Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-02-10

tie heart accepting the comfort
trusting this soft voiced, smiling,
mother armed woman Who snjled
herself Aunt Ann.
As she sat thus, her attention
quite absorbed, Henry Jasper came
YEARLY to the kitchen door, hi
arms loaded with groceries, his facs
hopeless. He had been wondering
where to look for Jimmy, who had
been allowed that morning to 60 b
4 neighbor's.
Then with unbelieving JOY he ~
the clean room, the spread tabls,
the new air of comfort, and, best
Of all, in Ann Marks kind arms 10
saw his sleeping motherless child
a child nearly as unmothered before
his own mothers death a. after II.
She looked up at him and smiled.
"He cut his foot and came homs
frying. / came over, and when l
saw SO much to do / went to work.
| knew you wouldn't mind, Henry
Mind! The hard thing was that
she should come just to 60 again;
that she should give him : taste Of
this calm comfort, let him zee her
like this and deny him . continu-
anee of it. He was very miserable
in his gratitude.
"Put your packages on the sink"
she commanded, "and when / have
laid Jimmy down / will put them
away. Will you open the oven door
and look at the biscuitY He obey
ed her, then stood looking while
she deftly put everything in its
place. The milk pail shiningly
waited for him to take it and go out
to milk, but he fingered. And jim
my awoke and wanted to tell his
father about the enormous fish that
nibbled at his hook and got almost
caught and how he had cut his foot
on the broken bottle and found
Aunt Ann to bind it up.
Supper is ready, and you had
better eat before you do the rest Of
the chores, Henry" she said, help
ing the boy to limp to his place.
They ate joyfully, talking, laugh
ing, the man wondering how many
minutes would pass before she rose
to go. The future yawned emptily.
She was asking him about his house
keepers, what he paid them, advis-
ing him what he should do. Final
ly when she rose he rose too. They
stood facing each other, and her
clear eyes smiled.
"You are Oh, Ann, you have
been good" he said awkwardly.
"Shall / hitch up and drive you
home, or viii You walk :" So he
had taken her at her word. 1t was
evident that he had no thought Of
anything permanent in all this. But
| the woman had. She saw here her
place, her opportunity. The old
hurt and anger had passed, and she
was again at heart the simple girl
who had loved in secret this man
who was at last hers.
3sI'll wash the dishes up first, and
then after you have done the chores
You can walk back with me-" jim
my set up a sudden wall from his
chair, where he still sat at the Ia
BILE.
81 don't want you to 60 away" he
cried, "and / won't stay alone while
papa goes with you" Ann went be-
hind his chair and put her arms
around him. She did not look at
the childs father.
Listen, Jimmy. Auntie must 60
tonight, but if you will be good till
papa comes back / will come again"
'sWhen will you? How long viii
you stay?" he demanded, with the
definiteness of childhood. No I'M
certainty for Jimmyl She did not
| hesitate.
81 will come back--in the morn
ing-and l will stay always-if papa
says that | may!"
Jimmy, forgetting his foot, jump
| ed at her neck like a little boa con-
strictor. But his father set him
down, wanting her himself just
| then.
| "Are you going to let her stay,
| papa?" Then Henry Jasper laugh
ed, and the burden of unhappy years
| rolled from his shoulders.