Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-01-13

tiatutJtt3S h0iftaity dia Seo''a* nv
waste apparent everywhere annoyed
her thrifty soul She set the table
with fresh cloth and put good
supper to cook on the stove she had
blackened. 1t was nearing & o'clock.
After little Jimmy awoke and
Without warning began to cry, re-
fusing to tell what troubled him,
but denying that il was his foot.
Finally Ann got low rocker, took
the child in her arms and began to
rock him. Great boy that he was,
he snuggled to her, his unloved lit
tie heart accepting the comfort,
trusting this soft voiced, smiling,
mother armed woman who called
herself Aunt Ann.
As she sat thus, her attention
quite absorbed, Henry Jasper came
weariIy to the kitchen door, his
arms loaded with groceries, his face
hopeless. lie had been wondering
where to look for Jimmy, who had
been allowed that morning to go to
a neighbor's.
Then with unbclieving JOY he saw
the clean room, the spread table,
the new air OF comfort, and, best
of all, in Ann Marks kind arms he
saw his sleeping motherlcss child
n child nearly as unmothcred before
his own mothers death as after it.
She looked up at him and smiled.
"7lc cut his foot and came home
crying. ! came over, and when ]
saw so much to do | went to work.
I knew YOU wouldn't mind. Henry
Mind. The hard thing was that
she should come just to go again; ,
that she should give him Il taste OF
this calm comfort. let him see her
like this and deny him a continu-
ance of it. He was very miserable
in his gratitude.
''put your packages on the sink, :"
she commanded, land when | have
laid Jimmy down will put them
away. Will you open tho oven door
and look ut the biscuit?'' He obey
ed her. then stood looking while
she dcftly 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
nihblcd 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 cat 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, adyis-
ing him what he should do. Final
" 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 mp and drive You
home, or will 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 ut last hers,
"I'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 vail from his
| chair. where he still sat at the ta-
BILE. ..
| 81 don't want YOU to go 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 al
the child's father.
listen, Jimmy. Auntie must &c
tonight. but If You will be good Til
papa comes back l will come again.
"Whcn will you? How long will
YOU stay" he demanded. with tht
deliniteness of chlllhoad No un
certainty for Jimmy! She did moi
| hesitate.
| Il will come baek---in the morn
ing---and | will stay always~-if paps
says that | mayt'
| Jimmy, forgetting his feot, jump
ed at her neck like a little boa con
~trietnr But his father set hin
down, wanting her himself jus
| then.
"Are YOU going to let her stay
papa?" Then Henry jasper laugh
ed. and the burden Of unhappy year.
rolled from his shoulders.