The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-05-23
Grandad's Litfle
Fling
By Anne 81. Woodruff

Copyright 1872 ey Associated Literary
"Give 1t up. grandad, do. An old
mate Of 20 to take carload Of cattle
to Chicago! It's the craziest notion
/ ever knew you to take into your
head"
"Crazy!" calculated grandad indig-
nantly. That's not the way to talk to
me, son."
We'll. do be reasonable and let Dan
30 as usual"
Nov. boy. I'm Just dying to have q
little fling. I'm going to Chicago. and
] don't want no garden, neither. It's
my last chance-at my time OF life.
Now or never, sonny" and grandad
chuckled joyously as his six-foot
grandson turned away with an Inn
patient gesture betokening anxiety
rather than anger.
Grandad was a fine specimen OF
wholesome and vigorous age. Why.
then, should he not go to Chicago
without a guardian?
BE good little boy and take care
Of the ranch" was his parting salute
from the car window, accompanied by
radiant grin.
Take care of YOURSELF" Jack shout.
ed, adding to himself as the train
moved out, you old infant!"
Grandad enjoyed every moment OF
his journey from western Iowa to the
great mid-western metropolis. So.
when his carload Of cattle was duly
disposed of. and q thick wad OF bank
bills in his possession. he started out
to take in the sights. As he was leav.
ing the stock yards he met two men.
whom from their appearance he
Judged to be farmers.
"Bless me! Amt It lucky we met!
You from Indiana and me from Iowa
the two finest states In the Union.
I might have got lonesome, but now
we can have q roarin' good time" he
cried.
So the three started out to see Chi
cago. Their car had gone about a
block when 1t stopped to take on q
lady passenger.
Sibelia Graham-society reporter
for one of the city's great dailies-
had awakened that morning in her
room at the Transit house. where she
was the guest for the night of q for
mer classmate-in the same Gisheart-
ened frame Of mind with which she
had retired the evening previous. The
curt, incisive words Of her city edit
or were still ringing In he rears:
unless there is a marked improve
ment in your work, Miss Graham. the
T will be obliged to dispense with
your services"
The blow was none the less dis
heartening because she had expected
it. The trouble was that she simply
could not browbeat her brain any
longer into taking enough interest in
the details connected with her depart
ment to satisfy the patrons of the pa
per, who delighted in seeing their i'm
portance magnifled in print When
she first started in to report for her
oaper she had felt keen delight In
her work, and was indefatigable In
her efforts to give satisfaction. Five
years of the grind, however, had dis
sipated the halo which rested upon
the brow Of the newspaper woman.
The chronicling Of trivial details had
become q loathsome and wearisome
task.
Jack was right when he said that
all Chicago had to offer could not COM
pare with the freedom Of western
ranch life," she soliloquized. ITO
think of my having had the nerve to
try to compel him to give It all up
for an unfamiliar and uncongenial ex.
istence here. because. forsooth, pre-
ferred Chicago as a place Of resi-
dence! How well remember his sen.
sible and manly answer:
81 cannot leave Qaklands. sibelia.
I owe ali | an, ever will be, to my
grandfather, who is the dearest old
boy in the world. It would break his
heart to have me leave him. I must
stick to the ranch. 1t does seem to
me, dearest. that you might be happy
there. 1t really is something of
place, II l do say It,
"Well, l have had my way-I am q
newspaper woman, and have my Chi.
cago BLESS it!). and some other girl
better worth having will marry-or
has married, who knows-the only
man l ever cared for. ought to be
satisfied, but l am not. l long for a
Whit of air from that self-same de-
spIsed ranch, and chance e rest my
poor, overworked, idealess. brain. L
feels as empty OF gray matter as my
hat. / declare, would prefer to
churn, make butter. or even milk the
cows this morning. to doing my usual
stunt"
When Miss Graham boarded the
car, she found every. seat occupied.
Suddenly she became conscious Of
someone Juggling at her skirt. Turn.
ing, she looked into the eyes of an
old man with q bright and jovial
countenance, who indicated, by a mo-
ton, the seat he had vacated. The
old man was chatting geniaily with
his companions.
You're all right as long as you're
with me, boys. My boy. out In Iowa,
told me to look out for them bunco