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Show i j !! ! A Lady and a Letter By MARGARET ADE '.cy. Wtdiern -N'ewKpaper Uniun.) TyTKS. .TANK HASKELL, fifty, fat and frivdluus, was perturbed. Something behind her blue and snapping snap-ping eyes proclaimed to the world that she was a mad and a sad woman, as she pattered about preparing a belated be-lated breakfast. She hud in some way managed to convince herself that the whole world was against her, even Peter her one and only son, no longer loved her. He had, without consulting her,' become be-come engaged to a chit of a girl that worked In the office with him. And to crown his audacity, Peter bad asked his mother to break up her home and "come and live with Myra and me." "Breakfast is ready, Peter," she cried into the narrow hallway. "You'll be late. It's almost nine o'clock." "Sorry, mother, but I'll have to rush. I'm late now. Don't worrv, mother. 'Bye." A street car came along, clattered to a stop, and Peter climbed uboard. Mrs. Haskell, from behind the lace curtain, watched the car that carried her son cityward until it lurched out of sight. Then she sat down and wept. She was still weeping when, almost au hour later, the mail man's ring broke in upon her sorrow. There was one letter a thick, gray envelope addressed to Peter in noticeably no-ticeably nice handwriting, and the flap had opened. Then jealousy jealousy, green-eyed and ruthless, whispered: "Why not read it?" For only a moment she faltered, fal-tered, then she drew the thick, gray paper from Its bulging envelope and read: "Boston, Massachusetts. "June 4th, 1923. "Peter Dear : "I am sorry to add to your burden, but I have been thinking over what you have confided to me concerning your mother's attitude toward making her home with us or rather with me, and, knowing as I do that your income is not sufficient to support two homes, I have thought it best to release you from your engagement today. I am returning your ring. "There is no one else, Peter, and there never shall be, but I I simply could not be happy, knowing that I was depriving an aged woman of her home by taking her only support from her ; neither could I be happy by just waiting waiting for her to die before I before we could begin to live, so that is that, Peter. "It will, I am sure, be a great relief to your mother to know that I have broken with you, and I hope she will be very happy. "With all good wishes, Peter, I am saying good-by, but I shall always love you. "MYRA." Mrs. Haskell arose, wiped her eyes and stepped briskly to a panel mirror. She surveyed her stout and stylish figure. fig-ure. "An aged woman an aged woman!" she jeered at her reflection in the mirror. mir-ror. I'll" Twenty minutes later she sallied forth, her blue eyes flashed a challenge. chal-lenge. It was almost six o'clock that evening eve-ning when she returned. Later, when Peter came home he found her broiling broil-ing chops. "You'll not get much supper tonight, Peter," she called to him gaily. "I have been out all day." "Good for you, mother!" Peter was joyous. "You look as if you have had a happy time tell us about It." "Not until you eat your supper. I " Mrs. Haskell checked herself. "Come, Peter, sit down and make up for that breakfast that you didn't get." -"I am hungry, mother," Peter admitted ad-mitted as he began to eat. After a while his mother said: "When you rushed off this morning, Peter, I sat here thinking thinking what I would do when you when you went to housekeeping for yourself your-self ; and I I decided to do something at once, so I went down to The Smart I Hat Shop and applied for work. I begin be-gin tomorrow $30 a week to start. So you " "But you you don't have to, mother. moth-er. I I'm " "Yes, I know, Peter, but you forget that I I'm still a young woman. Myra was surprised she thought that I was decrepit. I " "Myra!" I'eter gasped. "How what where did you see Myra? You haven't " "I called upon Myra today thought that I ought to, and I I think Myra is n nice girl ; we had a very pleasant talk. She" "Guess I'll run over," Peter pushed his chair back. "Myra will like you, mother, I know she will, just as you like her." And I'eter. lighting a cigar on his way out. called from the doorway. "Any mail for me, mother?" And his mother cheerfully replied: "No, Peter just one letter for me." |