Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-05-04
THE CHANGE
BY CATHERINE CRANMER.

But think what you're shutting
strated her married sister, Mrs vii,
kins
Please don't dwell on that" Nell's
tone indicated fnality
Meaning, ~ course. a marriage
with Perry Norton"
Yes; l mean just that and nothing
more"
yet If you are really absorbed In
this work Of decorating houses. think
what an opportunity that old Morton
country place offers, and you could
choose any sort of town house you'd
want, with no limit to what you could
spend on furnishings" Mrs. Wilkins
set aside her unfinished cup of tea
with an impatient sigh
Get thee behind me- Mammon,"
laughed Nell
"Oh. have it your own way. as YOU
always have things" said her sister
Nell, there's no use picturing Per
~ Morton as monster just because
you don't happen to fancy him"
mo, he isn't a monster at all. Sis;
he's merely an easy-gOing, line-of
loast-resistance sort, and his program
for life could be filled out twenty years
In advance. But, look at the clock,
It's time to pack the tools with which
I'm TO hew out my own little des-
tiny. And Nell took the nearest
w.,
stairway
When she came down all ready for
the train, a maid handed her Perry
Morton's card with this message
written on it: "Good,by, Nell Luck
to you II bob up now and then
please try to regard me as a good
omen
When she arrived that night at her
tiny one-room and-kitchenette apart.
ment she found d huge box of pink
and white roses. A few moments
later, telegram was delivered TO her
II contained this message: Omen
number one May the rose-cOI0red
days Outnumher the colorless ones two
to one. Perry
Neil worked hard During her first
months she had occasional notes from
Perry Norton, but since he had gone
ont 10 western ranch he had sent
her but one note and it contained lit
tie more than his address. One dav,
coon after she had taken a contract
for furnishing some apartments she
was exploring about in a furniture
shoD when she was effusvely greeted
by young bride from her home city.
oh, Nall' What a lovely surprise,"
exclaimed the bride. mo one would
suspect you were involved in a mys-
terry"
Mystery? Why Adelaide, what
can you mean" asked Nell
Just this" said the bride. with a
teasing smile. Everybody at homo
wonders about the mystery OF y0Ur
going off to work and Perry Morton S
subsequent affair With Mrs. N1pos.
widow Of his COLLEGE pal and, lastly,
about Perry's sudden departure for
the wild west. We can't figure o@t
where you got pceyed at Perrv's fond
ness for the widow or whether he
went to the wilds to forget you or TO
forget the widow
Il see nothing mysterious. 1t
sounds Just plain silly to me-" laughed
Nell. She noticed on her table a
magazine addressed TO her. 1t was
mailed at the publishers in New
York. and. looking through it. she
found a blue pencil mark ir the index
at this item; Subsequent Changes of
Program, a Story, by P. NJ. orion"
It was the story of a Young mans
awakening to his own unimportanCe
BY hearing the girl he loved spea K
lightly OF him. While it told Of no
r2m2r'a bic achievements attained by
the man, it showed how his mental
attitude toward life mad undergone
such change thai life must hence
forth mean something deep to him.
All the next day Nell had that
story in her mind, and a hundred
timos she wondered whether the name
p, NJ. Ortoa" was a contraction OF
Perry Morton $ name. or merely a co.
incidence, but as often she put the
thought from her and tried to be in
different about it. When she reached
home that evening She found a tele-
gram from Perry with only this sen,
tence: The last omen but one. anl
it will follow shortly"
Half an hour later, Perry appeared
at her door
Nell. dear" he began recklessly. as
soon as their first greeting was over
have | hungled things But / want
ed to know. and / couldn't tell you
that day over heard you tell your
sister was an easy going, iine-ot,leasf,
resistance product Of my environment.
whose life program had all been
printed in advance. and so on
oh, Perry. please don't" began
! Nell
! oh. yes, Nell, that was the making