The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-10-25
discord against her red plaid frock.

discord against her red plaid frock.
But when the band struck up, she
changed-sat upright, eye glowing, lips
| parted, deep scarlet showing through
| the massed freckles all over her
| cheeks. They were so thick on the
nose they made it Indian color; also
they powdered her arms well above
| the elbow. Her shiftless father had
been one of granny's troopers until
he died, just year ahead of her.
Even then she had not taken home
Jincy, her daughters child, choosing,
she said, to die as she had lived, alone.
But at the end, when Jincy, venturing
in, found her stricken, helpless. speech
less, there had been an agony OF en-
treaty in the fierce old eyes. Jincy
had known Granny wanted to say
something-to tell something eyes
searched her face so steadfastly, but
no words came through the week she
fought back death. Jincy shivered still
when she let herself remember that
tiMe.
She sat through the music SPELL
bound, wholly TRANSPORTED. The speak
ing wearied her. Brief as 1t was, the
words of the immortal declaration fell
on ears unheeding-ears to which 1t
was in an unknown tongue. But when
the band struck up again and the
crowd rose for the march to dinner
Jincy could not be still. She swayed
in time and her feet battered lightly
so lightly Mrs. Benefits heart yearned
more than ever.
The doctors wife had many friends
to see and see about. She was glad to
shift Jincy into Mrs. Benton's charge.
At first the girl was too shy to do more
than nod or shake her head or humble
half articulately. 1t came with rush
when, after dinner, Mrs. Benton took
her apart Sitting on a shady bank,
Jincy gave all her CONFIDENCE story
that brought tears to the listeners
eyes.
GAIL she knew was work-feld
work. She could not read or spell or
|
do more than cook ashcake and fry
bacon.
Daddy had done the sewing-when
there were any clothes to make. He
had likewise done the cooking-if
there was wherewithal beyond meat
and meal. Daddy had not been lazy,
as people said. He had done the best
he knew; and he was that honest Gran
had always got the better of him when
it came to dividing the crops. He had
been good to his children, too. They
had never felt blow except the time
Gran whipped them for chasing her old
peacock. After that he would not let
them go about her, though he had
stayed on in the cabin because Nanny
had died there. If only he was here
now. There Jincy broke down utterly.
II amt got nobody but Tawm," she
moaned, land him so little. However
will we live? Folks can cheat us outen
everything Gran left. wouldn't mind
workin' all my life-ef hadn't never
had nothin'. Seems to me we'd be bet
ter off dead"
"Try living for little longer" Mrs.
Benton said kindly. "But not all alone.
Rent the place; it's too big for you
to handle, and come and be my little
girl"
1t made a nine days wonder-also
almost scandal. All sorts of things
were said. People were slow to credit
Mrs. Benton's real motives. When, a
year after the girls adoption, Benny
married her, thus taking her legally
into the family, the skeptics shrugged
and said :@"Of counsel The farm is
rich, even if she hasn't any money"
Love and happiness are miracle work
ers, truly. Within the next two years
they transferred Jincy from freckled
fright into the handsomest young ma
tron In the county. Also mother Of
the finest boy baby-who of course had
Dads name in full. Benny never tired
Of saying Jincy was the reward Of
kindness-if he had not helped out the
band and run down the carryall, he
might never have got her.
He had sold the big farm-Jincy shud-
dered ut even the thought of visiting
1t. The money was safe at interest, so
there should be an accumulation to
take Tawm through college. And then
one day came lawyer with many pa
pers to prove Jincy and her brother
heirs to $4,000 secretly invested by
Gran in driblets from her hoardings.
The Bentons were no happier-sim.
ply because they could not be. But
several and sundry of their critics
were quite unhappy over this undis-
covered turn of luck to people who
knew no better than to be generously
kind.