The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1913-11-21


lected. can't go with Jackie very
often on account OF the babies. He'll
get you n good pony and turn you
| loose on them, and. my, oh, the good
you'll do them! \ special providence.
| call itr
Mae Maude smiled as the immediate
past rushed before her minds eye" A
queer kind of providence. she thought
But she fell into line and was soon gal
loping over plain and prairie. full
sized benediction in the settlers homes
and the backbone OF the nearest school
house sunday school, to which the cow
boys focked for miles around for "a
good look at the new super. just on
from the east"
One Sabbath Mrs. .,Anes crimSoned
10 the roots OF her hair with HE ter
ribe publicity OF telling the Sunday
school folks about the bee they were
going to have. TO put up lean-to. with
a porch for vines. TO give the new su-
perintendent a living room, and would
they all come? And those who hadn't
any women folks Of their own TO bring
10 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
just the same and have a mighty good
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 babys 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 a
baby or two thrown In for good meas
ure. their squeals Of merriment ac-
companyinp 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.
, we III SOin 10 Iafm u!
Then all Joined. big and little. in the
chorus OF laughter, and there came
near being a riot OF hugs and kisses.
Mae Maude. with the help OF the
second generation of Duncans and her
correspondence with the back to the
sor' 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 Wetherell, thoroughgoing
young ranchman. with his eye on the
legislature. noticed her neat, trim ap-
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 MaCde heard only the word
widow" but il sent the 'creeps' up
and down her spine. After that Dan
Wetherell might as well have tried TO
win one OF Grenfel's Labrador peaks.
She kept tab on the home folks
through the Duncans. even to the mys
terious disappearance of Melville Tre-
maine soon after her own. Every
body had given him up for dead; but.
woman fashion. she held stubbornly
the hope that she would see him again
her very own--the noble fellow that
he was when she first knew him. HAY
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 Hat failure. Ii
came near breaking the child's neck.
clothes wadded about its useless feet,
and when il was tumbllng over on its
small nose he took ii. this way and
that. as he would have done bag Of
grain to make it stand on end.
Mrs. Agnes sprang To the rescue
"Por mercy's sake. Jack"
He came TO the surface long enough
10 beg the baby's pardon and stop with
a big. brushy kiss its issue of protest
ing notes Come. Aggy, let's go and
take n walk"
lie drew her hand into the bend of
his elbow. leaving the baby and the
Thanksgiving box that had just ar
rived from the home church. the con-
tents OF which the junior Duncans
were almost perishing TO explore.
Just fairly beyond earshot he broke
out with. Lost my trail yesterday. Ag-
gle. and you can't guess whom ] ran
across"
mo. Jack. Who?" certain that the
mystery of his abstraction was about
to unravel itself.
Melville Tremainc.''
mo. Jack, He's dead"
"Not by a long shot. The liveliest
fellow I've met for many q day! Stay.