The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-10-08
FROM MARY
BY JANE WILKINS.
Copyright, 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate)


Copyright. 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per S~yndicate)
Grandma Bates a alone at the win
dow, rocking. She was always rock
ing these days. She was too feeble
for work about the house, and her old
eyes too dim for much fine sewing.
She sat rocking gently, looking out at
the mellow autumn landscape.
Leaves a-falling." she murmurred
to herself. "when they are most beau
tiful and brightest-eolored they can
drop. They don't have TO hang on
and on. Oh, If folks were only like
that. If only there were something ]
could do"
The sound of quick footsteps on the
porch outside arrested her attention,
and she looked up eagerly as a slim,
dark-halred girl entered the room.
Mary's coming was always like the
coming of the sun to Grandma Bates.
But today Mary RAJ not smiling.
There were traces of tears on her rosy
cheeks. and her lips were quivering.
She buried her head in the old lady's
lap and shook with sobs.
ooh, grandma, grandma !"
Grandma Bates stroked the girls
smooth head with a tremulous hand.
'There. there, honey. don't cry" she
urged. "Whatever your trouble is I
guess I've had it, too. There isn't
much I haven't been through in my
time. and I know things come out right
somehow. Tell grandma what you're
crying about"
"It's Jim, grandma. We've had a
quarrel. Oh. yes, it was silly. l can't
tell you what ii was about, but 1t hap
pened a week ago.. l told him I didn't
want him ever to come near me again
yes, I did-and he hasn't, all this
week. He acts as if he thought /
meant what l said. He ought to have
known"
The shadow of a smile flickered over
the old lady's face. and the light Of
whimsical memories warmed her eyes.
"Just sol" she agreed. 81 remember
when I quarreled with your GRANDPA
Their, too. 1t was about the color of
a horse, l think, or something as stu
pid."
Within half an hour Grandma Bates
was busily clicking her needles over
a lapel of kh~aki-colored wOrsted. and
Mary was listening. with an occasional
~preoccupied sigh, to tales Of that other
war, the war to which her GRANDPA
Their had marched away never to re-
turn.
And so, through the week that fol-
lowed they knitted together, the old
lady guiding the girls fingers as she
learned to turn heels and toes, Epurl"
and "bind-off."
And then, one day, the girl came in
white-lipped and sat with her knitting
untouched, her eyes dark and tragic.
Grandma Bates knew that something
had happened, but she wisely kept
her silence, and at last Mary spoke.
Hes enlisted" she said DULY.
"Jim's enlisted. His sister told me so
ibis morning. And if he goes without
my seeing him again."
"He won't" said the old lady con-
fdently. EITHER he win come to see
you, or else you will write and ask
him to-"
ooh, I cantl If only I weren't so
stubborn and stupid. I can't, grand
ma, and I'm sure that Jim will never
come first
But Mrs. Bates shook her wise old
head and said no more
Several days passed and nothing
hnnnono1 nvaoD%s 4hof Ma rv-ou naln
with the struggle she was waging.
But Mary's grandmother kept stead
lily at work upon the sweaters, socks
and helmets which she completed with
amazing rapidity. And If anyone had
noticed. there was a curious, happy
little smile about her lips at times, a
secret twinkle in her eye when she
looked at Mary.
One evening after the old lady had
gone to bed Mary sat alone trying to
read, straining her ears for the sound
of steps which anne And then.
quite suddenly, they did come. AS of
old there was a quick ring at the bell.
IN impatient tattoo on the door-pane.
Mary opened the front door, to see her
jim, in khaki.
He came in as though nothing had
happened.
Like my uniform, Mary?" he asked.
They talked for a strained five min
utes of things that didn't matter,
everyday things that had existed be-
fore their quarrel. And after a while
ne took her hand again and they made
mutual confessions, each one insisting
on the blame for that misunderstand-
ing.
at was all my fault, Mary, every
Dit. You don't know how hard it's
heen TO keep away from you, especial
~ since l knew l was to go to France.
I've tried and tried to get over my
stubborn, stupid pride and come to
YOU, but I couldn't. If you hadn't sent
me that sweater to show how you
felt"