Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-11-25
had drowned herself and her boy.


meet of large sized home mssionar!
whose heart. everybody said was ''as
bic as all outdoors.
Their handhoX of a manse WAS
packed to the caves with babies and
happiness The small lady had a few
snug little investments. the interest OF.
which she knew would come in handy
when she "threw herself away" on big
John Duncan.
"See here. Mae Maude.'' chippereG
Mrs. Agnes after the tornado Nf wei
comes had blown over. II guess you'll
have to take hold of Jacks job. These
poor cowboys almost worship a wo
mans shadow. And then the settlers
homes. they have to be awfully ne"
lpctcd can't 20 with Jackie very
o'.e:, on account of the babies. He'll
get You Il good pony and turn you
loose on them. and. my. oh. the good
you'll do them. A special providence
I call t..
Mae Mat,de smiled as the immediate
past rushed before her minds eye. y
queer kind of providence. she thought
But she fell into line and was soon gal
lOning over plain and prairie. Il full
sized bencdiction in the settlers homes
and the backbone of the nearest school.
house Sunday school. to which the COW
boys locked for miles around for "a
good look ut the new super. just on
from the east"
One Sabbath Mrs Agnes crimsoned
to the roots OF her hair with the ter
rible "publicity" of telling the Sunday
school folks about the bee" they were
going to have. to put up a lean-to. with
Il porch for vines. to give the new SUI
perintendent Il living room. and would
they all come? And those who hadn't
any women folks of their owN to bring
to help get the big dinner and supper
might bring somebody else'S. and Mr..
Duncan was over on Forty Mile run or
he'd give it out. but they'd all come
time putting up the new Sunday
school lady'S lean-to.
When Mae Maude climbed up on the
rear car of the express. after throw
ing her old shawl and her boys hat
into the river that bleak November
night of the baby'S funeral. she was
sure she could never laugh again. But
when Mrs. Agnes told Jack the next
day about her announcement Of the
"bee" Mae Maude had to put the frills
on the story. Jack Duncan caught his
wee. plump wife in his arms. with
baby or two thrown in for good meas
ure. their squeals of merriment ac-
companying his full throated American
laugh. their heels kicking his broad
chest gleefully. while the second edi-
ton Of Melville Tremaine squeezed his
mothers neck. shouting mildly: I'VE
don't have to preach. momsy and me.
Vein goin' to farm it,"
Then all Joined. big and little. in the
chorus of laughter. and there came
near being riot of hugs and kisses.
Mae Maude. with the help of the
second generation of Duncans and her
correspondence with the black to the
soil' wise men of Washington. made
the manse ten acre lot bud and bios
som as the rose. Many good hint did
she give the settlers and their wives
that made her word on farming it,
take the place of their "rule Of thumb"
methods.
Dan Wetherel. thoroughgoing
young ranchman. with his eye on the
legislature. noticed her neat. trim APP
pearance while she took notes in the
lecture car" and increased the fire.
quency Of his visits at the manse.
One day he quizzed Mrs. Agnes about
her friends widowhood, quite shock
ing her by asking her if it were ''sod
or grass"
Mae Maude heard only the word
widow" but it sent the 'creeps" up
and down her spine. After that Dan
Wetherel might as we'll have tried to
win one of Grenfel's Labrador peaks.
She kept tab on the home folks
through the Duncans. even to the mys.
FERROUS disappearance of Melville Ire.
maine soon after her own. Every.
body had given him up for dead: but.
woman fashion. she held stubborny
the hope that she would see him again
her very own-the noble fellow that
he was when she first knew him. Hav
ing been through the ordeal herself
and knowing how they always thought
along the same lines when he was him.
self. she looked for him to come to her
permanently redeemed.
One evening day or two before
Thanksgiving John Duncan came home
from two weeks trip. He was silent
and absentminded. though the small
house was fairly tipsy with merriment
Agnes usual eXpedient of putting the
baby in his arms was fiat failure |,
came near breaking the child's neck