Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1915-03-26
CHAPTER Il-continued.

Under the pink rose a soft pink
flush bloomed on either Of the old
lady's cheeks. Her eyes flashed with
uncomfortable pride, and her square,
firm chin she held very high; for now,
indeed, she was filed with terror of
what folks would say to this home
leaving, and 1t was a bright June after
noon, too clear for an umbrella with
which to hide ones face from prying
~neighbors, too late in the day for a
sunshade.
Angy tucked the green-black affair
which served them as both under her
arm and swung Abe's figured old car
petbag in her hand with the amer of
one setting out on a pleasant journey.
Abe. though resting heavily on his
stout, crooked cane, dragged behind
him Angy's little horsehair trunk upon
a creaking, old, unusually large toy
express wagon which he had bought
al some forgotten auction long ago.
The husband and wife passed into
the garden between borders of box
wood, beyond which nodded the heads
of Angy's carefully tended, outdoor
"children"-her roses, her snowballs,
her sweet-smelling syringas, her wax
like bleeding-hearts and her shrub of
bridal-wreath.
Jest a minute" she murmured, an
Abe would have fastened on to the
gate. She bent her proud head and
kissed with ~furtive, half-ashamed pas
sion a fluffy white spray of the bridal
wreath. Now overlapping the hus-
bands silk hat, the shrub had not
come so high as his knee when they
two had planted 1t nearly a half-cen-
fury ago.
You're mine!" Angy's heart cried
out to the shrub and to every growing
thing in the garden. You're mine. 1
planted you, tended you, loved you
into growing. You're all the children
ever had, and I'm leaving YOU" But
the old wife did not pluck q single
flower, for she could never bear to see
o blossom wither In her hand. while
all she said aloud was: I'm glad twas
Mis- Holmes that bought in the house.
They say she's a great hand ter dig
in the garden"
Angy's voice faltered. Abe did not
answe Something had caused Q
swimming before his eyes which he
did mot wish his wife to see; SO he
let fall the handle OF the express
wagon and, bending his slow back,
plucked a sprig of "old-man." Though
he could not have expressed his senti-
ments in words, the garden brought
poignant r~ecollections OF the hopes
n promises which had thrown their
rose color about the young days of his
marriage. His hopes had never bios
somed into fulflment. His promises
to the little wife had been choked by
the weeds of his own ~ineficiency.
Worse than this, the bursting into
bloom of seeds of selfish r~ecklessnesa
In himself was what had turned the
garden of their life into an arid waste
And now. in their dry and withered
old age, he and Angy we're being torn
up by the roots, flung as so much
rubbish by the roadside.
Mother, / be dretful sorry ter take
yew away from your posies," muttersd
Abraham as he arose with his green
sprig in his hand.
With shaking fingers. Angy sought
g pin hidden beneath her basque. "Fa,
ther, shall / pin yer Oldham in yer
buttonhole?" she quavered. Then az
he stopped for her to arrange the
posy, she whispered: IT wouldn't care
'cept fer what folks must say. Lei
hurry before any one sees US. I told
everybody that we want a-gwine ten
break up till termorrer nornin'."
Fortunately, there was a way across
lots to the Old Ladies' home, an IN.
frequented by-path over a field. and
through a bit Of woodland, which
would bring the couple almost unob.
served to a side gate.
Under ordinary circumstances Ange
line would W. have taken this path;
for 1t exposed her carefully patched
and newly polished shoes to scratches
her fragile, worn silk skirt and stinf
white petticoat to brambles. More
pver, the dragging of the loaded little
wagon was more difficult here fol
Abraham. But they both preferred
the narrower, rougher way 10 facing
the curious yes Of all Shoreyille now
the plying windows Of the village
street
Az the couple came to the edge Of
the woodland. they turned with ons
accord and looked back for the last
glimpse u the home. Blazing gold
= AGAINST the Kitchen window 1amad
- afeoEnoon sunlight.