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Show nooofioooooaociocicioaaoooooog SETTLED I FOR LIFE i I AT LAST lc! by L. J. w ilh ) MAHTIU l'F.1.1. swept the walk with firm, MVlft strokes of her now broom. When she came to tho big maple Unit shaded the house she paused tuul laid her huud upon Its rough trunk, look-Ins look-Ins up at It with tender pride. It had uot a leaf, but some day It would he green with whispering leaves. Blessed tree! Her own tree or rather Pick's. AYhutever was Pick's was hers, just ns whatever she had was his. There wore no reservations of n selfish sort between her mid her son. Pick had bought this little house with the guardian tree, the bit of lawn, the tiny garden spot nt the hack. For about a month now she had been nt home. It was a goodly feeling to be at home, tc know that you could meet the storms of life sheltered. And there had been so many storms since her husband died. A good man. Charlie, Char-lie, but he had left her and her two small children unprovided for. She had worked and prayed until somehow she had got them to the point where they could care for themselves. Then ns she was so very tired Pick had bought this home for them nil. Nina was helping with the living expenses. All mother had to do was to keep house. After years of outside work keeping house was a joy. She loved to cook and wash dishes and dust furniture. fur-niture. To be free to move ns she wished, to sit nt her window, to warm nt her owd tire! The wonder aud peace of it. "That's a nice tree!" Martha turned v V and saw a neighbor, Mrs. Simmons, with her market basket. Her face brightened. "Yes, It Is a nice tree. I was Just thinking that myself. Lovely morning, morn-ing, Mrs. Simmons." "Dreadful cold. Got settled yet?" "All settled." Martha laughed, pushing push-ing back her gray hair with her slender slen-der hand. "Settled for life, I may say." "Settled for life, eh?" Mrs. Simmons Sim-mons mouth twitched. "Well, I'm sure 1 hope so, for your sake. But you never can tell. Of course yon may get along with your new dauhter-ln-Inw better'n most women do with theirs." v v- "What do you mean?" Martha dropped the broom, clutching her gray sweater near the throat. "Why, everybody's saying that Pick's going to marry Elsie Barth. 1 thought you knew it." Martha stooped to pick np the broom. Then she laughed again. "What everybody says must be true. Cf course my son has reached the nge when a young man usually begins to think of getting married. One can't blame him, you know. Besides Elsie Bnrth is a nice girl." "Po you know her?" Inquisltioned the relentless old woman. Martha was silent. "She's a nice girl and the like of that but she's a great hand to have her own way. Her folks brought her up to be babied. Yet, as I say, may-be may-be you'll get along all right with her. You've got an easy disposition." The old woman jogged away toward her own portal and Martha went Into the house. The dear little house, with its breath tinged with the cakt she had just baked, the meat that was roasting roast-ing for dinner, the geraniums on the windowsill and the smell of freshly-ironed freshly-ironed clothes on the rack ! She hung op the broom and sank into a chair by the kitchen table, leaning her head on her band. So Pick was going to marry Elsie Barth! Everybody kuew it but her. Kina must know it. Nina had been keeping it away from her. Nina came in presently. She was slender, vivid, young looking, in her brown coat and hat like an autumn leaf. "How long since Pick decided to marry Elsie Barth?" Martha asked. "I don't know, mother. I've been hearing it quite a while. Dick's a clam for confidences, you know." "Then he may be married any time. He bought this house with that intention." in-tention." "Well " Nina looked troubled. "Now don't worry, mother. Of course Elsie will feel she's the boss here. 11 we can get along together we ought to, but Why, you and I can go Into In-to one of those little new apartments on Loder street. As far as that goes you and I can be happy anywhere." "Yes, dear." So It was all true. She was not settled for life after all. She had just made another stop how brief she could not tell. When Dick arrived his mother was calm. "When ever you are ready for your home, dear," she said quite steadily, "let me know. It shall be ready for you." Pick's face reddened. "Oh, now. mother! When Elsie -' comes here she'll Just be one of us. What's the matter? Po you think we can't all live together?" "That's for Elsie to say," replied Martha gently. There was an embarrassed interval "Oh, say. Will Boyd came inlo out office aud bought a lot today. He's going to build a house in the spring.'' Martha's glance went to her daughter's daugh-ter's face. Nina was looking down a! the roll she nas buttering. Her face revealed nothing. How brave she was to take it like that! Nina had always cared for Will Boyd, although out-f out-f wardly they had been casual friends This meant that Will was going to be married and Nina was out of It I'oor, poor child I Next day Martha went to see ono of tho little apartments on I. oiler street. It had three rooms and n bath a new, clean, bare little place, no garden or maple, no place for oven n Mower. And she had made such plans for planting vegetables und (lowers. She choked down a sob. Oh, well! She had lived In worse places. She went hack home and prepared n delicious little meal, economical but tasty. At the last moment Pick telephoned tele-phoned to see If he might bring Klslo home to dinner. Of course he might And he did. It was n dhllcult affair for Dick, who was the awkward young householder, house-holder, for Elsie, who blushed and displayed dis-played n glittering new ring, for Martha Mar-tha trying to bo hospitable and unobtrusive unob-trusive at the same time, NInn was quite herself. She kept things going wllh her laughter. Afterwards when Pick had walked home with Elsie she helped Martha with the dishes. "Well, Elsie will he here In a month more," Nina said. "Pou't you worry, mother. You don't have to stay here a minute longer than you want to. We'll bo happy anywhere so long ns we're together. "That's true, dear." Martha kissed her child's cheek. ''I suppose really It would be nicer to Just go and let the young folks have things to themselves. them-selves. You see they're not going to have a long honeymoon, just a few days. Pick can't leave work " "Just as you say. mother, darling." So It was settled. Nina was to rent the apartment on I. odor street. They would move right in, the sooner the better. The following noon Martha looked up from the hash she was turning to see Nina. "You rented the npartment?" she asked. "No!" Nina leaned against the cupboard. cup-board. "1 didn't have to. We've got a better place offered." Her eyes were stars, her cheeks burning. "Mother! Will Boyd came home with me. He he asked me to marry him. And I am going to." 'Why, how did It happen?" Martha asked bewilderedly, after a moment. She and Nina were both crying for joy. "I don't know." Nina's voice was soft "I only know It's true. He wants to be married right away. And he's going to buy the Foster house, that lovely old place: fourteen big trees, a garden, nine rooms. You know-all know-all about that house, mother. And you're to have the south chamber I thought of that first thing." "But what about the lot and the new house he's going to build in the spring?" "Oh. that was for speculation noth Ing to do with a real home. Oh. mother! moth-er! Aren't yon glad? We're both going go-ing to be settled for life nt last!" |