Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-09-08
A CLOSE CALL

y echo answered her call.
"Oh, Jimmie. My goodness! Where
IL that boy. now y
Mrs. Jackson stood. with arms akin
bO gazing down the street. trying to
catch glimpse of the delinquent,
Jimmie" she called again.
Tn comm ma" yelled the young
ster, as be emerged from II shop across
the street s,spiciously wiplng his
mouth on his shirt sleeves
james Jackson. you've been spend
ing your money for something to eat;
your stomach will be the dea til Of you
yet, And you have been In swimming,
hoo. No, don't deny 1t. You need not
tall me you would have such a clean
face at this time Of day, to say moth
Ing Of your feet Look al them and
tell me you were not in swimming. will
your"
Mrs Jackson was tall and comma and
Ing. and possessed "A will OF her own
that brooked no contradiction. james
was wise in his generation. He made
no attempt to deny the charges but. as
WAS the habit i'll such emergencies. he
broke in with a volrlbe and Hnimn ted
ntory to divert his rate parents atten
ton
MA. you cant guess who moved into
thts neighbOrhOOd? You couldn't tell
in 4 thousand yearw-it'A Mister Han
s0m. Yes'm. knew you would be
'sprised. but It's a fact He Jest set
III 'atu isl, In,
chat little shop caty corner. He was
nstsh' about you. 1t seems like he
can't keep away from you, ma"
James, you go In and eat your sup
pt.r. There Is piece OF pie on the
pantry shelf. but don't smear every
thing. do you hear7'
Yes. ma" answered the willy James,
who made a dart for the pie.
Meanwhile the Widow Jackson stood
gazing across the street, trying 10 dis
cern which shop her offpring desig-
mated as ''caty corner"
ION. that must be the place with the
gerxniums In the window; Silas always
was Of All elevated turn OF mind Dear
me. there he IL at the dOor-and look
Ing this way, too. | can't let him see
me staring at him" With this remark
Mrs. jackson went into the house TO
catet:hlse her son concerning Mr. Han
sun.
Usually James was reticent but with
Judgment still hanging over his head
he answered his mothers questions
nuently
James, did Mr. Hansour ask how
wa were getting alOngT
Yes. ma; he said Jim Is your moth
A. awOrkin' AZ hard AZ ever?' And
told him yes. haNiener. Then he said
you were the best woman OIL "a nth and
for NE to study hard 50 as to soon be
Able to help You. | said you bet
meant to do that and | told HIM when
got big you would never work anoth-
ar day. Ma. may have another piece
Of pie?"
Mrs jackson betOOk herself to an
upstairs window, where she could get
Nh unobStructed view OF the little shoe
shop.
My goodness. she sOliouulZed.
Isn't 1t a pity thar man il so bash
tul--he Is actually standing in his own
light. COOped up in that little place
Instead of having comfortable home
Of his own. with me to look after him.
1t just breaks my heart TO think Of him
there alone. with not soul TO bid him
the time Of day when hp comes in of
au evening. Well. it's his own fault;
waited as long as seemed reasonable
for any woman. and | never would
have kept company with JAMES pa
only to egg Stlas along. 1t did no good ;
he Just sold out his shop and | never
set eyes on him ill my poor husba nd
WINS put in his grave. Then he hobs I'D
sEatn and. as jamie says. he does not
seem able to SHAY away, and yet that
fool OF Il man has not got the courage
to come to the point don't know as
II il worth my while wasting time over
him. yet he needs someone to look fter
Atn. am afraid he'll drive me to pro
pose To him myself. And | declare III
not do n--no not II go to my grave
widow"
Win LnIS 0ttidIullOu MIS-. JACKSON
closed the shutters and went down.
SIN thinking NJ some strategy by
which the bashfu lover might be made
to declare himself.
Silas Hanson dropped the shoe he
had been mending.. and for once the
busy hands We're idle. He had fallen
Into Il reverie. and, as usual the train
Of his thought WAS the widow. His fall
tering tongue could not utter the words
tie wished to say: could not tell the
story he repeated every night to the
photograph that hung opposite his bed.
How many. many times In the past
Involve years he had repeated to him
self: ''I'll tell her tonight; yes, III tell
her tonight or die"
Hello, Mr.. Hanson, here's a pie ma
sent you. Ouch. it's hot. where will |
put It. Say. Mr.. Hanson. you'd better
eat q piece while It's hot-lt's much
better"
-Take a piece yourself. Jamie: DO.