The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-12-09

her sick in the first place"
The doctors prediction seemed 10 be
correct. for Mrs Sanders slowly but
surely improved from that time on
In IA couple Of weeks she was able 10
sit up and her eyes lighted up with
pleasure as she watched Gladys fly
about the room setting things to
rights aud lending a brightness to the
house that was so pitifully lacking
when she was away
You don't know how much good If
Toes me to see you here" her mother
said one day MS Gladys came III with
a big armful of blossoms. TO bring
outdoors in to mommie." us she said.
Gladys dropped the flowers and
came over and kissed her FIN going
TO stay always now" she said
1t was a couple of days later that
her father came out where she was
feeding the chickens one morning. -
RECKON it's about time for you to be
going back to school. isn't itT' he said
quietly 81 guess | can get along all
right with mother now
Gladys looked up quickly Pm not
going back" she said
Not going back be cried. his eyes
lighting up with a sudden hope
NO" she answered. with n brave at
tenpt 10 smile 't'vp had my good
time. and now I'm going To stay here
and make things easy for you and
mommie
The happiness that shonr In her ia
,ler's face was worth all the sacrifice,
albeit it was u guilty Happiness as he
thought of what it meant TO her. But
she Cui short his objections by telling
him II was time to go and feed the
pigs and then ran into the house With
u MERRY song ON her lips.
\ few days later JET came over Il
evening after supper Tie found
Gladys out in the orchard With her
arms full of the fragrant apple bios
SONS
They're so thick the tree would kill
Itself trying 10 raise 50 many upples."
she said. And then mommie likes the
flowers 50 we'll
How do you like farming?" she
went on. is it as much fun us going
to SCHOOL,
Almost" he acknowledged. You
must come over and see the place.
There isn't a weed on 1t, and I've
got the cornfelds In the best shape
for planting of any I've seen any
where"
I'm afraid you're getting vain." said
Gladys, smiling at his enthusiasm.
I'm going to be u farmer, too" she
added.
You don't mean you're not going
backT'
She nodded.
Then maybe you do understand"
Eyes, | think | do. It's hardin a
way-but 1t will be fun too. You'll
have to work If you make good your
boast of having the best farm in the
county. Just wait till you see what
I'm going to do with this"
He stood looking at her in silence
for a moment. That stray lock was
out of place again. and In the dim
moonlight. DINNER for sitting through
the millions of apple blossoms, she
looked like some woodland fairy
come to touch the blossoms with her
magic wand and turn them into tiny
apples
81 don't like competition. Gladys"
said JEFF. taking a step nearer. Il
wonder-can't we be partnersT'
Perhaps she nodded. or perhaps 1t
was only the pickering shadows that
made him think so. bur the next mo-
ment be had caught her in his arms,
apple blossoms and all, and was tell
ing her that he had loved her ever
since that time she nearly scared him
out of the apple tree And for once
she didn't accuse him Of talking fool
ishly.
The apple blossoms faded and fell.
and summer came to fulfill the prom
ises of spring. Mabel came home from
college again. protesting against al
lowing Gladys to stay home while she
finished her course. But Gladys was
firm and had her way, as usual
One evening nearly three weeks aft
er she came home Mabel vas sitting
on the porch idly lingering the strings
of her mandolin and trying not to feel
lonely. Gladys had gone riding with
JEFF, and the sight of their happiness
somehow made Mabel feel lonesome
and left out, though she tried to drive
the feeling away by playing and hum
ming some of the dear old melodies.
Suddenly she was aroused from her
reverie by the sound of an automobile
coming up the driveway. 1t stopped
at the gate, and Harold leaped out
and hurried over &c where she was
sitting.
Wont you come for an auto ride"
be pleaded. lust for old times sake
for the sake of those old songs you
were playingT"
81 was thinking of old times" said
Mabel as she rose and followed him
down to the gate. do you remember
the time you Unanswered to get me In.
the back seat with Beth" she went on
~mischievously as he helped her to the
drivers seat
THAT was a different Harold" he
said Those old days seem like a
dream more than they do like part Of
my real life"
.rr-- 49,. ohou-od - ea{A Aahaf