Read Online Crimson Roses by Grace Livingston Hill - Free Book Online
Authors: Grace Livingston Hill
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would find one that she thought could be made to do, and then she would discover some terrible drawback and have to move on to another place. So she came home, a trifle later than she usually came from prayer meeting, and had to meet Jennie’s sharp eyes and prying questions about why she was so late.
Two days later, however, Jennie announced her intention of taking the children and making a flying farewell visit to her sister, who lived in a small town thirty miles away. She would go early Friday morning and return Monday. She felt that the packing was well started and Marion could do a good deal while she was gone. Marion’s attitude had been so pleasant and willing that her fears were somewhat set at rest, and she longed to have a little ease herself, for she had worked very hard. She knew, too, that Marion could pretty well be counted on to do the work of two people in her absence, so she went with a mind free to enjoy her vacation.
Marion had agreed to the suggestion readily enough. She knew she could work early and late and still have time free for what she wanted to do for herself, and Jennie’s absence seemed really providential. Tom was away all day from breakfast until evening settling up his business affairs, not even coming home to lunch on Friday or Saturday, he said, so she was free to do as she pleased.
So Marion hurried through the breakfast dishes and locked the door on the duties Jennie had suggested, and took her way downtown to hunt a place to live.
She had several plans. There was a girl who used to be in the same Sunday school class who worked downtown, a secretary or something. She boarded somewhere. She would go and ask her some questions.
But the girl was very busy taking dictation and could not be seen for a long time, and when she did appear she gave very little help. Yes, she boarded not far from her office, but it was rotten board, she said, and not a very pleasant bunch of boarders. She was thinking of making a change herself. Lots of girls took a room and got their meals at restaurants or did some cooking in their rooms, but she couldn’t see that after working all day. She suggested several places where Marion might look for rooms, and Marion finally went away armed with addresses, much wiser and more anxious.
She longed inexpressibly for a room of her own, no matter how tiny it might be. The idea of a small gas stove appealed to her tremendously. Even without a gas stove she felt sure she could manage her breakfasts and perhaps an occasional evening meal. Or, if she took a good meal at a restaurant in the middle of the day, she might make her evening meal, usually very simple, milk and fruit and crackers or cereal, and that could be managed in her own room of course. She disliked the thought of constant daily contact with other boarders, especially since her talk with the other girl, who made it plain what kind of people she had to mingle with in a cheap boardinghouse. A restaurant was different. One did not have to be so intimate with a crowd as with individuals at the same table.
She went to one of the restaurants the girl had suggested and ordered a glass of milk and some crackers, and while she was eating them studied the menu. It seemed from the card to be quite easy to select a substantial meal for a very small sum if one was careful about counting the cost. If the lack of variety palled, she could always try another restaurant.
Before the morning was over she had gone into many dreary little halls and climbed many steep, narrow flights of stairs in her search, till she began to feel that nowhere in the wide world was her little refuge to be found at any price that she could hope to pay; and her promised wages, that at first had seemed so large, began to dwindle. How very little her pay was going to be able to purchase in the way of comfort for her. Oh, if her father had foreseen this, how troubled he would have been! Perhaps she was doing wrong. Perhaps she ought to go with
Two days later, however, Jennie announced her intention of taking the children and making a flying farewell visit to her sister, who lived in a small town thirty miles away. She would go early Friday morning and return Monday. She felt that the packing was well started and Marion could do a good deal while she was gone. Marion’s attitude had been so pleasant and willing that her fears were somewhat set at rest, and she longed to have a little ease herself, for she had worked very hard. She knew, too, that Marion could pretty well be counted on to do the work of two people in her absence, so she went with a mind free to enjoy her vacation.
Marion had agreed to the suggestion readily enough. She knew she could work early and late and still have time free for what she wanted to do for herself, and Jennie’s absence seemed really providential. Tom was away all day from breakfast until evening settling up his business affairs, not even coming home to lunch on Friday or Saturday, he said, so she was free to do as she pleased.
So Marion hurried through the breakfast dishes and locked the door on the duties Jennie had suggested, and took her way downtown to hunt a place to live.
She had several plans. There was a girl who used to be in the same Sunday school class who worked downtown, a secretary or something. She boarded somewhere. She would go and ask her some questions.
But the girl was very busy taking dictation and could not be seen for a long time, and when she did appear she gave very little help. Yes, she boarded not far from her office, but it was rotten board, she said, and not a very pleasant bunch of boarders. She was thinking of making a change herself. Lots of girls took a room and got their meals at restaurants or did some cooking in their rooms, but she couldn’t see that after working all day. She suggested several places where Marion might look for rooms, and Marion finally went away armed with addresses, much wiser and more anxious.
She longed inexpressibly for a room of her own, no matter how tiny it might be. The idea of a small gas stove appealed to her tremendously. Even without a gas stove she felt sure she could manage her breakfasts and perhaps an occasional evening meal. Or, if she took a good meal at a restaurant in the middle of the day, she might make her evening meal, usually very simple, milk and fruit and crackers or cereal, and that could be managed in her own room of course. She disliked the thought of constant daily contact with other boarders, especially since her talk with the other girl, who made it plain what kind of people she had to mingle with in a cheap boardinghouse. A restaurant was different. One did not have to be so intimate with a crowd as with individuals at the same table.
She went to one of the restaurants the girl had suggested and ordered a glass of milk and some crackers, and while she was eating them studied the menu. It seemed from the card to be quite easy to select a substantial meal for a very small sum if one was careful about counting the cost. If the lack of variety palled, she could always try another restaurant.
Before the morning was over she had gone into many dreary little halls and climbed many steep, narrow flights of stairs in her search, till she began to feel that nowhere in the wide world was her little refuge to be found at any price that she could hope to pay; and her promised wages, that at first had seemed so large, began to dwindle. How very little her pay was going to be able to purchase in the way of comfort for her. Oh, if her father had foreseen this, how troubled he would have been! Perhaps she was doing wrong. Perhaps she ought to go with
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