the open door came the delightful smell of pickling and preserving At this u I U a woman came out UI or me ne Slue door doOl to hang up dish towels Seeing Martha standing there the tho woman called You want something o No Martha found it was not easy I to break brenk through a lifetime of reserve and Interest herself In strangers But seeing the woman about to enter enter- th the hous house she remembered her Intention and called Please will you tell me what kind of pickles you are making You come and see lady the woman woman wom worn an was eagerly hospitable Half reluctant Martha followed her Into the house honse My name Is Mrs Stacy Martha ventured at nt a n loss how to begin this acquaintance The Tile woman nodded Then My husbands husband's husbands husband's husbands hus hus- bands band's name It rolling off the name with ease but his boss be he no can say he call him Zak eo eo i 1 snail CUlL can you OU Mrs I shall I What Is It that you ou are cookIng cookIng cook- cook I Ing lag Mrs Zak It smells delicious Oh that stirring the contents of ot the big blu blue kettle Tomato pepper cauliflower onion Yon You try reaching reaching- for Cor another big spoon Then watching Martha sample It You like Very much Mrs Zak Will you give me the re recipe Recipe pe oh reel oh pc you mean so much this thIs thIs-so so much that Yes smiled Martha Mrs Zak produced a n set of strange bowls ThIs Tills much tomato tomato Indicating IndIcatIng ing lug t tile the largest bowl This much fib flo pointing to the next In size and thus thins the recipe was given Delightful thought Martha If in in- accurate Aloud she s said Id These bowls Mrs Zak where Scan cnn I get them The woman shook her head No can nn get here My grandmother In sue make mane nIl fill her nil ncr all her ncr her pe reci-pe by them smiling proudly at nt atthe atthe the new word she had learned Next week I 1 give them to my daughter i she shebe he be ma married red then How old Is your daughter Mrs Zak 1 Inquired Martha Oh she old she seventeen Mrs Zak answered But Mrs Zak expostulated MI Martha Martha Mar Mar- rtha r- r tha that is much to too tad young to get married Is she much In love with the theman theman mn man n 1 Oh sure Mrs Kak Kah expanded with complacency You know lenow Tony on Main ran str street et lie He has l lug big Ig store She marry to him Why Mrs Zak Tony must be fifty years rears old I Fifty year year- yes Mrs Zak agreed wonderingly Y Your ur daughter cannot possibly love lovea a man so much older than herself herscH Mrs Zak Dont Don't you want her to be happy Martha was very earnest she like some young oung fellow Yes the woman woman agreed somewhat sadly She like young Christopher but her father tell her to fo l keep away He lie Just go to school Ton Tony got money Where does you ou daughter work Mrs Zak 1 She work by Tonys Tony's fruit store 1 I th think 1 by what you sn say sa Me Mess Stacy But nut her father father I I dont don't know lenow- Mrs Zak followed Martha to th tile the door urgently urgently ur ur- ur I gently requesting her to ome oine again oguin Martha hurried along h her r mind busy on this problem She was US amazed at nt atthe attile the tile amount of feeling this this' Incident had aroused In her She went to see Christopher as well I as the girl Also the he looked up Tonys Tony's activities and eventually Interested him In a it widow of ot lila his own age Through Marthas Martha's help er e everything turned out satisfactorily Then hen Christopher enlisted Marthas Martha's aid In his cousins cousin's behalf and this girl knew lenew another girl who was drift ing to danger and so It went went wenton on until Martha looking hooking back on her own life Ute I found It hopelessly narrow and cramped All the tile world was tIer her her circle circle now P People ople were friends TIer Her c contact with life lIte was ever deepening ever deepenIng ever widen ing ng No more would the he words of her stories flutter aimlessly on th Uti tb surface like so man many mIles fallen leaves leave I |