The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1916-09-07
~ LESLIE BRoWNK.

The years rolled on and after his
mother died Hodge was left alone on
the farm.
Time continued to foil along. Hodge
shaved less and slouched more. When
he was thirty-efght he looked fifty.
a neat little red roadster stopped at
Hodges gate mi day and q woman
got out. The woman was a stranger,
neither fat nor thin nor beautiful. But
she was 1.-THE and well built and
dressed with a simplicity that smacked
of tailors, good taste and expense.
And, moreover, she had something In
! her face more wonderful than beauty.
NO" after her inquiry, IT guess I'm
not SO awful busy. Come up and sit
down." nodding toward a porch.
1--we come on business she said.
I'll frankly confess that I'm an agent.
want to sell you something"
Hodge shufied his feet nneasily and
fingered the hat on his lap. II don't
know al I need anything" he, said
''Oh, yes, you do! I'm going to con-
IvAASN yV0 Va tA0S - AA0VC q HUH Qkdn
hope you1l approve Of and 1t won't
take your time, either. Let me go over
your house while you're working and
find out what You need. Let me see r.
She looked at q wrist watch. ITS half
past ten. l can be done and have your
dinner ready by twelve. Do you mind
Il I cook your dinner?"
Hodges Jaw dropped. well, !
guess-I don't care. You'll find things
sort OF unhandy, / suppose, and most
Fof the kettles leak, but I'll pump some
water and kindle up the fre."
Hodge led the way into the house,
and going On back to the kitchen, he
nodded toward the sitting room.
You can take your things of In there.
Maybe it's q bit dusty. I'm not much
on cleaning"
a faded photograph Of q very young
girl was on the mantelpiece In q place
II honor In front OF the silent clock.
She picked 1t up and looked at 1t a
long time. 'Poor little Lily!" she
oreathed. Then she put It back and
gOVkSO HSE r4&@&Eg
OBSTRUCTION eyerywherel Dirt,
neglect and corrosion. What a housed
What d home for any man I"
Hodge was washing at the pump
when a most compelling odor Of cook
Ing met his nose, and then voice
from the doorway called: EVERY
things ready to serve. You are ex-
lctly on time"
He a comb through his hair be-
fore \ cracked mirror on the porch and
went inside. The odors, long strange
to his bachelor nose, made him raven
Dusty hungry.
Hodge Strengthened. The smell Of
good cooking, q I'M In the house,
q table with a white cover and flowers
he cold e through the dining
room door-brought a current Of
thoughts into action that had been
stagnant FOR years. Here was a stu
alton for him to act the gentleman.
rId-Pd better change my clothes 1"
he said.
He came down. There were baggy
knees and a fringed collar, to be sure,
but Hodge no longer slouched. There
was q snap in his eye and his head
was up.
Such q meal! And such q woman
"Now. Mi. Perliss," said the latter,
after a dessert Of fluffy pudding that
Ind melted down his throat. II am
going to surprise you when / tell yon
the things you. need. You are expect
Ing to hear Of rocking chairs and dish
pans, bedspreads and washing ma
chimes. No doubt you need them all,
but I'm going to tell you what you
need more than that. There's q big
world going on at q rather amazing
rate outside Of your valley. and you've
forgotten 1t. What you need IL energy
energy to take part ia the worlds
work. It's terrible to anyone who
goes away and comes backto 4 how
you waste your lives here.
Goes away and comes back IN
Yes. Don't ydh know me, Hodgew
He looked at her hard Tor minute.
You're not" and after long time
ssLily7r
she nodded. There were tears III
her eyes. Yes Lily, plus twenty
years
Then suddenly he saw things as they
were, the ssOrdfdness, meanness u, hia
own surroundings and the splendid
thing she had made 0f HE. Hesheld
ont his hands n s~upplication