Mrs. Boyd was still crying softly. Lilian kissed her, threw a light shawl over her shoulders, then lighted the gas burner and set on the kettle. She would run out and get a chop for her mother, some for breakfast as well. Yes, she must begin to be the care taker, she had been so engrossed with her studies and giving her help with the sewing they did for a dressmaking establishment that she had hardly noted. She swallowed over a great lump in her throat, it was a bitter sacrifice and yet she must make it. She could not even study during the evenings for she must help with the sewing, and if her mother should be ill!
The little supper was tastily arranged, the tea and the chop had an unwonted fragrance.
“I’m awfully sorry,” said the mother, “but Sally says it is a nice shop and the boss is particular about the kind of girls he has, and to think Sally’s earning nine dollars a week now!”
“Yes, Sally’s a nice pleasant girl,” that was all she could trust her voice to say.
“And it will be company back and forth. Maybe—sometime—”
Oh, had she been right in that long ago time? It seemed ages to her, so much had happened since, and she thought she could not live without the child, but after all the girl was not of her kind. What if she had done her a great wrong! She had never been an introspective woman, her life was mostly on the surface, with commonplace aims and desires.
The kitchen was small, the middle room not much larger, but it had two nice windows, the front was on a much neglected street with a big carpenter’s shop across the way. They used that for a sleeping room and it had in it the remnant of better days. The sewing room was much more quiet.
Lilian cleared away the things. Mrs. Boyd went back to the lounge. Then the girl went down the street. She had best make her sacrifice at once, it was not a subject to ponder over and she realized it had been a big black cloud hanging about her the last month.
Sally’s mother sat out on the small porch gossiping with a neighbor.
“Oh, Lily Boyd,” she exclaimed. “Sally was coming up on Saturday but she had to fly round like a bee in a flower garden. It want her turn to go to the Rest House, but the other girl couldn’t—sickness at home. So Sally went in her place. Splendid, isn’t it! And board only two dollars a week. I tell Sally she’s got the nicest boss we’ve ever heard about. She’ll be home Sat’day night and tell you all about it.”