Show b Sunday Morning 5alt g Ake Tfribunt g July 6 ! IP asnt 1 1 Hers----!an- a 4 5 She'VYtts--- - Yet 4 1 : 1 i - 1 : k 1 : htei 1 4 : A Tribune Short Story 19411 Salt Lake City By Alice S Oyler s I -- -- why Nedra had come at this hour: Usually she was hurryinghome from the office where she worked to get dinner for Ralph Nedra perched herself oil the edge of a chair swinging ft hugepatent bag agathst her legs Illrlam was quite unprepared tor her sudden question f'140ther whet are YOU going to do with yourself when Jed leaves for the navy?" For a moment Miriam stared at the young woman opposite her"Why—wbyt ed's'jtst talking" she doesn't realty "tle stammered mean—" '1-ltold Ralph last night he had detioltely decided on it Ralph'il been encnnrealnit him Pt tPe thing for a fatherless Miriarn's woo droppect trito her lap "Hes too young!!' she cried out knowing how inadequately the argument expressed her terror of And I need 41m" She losing Jed IP 4k4 t - -- 41 ‘‘ I ! - JT3)v 1 144 A‘: th :r ' I : 1 i "Inft oirryoff goi4 3'ourzrY lvhen lett (rave fPr ibi : -- 4 No matter whet she'was doing when her 'old clock chimed five Miriam Ilidlock dropped everything and hurried to the front windows of her little secon4 $torT opartmenti: Today Whenthe vittn41g came her bands were sticky with dough She: scrubbed at thetn bgrriedly and with the towel still in her bands she reached the windows just' in time to see he strpft hos pull away front the COITIct Three people had alighted i4 ftlwaa only the first one whom Miriam saw the one for whom she looked every eyening It was the Girl in the Blue- Coat That was what Miriam called her usuall)' but sometimes in her heart she called her "My daughter:I' 'Me girl was crossing:' the street now her' head highiher stride tree and quick Though it was late spring she still Wore the Same coat he had worn all winter a dark blue sport coat belted tight)) around her slim waist As Usual she Was hatless Her hair long and thiciF : and auburn was dressed in the current mode a little knot of pompadour on fop the rest falling in waves and curls nearly to her :shoulders Miriam't lace softened with tenderness as she witched the girl pass along the street beneath her Such a beautiftil yining girl! A brave and sensible girl too You could tell by her bealjrig anct tier clothes Awl she had a kind heart Miriam knew for :sometimes a poup Of pbildrencama the thus to meet her and Clamored fort her hands Pften he helped someone the bui a little Child an old person once- Men On ortirches olt only L could have had a daughter of rny ow'? Miriam tbought wistfully as she had done so many times in her life' ?IOW In the pew grief to this loneliness that bad come to her her iniagination reerhect in into the empty place her heart! tmknown girl and drew ber must find out who she is" Miriam thought When the girl 'was lost to view and she was back at work in her kitchenette! She bad decided that the girl haa a job somewhere uptown !IllYinit or I "I wonder what she does with her monell: PrOOlr a trousseau Oh I hope she marries well no 'just a liandsorne man with a pot bOie tO 10191 and gay smile like I did but a good provider so' worry and see all her hopes dashed at last14 Miriam sighed deeplyj as thought of he own:' unhappiness swept nytT her "But I mustn't think of that" she reminded herself ”I mist 01414 of Jed now" It was for hirn her youngest sons that her hand l wtry 115110 r sugar so busy she rolled the dough into a flat sheer tPreS4 It lines her rolled it The and weary raisins and spices Carefully up again In of Jed her as relax to she seemed face still thought but pretty aging rnind she could see his lace with crinkles of pleasure -around his blue eyes as he discovered the fresh batch of cinnamon buns- she could hear his Voice saying "Gosh Iviont you can sure Make things taste good" She treasured the thought of his praise It was reassurance to her that Jed would not be leaving her as soon as he was graduated from high school as he had hinted several times lately He had an idea that by joining the U S navy he timid Make a place for himself in the air service as a radio technician Radio wasihil hobby 01 course he didn't Mean :it It was just boy talk He wouldn't think of leaving her now after the bitter sorrow that had ' i ' - ' en-oe-o- tt Pt 1 With-butte- - t : tome te bar Her peaceful thinking was disttarbed by the banging of a screen dobr across Raising her head she lonked down from her window to the house A memories with painful the street What she saw twisted her heart Cultivator in small woman ' with0 a her gloved lands was digging in the spend much time with his mother beds :at- the side pansy And she couldn't help thinking that of her twine Almost choked by Ralph's Wife was not the daughter-th- e lump that rose in! her throat she had hoped for Nedra: w Miriam Imagined herself crying out was the mod ern career -- m ind ed a home le the woinan type Miriam could not forgive her - ' - ' tulip - - in-la- 'Thad once too 'a lovely big hoMe and a husband tn help me plant 'shrubs and flowers But they're gone now We bad the home just one Year when Wally died with pneumonia " In mind she saw the woman shake her head sadly as she Went on to explain to her that there hadn't been enough inaurance left to 'go on pay- ing for the home so she had to give it up for this dinky apartment When A falling teardrop barely missed the roll of dough under her hands Miriam recalled herself to her work r - "Shame on you" she scolded her- sell as she sliced sticky coils of dough and laid them' in neat rows across a pan "Haven't you two fine sons and a daughter-in-la"But in spite of herself she was reminded that her older ion Ralph was too involved in trying to es- tablish his automobile business to w" - t ' notwanting children She was not at all like Miriam'S imaginary daughter the Girl in the Blue Coat i a warm-heartsympathetic girl who'Would understand an old worn-h- er an'aloneliness and her longing for ed s ' 7 grandchildren "But I still have Jed" she remind ei? herself again then she spread a clean cloth over the pan of rolls thinking they would just have time to raise bake and cool by the time her son got home from the radio shop where he worked a few hours after school She had just seated herself in a 'rocker in the front room and begun to crochet when a light tap sounded On her dbor Before she could rise the door opened and her daughter- w Nedra tame into the room Don t get up Mother" she said "I'm staying just a second" In Nedra's voice and appearance was the pleasant crispness of a spring In-la- I breeze ' 1Won't you sit down?" Miriam in vited wondering a little ucteasily I : 14 11 t 1 ! - time to till' o 4iyitt 3 2 it irf Vic fP1414 ! down the 14nd I!movingp Jed shook his head V0'4 Solt We zrorp than can hardly get CP4141111e rP : glanced at the faded housedress his mother wore and pulled at the shrunken sleeves of his old sweater Then he looked up and Miriam saw the seriousness in his blue eyes And she noted the unusual firmness in his voice as he said "I've been thinking pretty hard Mom The navy's the place for a guy like me' I can get an education and get paid besides It's the only sensible thing to do" "But Jed—" she tried to blink' back the tears but they came dek spite her and she could not go on "Now Mom don't feel like that Gosh other women are letting their sons go Gosh what if we were in Eurppe and I had to go to war?"' His young voice pleaded with her "I know it's tough with Dad gone— But I can and—and everything come home for visits and you have Please Mom— Ralph Miriam forced a 'little smile to her lips "All right: son" she said shakily "We'll talk about it again when I feel better "Okay Mom" Awkwardly he patted her hand "Maybe" he said forang a little laugh "maybe we'll inherit a fortune or something in too" 'Miriam thought "I will girl Jose my daughter my dream daughter" She had tO Wan lag for the UMW We her head girl weS at back her: rigtit hat Polio! in the sun Miriam atudipd the straight shoulders the stint waist the neat slimShe Saw there was a darn ankteS t elhOW Pt the blue coati a run per neatly eWed UP in Mit back of one Stocking A sensible practical girl And so young and beautiful ' - ' live and learn" The big point here is that-tiiilady is studying and intensely working to better herself that she Is h4roble and consequently a good pupil and that she does not say to herself-"Tha- t Quivey fellow's all wet He doesn't know That he's talking about He isn' fair to my stories" NO indeed! She studies works tries: to understand and then applies what she learns for she writes really good stories Go thou and do likewise S 1 - - - hi was young once too And I'ltPle said I was beautiful --Why did my life have to be so hard and &sap I would like to talk pointing ' I would like to tell to this girl her not to sell herself too Cheaply She's fit for a fine rich man who can protect her and give her the fine things she deserves" The girl turned a corner and Miriam followed along her troubles forgotten in this new adventure Then suddenly the girl slowed her steps Two children a girl of about 5 a boy of perhaps 3 ran down the path from an old house and raced toward her "Mommy mommy" they panted and grabbed at her coat "Mommy"' the little girl chattered excitedly "we've got a slprise A real s'prise!" They pulled the girl pp Alin path toward the shabby old aPortmeit house which had once been red brick but now wore one coat of dirty white paint Then Miriam saw the lman in the doorwar:-- - A young min very tall and thin with a face bleached white with suffering and long confinement---Und- er worn looking arms his were crutches Then Miriam saw the "s'prise" The young man leaned his crutches against the door casing and hobbled the few steps across the porch and clung to the rickety porch railing "See daddy can walk momm)'" the children shrilled Miriam heard The girl make some muffled sound and saw her half run up the walk Then Miriam turned and hurried She could not bear to see away more to think of that girl's face But the picture was there in her mind of that proud young head flung back: that brave quick stride "How brave she is How terribly brave she is" Miriam repeated to herself Her heart swelled with a pride as great as if the girl had really been her own daughter "But what would she think of you Miriam as a mother?" The question rose suddenly in Miriam's mind and did something strange to her heart It began' to ache with a queer new kind of hurt that felt suspiciously-likShe hurried her step shame and lifted her head defiantly trying' to throw off the feeling Then pictures began' to race through her mind memories they were of her past life memories rich and sweet but long neglected All at once the found herself speaking words she had never thought to say before "I've been a very lucky woman in a lot of ways" When she reached home she did not go directly up the stairs to her apartment She stopped and knocked on the landlady's door and asked to use the phone "I've decided to take that job if the Slagers 'still want me" she said steadily into Nedrals ear And this time she hung up the receiver with a much lighter I - - - -' - y i 11 - e heart WHAT CAUSES EPILEPSY? i k - - t -- ' - : : - - comfort fterewith is Presented 4story $vi3ich is well done and we ee1 that in 4 Maguire we ere responsible or its success just as we feel responsible for tbe success pffach and ryery pne of our writers whose number passed f()Qbrily two Weelttago T4s la4y had two long and pertinent comments written for heriindlyiduallyin rOgard to this story- betides four mimeo- graphed sheetzeNft general instrucklons sent her in addition to the personal Material' She paid earef41 attention to what Was sent her and in consequence she has a very much better story than the first draft she sent P We are sending wit- these indkiridual comments with each of the 500 to 1000 stories which we receiVe duilpg the ear together with at least 800 words of müneogrepheci matter Eillerted frort six kinds according to wbat We We think the suthPe needs instrion in before reyising his story are allowing any Writer to m4mit:44 us !our stories a year and one rewrite of each with comments in eyer3'4ase The thing that pursies Us is that with all these coniments liefOre KeM many of the Wr4q3 peep') to do very little better with each draft tor Ch new story Are we to infer that the Instructions are not read? Therejs only this or orIP other supposition that we refuse to mention when there gf1113 no improvement from time to time But we dp haVe a lot of succisses for wbich Wp ere duly grateful and Pt our people Fre Th4klng Those who Wp joy in the progress which aPri are going forward are alSo yOrY tiPkrePiative It is always a pleasant thing tO have then feel tills wai and it is a very heartening thing to know that we are thus helping 044ing Ituthqrs toward greater achIevenent we have who St44Y arid try ti) apply these pmindtibitablesvidence that ill Thehtl lAve bad trtalgr i4cçcss fti comet:211We Why not become one Pf the growing number who are nrOMoting their owq Interests by steady coPperetioll with the teacher 4 this :paitgl on the other hand pre ftriany times very disamintecr St some ailthors whose only desire lo to get piihlic ation !MA OICI 140 Pot seem to read even the advice sent back to them with returned stories Case just recently we had the fourth rewrite of a story that had come back to us just as rapidly as possible- - after each return with what we thought were constructive comments and he last was worse than the first In nine e can but presume then that cases out of ten we are able t4z) h4lp them in the tenth case there was littler no attention paid to what we advised We urge earnest and careful stun application and work not that people may see something published under their names but that they may become better story tellers a most excepaingly laudable purpose we assure you Herewith is a portibn Of a letter from another lady who has really profited from our teaching: "One more thing I am so interested in O J Cline and what he is doing with his talent I was green with envy for days and days (still I can't think am I think) after you wrote about him (June 16 1940) I of anything I'd rather have said about me At first didn't like the story th9ught it just a silly Itttle love thing I laid it aside the first time I attempted to read it The secomplme too and waded through it with sheer determination the third Theniafter a few days I read it through again and then I caught the spirit ot your remarks It gave me a lesson in the difference between mere writ44 and superior conitruction And so we - rhort It - Ti1rl!IP1s1 heaTt "yOUld you?" state II was P114 lightened 25 Piles away 14 the Pest 'town 'Does it 06l much to ito to the Int-- t rfOressor J - porches visiting across back fences Her mood of depression deepened At last she turned her footsteps homeward As she neared her apart- merit house she paw the street bus pull WRY from the corner And head of her she saw a familiar flash of color wee this PIFt tis Os 1413 COO' Miriam hurried her steps almost nning to get closer to the girl n her mind was the vague Idea- of allowing per finding Out where she ived t)er apil printing persomil about her we 1 i leave here I will lose this Comment Ond Revision Helped 1'11s Story i ft IIIIII1 - "Okay mother hlo rush Tet MO when you decide!? Then Nedra added that Ralph thought it would be a wonderfut chance for her Miriam hung up the cocovitr ling more hopeless than ever py 4 o'clock she was tot: upset to endure it any longer She left the house and went for 4 walk trying to lose herself in dreams But every- where he law tvCornPn woriting in their yards: hanging bright washes on lines tending habies on front k t 1)0 - ILIUM ) navy" wOu1c14 "not ks "Wish show her disappointment I could make some money this summer Know what I'd do?" "What?" his mother asked eagerly "I'd go to the university this fall I hear their electrical departmetC is one of the best in' the country Experimenting in television now Say that's my ambition teleVildiCon I'd rather do l that than join the t'l walls some of which had been wedding presents If she gave pp this apartment moved into old Mrs Slagerts tine big house what would become Of all her cherished possessions Suddenly these crowded little rooms seemed the most precious place in the world to Miriam- She dropped Into a near-b- y chair feeling overburdened with the weight of the Conflict inside of her II she Imo up this little place she now called home it would be the final blow of her life It would be like giving up her life her 'life as a mother with a household and children to lake care of It would mean giving up her last hope to be a grandmother if she had the chance to be one a real grandmother with 'a china closet full of treasures cookie jar and long tree hour for Story telling But she had to choose between giving up that life or giving up Jed and denying him the chance be All the weariness really wanted Miriam had ever eaperiencect seemed to descend on her at once Melly she forced herself to get up and to go to bed She didn't want to lace Jed until she had made her decision But she still was awake when she heard him COM In a few houra later Soon she heard him breathing peacefully in sleep while she It was lay lonely and unhappy - businessfor faltered - - shop when school'a Put" Shp the lovely suite her children had given her when she moved into the new home She turned back to look at her shelves of old but beloved books at the pictures on the ' the tI:Oct Which 1)011140 her !she dared to break Into the music with 4 "llas Mr tiouseman said anything !I about taking you pp 'steady at the 1 thought became too persistent that it was her duty to take the posi- tion at Mn Slager's her mind veered sharply to some vague hop or dream that wopld solve every thing happily' It was midafternoon when the landlady came to the door to call Miriam to the telephone It was Nedra "Have you thought any more about the job mother?" was her cheerful question "Well I've thought some of It but l'haverel decided anything" "I thought I'd lust let you know that Mr Wager Is most Interested In you Wants YPU to meet his mother Would you like to do that?" She glanced into her - I lit min4 : fnarried life tittle bedroom where was crowded someone trefined They offered a : nice home a good Wage each week" A good wage each week Reluctant' i t ly MetiaM allotwed her mind tb con sider what a good Wage could mean to her and Jed As stitch by stitch' the lace medallion 'enlarged ni be hands the logic of Nedra's toiggee4 ' tion grew in her thoughts If she were taken care of Jed could have the insurance money to help himi the4 through college lie could haVe thing he wanted most Nervously Miriam dropped her- She got up and beteg to work walit about She went out Iraq tbe': little kitchenette that had 4lwaye Irritated her because of its small- rim Ttle home she had 10$t had ' had such 4 lovely big kitchen justsomething soothing to her It she but had a daughter now a brave right for grandchildren to romp in and forage Or cookies OM wet sympathetic daughter like the girl In the plue Coat Oh it would be there weren't any grandchildren wonderful to be young like that girl ItnYwai And he had got sort or used to this little room Thecreat i Young and free of responsibility and paint with tpuches of red wee:cheer- - I worry At last exhausted but ful and the oven of the Mile gas resigned Miriam slept She dreamed stove baked like a charm Z that she was walking in the wind She went back into the living dressed in a blue coat with tier hair TOOM 1010 was Jed's bedrooin also: blowing behind her and she was 4e slept on a 'bed that camenut or! young and carefree a closet The place was cVitterect But in the morning her heart was with his belongings his saxophone - :-i leaden again- Sh had overslept his tennis racquet his books thetand Jed had made his own brews-fa- st old reclie he had picked and gone to school Miriam where Intentling40 repair uplome- : dawdled over her dressing and breakfast and moved mechanically Thep Miriam went to her china' closet and looked Inside at the pretty through her usual round of cleaning kriick-lrnacShe tried to think calmly of hers and the china and crystal Jed's future but whenever the dishes she had collected during ile f: "You'd like this job" Nedra rattled on I just heard of it today My boss Mr Stager wants a companion for his mother She's SO Years old but In fairly good health All you'd have to do is watch after her read to her and Ouch- - Voted have a lovelY borne good tood and g nice wage each Week" Miriam ignored the enthusiasm In tile other's voice "f don't think Jed Intend to leave me My ' I to take Fare PI "414114)e in wrong dear" Nedra said as she stood up "hut he sounded pretty determined to me Think the job idea twerp aniWaY Ject does leave it would be perfect for you Well I Must skip" She moved toward the door then turned to lay "The Sieger want someone refined of course That's why I thought of you" She smiled brightly not noting the paleness of the older woman's face In another mo- ment she was gone For a while Miriam- - sat rocking bersell gently her hands quiets her mind blank But finally the shock passed and her mind began to lunetion again '"They're cruel cruets she whispered to herself "'low could they be so heartless as to encourage Jed to 'leave me—after all I've been through But I won't let him go t won't I must find a Way to change his mind" But no definite plan had come to her when a while later she heard his noisy footsteps in the hallway The door seemed to burst open and there he was a loosely assembled combination of 'Ong limbs browPish face and bead corduroys sweater and tugboat shoes He called ya Mom" then indulged- in a lot of sniffing and yumming which his mother recognized of 'Waite Pt per freshly bkked rolls Deter ha came to the tebte tuned In 90 the red o Al e sat Iwo pppnefte his pother she wondered qgaPqatelY "What have a wip filo when nnionger noisy' hungry boy- - to cprne tipMe 'she !cl me?" Per throt iScht41 could scórCeir Cat rnaUy to open yersityr 1 her ' JAW as she sat in her mcking chair with her crocheting sit re-- ! called the visit of Nedra that- eve- ning and her talk of a job as- come i anion to old Mrs Stager Mirlairi linked her eyes scornfully its she 1 thought of how Nedra had tried to flatter her "The Stagers Wanted 1 'Tut Jed's eighteen text month And so big lind strong Mother what you need to fill your Ws is a good job" "4 lob? At MY eget tfy good4 nen Nedra!" Miriam allowed the Indignation to flesh freely from her Yes ' q! - r- r 41t- -' ' i faltered - r I Then he arose "I prom- - t ised 1euke I'd help him with his 1 short-wa7 Mind?" set tonight She shook her head stilt not trusting herself to speak When he was gone she Moved about straightening the 'kitchen and If struggling with her problem was some she could there way only get the money to help Jed enroll in :' the university It would be tiltleas to ask Ralph for help He gave her 1 IltzW all he could spare to eke out i the small insurance payments left her by her husband And Nedra would be aghast at the idea of sacrificing ' anything to put Jed through allool x1 ' Hopelessness weighed heavily Inside i ve r boy"!: ce ' the the Ti" e T' - next few weeks so I can go to A booklet containing the opinions el tam ous doctors on this interesting sublet ovIll be sent FREE while they lost to arty reader writing to the Educational Division 535 lifth Aytt4 New York N V Dept K1 i i - |