Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-03-01
OLD WOMAN AND
HER FLOWERS
FER ISOLATED CABIN SETS IN
BLAZE OF coLoRS
Behind Tiger Lilies Is Her "old
Mans" Grsve-Her Life Story
Like Rare Poem.

After unsuCcessfully inquirlnc ~
every one in Tenstrike, including two
Indians who couldn't talk English, ana
three small children who couldn't talk
anything. where the town got its name.
gave up and went for a hike down
the New Elwell road, writes Caryl n.
Storrs of the Minneapolis Tribune.
who at present is "visitin' round" in
Minnesota.
In due time | came uron house I
quarter of a mile off from the highway.
crouched hut of logs with funny
little lean-to partially covered with ta-
raner and polkadotted with shiny
disks of metal surrounding the heads
o. the nails that fastened the 'atterci
black paner to the boards. Smoke was
curling from a rusty pipe sti"k'n" thru
the roof of the lean-to. and inside q
Melted wire Enclosure. raised TO protect
its vegetable treasures from the in.
roads Of the chickens that were
scratching around the yard, was the
hent figure Of a woman picking peas
IN a dishpan.
EVERYWHERE we're flowers and vines.
vivid nasturtiums, scarlet eeraniumS.
mink white and red hollvhoCks, tinted
sweet peas, blue froGet me-nots and
flaming tiger lilies, II was like comina
suddenly upon a forest FIRE. so varied
and vivid were the bla2ins colors
I stepped up, unheard, to the wire
irclosure and said:
"Good morning"
The woman straghtened herself,
putting one hand to her back as II II
ached. and with the other pusacd back
faded blue sunbonnet Her thin hair
was lined with gray. her owes were
eaunt and her brown, wrinhiod face
was strcaked with sweat; for Il was
hot out there in the MINDLESS woods
She did not smile, or seem particular
" surprised but said Good morning
pleasantly enough.
''You have pretty place here
said
She waved one arm toward the
fouse and replied: you mean the
flowers? Yes: like 'em and they give
re somethin' to do Where you from ."
"l'm not from anywhere in partcu.
lar" said |, tho | used to live in Mn
roapois. I'm waiting for a train az
Tcnstrike and just out for walk
"You're the first Twin person I've
seen in two weeks" she replied. st'l
without apparent interest. but speak.
ing in the tone she might have used in
saving, q think it'll rain before night. .
81 wonder if you could give mo
something to eat" asked: its din
ner time and I'm hungry and it must
II two miles back to the hotei."
81 dunno bout that" she replied,
and then came the first glimmer Of
smile. Il reckon | could do as well by
We as the hotel, ef you don't mind
plain things"
] looked az the fat pea pods in the
c,shpan and allowed that didn't mind
Plain things at all; in fact, rather
preferred them to the highly ornate
fare one was apt to get at the Ten
strike hotel
We came to an agreement. and to
eXpendte matters | shelled the peas
and sliced some cold boiled potatoes
for frying.
Eyer kind o. handy round a kit
chem said my hostess for we had
gone into the lcanto where a pine fire
was roaring in the broken stove and
kettle was boiling chceriy eyes.
Ike my jim; he's my Youngest boy.
wanted a eirl, but he turned out a
boy, 50 | sort O kee him round the
house and he was smarter than most
girls at cookin' and making gardcn."
where is he now?' asked.
~ don't just know" she replied so,
berry He's off north somewhcres.
The last heard he was workn' IN
the woods cruisin' timber up IN
Canada
Doesn't he ever write to your"
lord love yc,' answered Jims
mother he can't write. And there
amt no postotlicos where he is any
way He'll be back some day
She went into the main part OF the
house and returned wiping off A
Photograph which she handed to mo.
That's jim when he was a little
fellcr,' she said
Jim as a little Teller was a decided,
Fright youngstcr. tho even the skill Of
a Bemidji photographer could not con
ctal that he was IMMERSED in the cog
metic arts and had a cast in his Jeff
eye.
"A smart looking boy" | com.
mented
Yes she said, "he was the smart.
est OF tho two, tho Alec alIus MANAGED
to make good liyin and used to send
me money up TO a year ago"
And whore is Alec?"
Il don't just know" she said again
stlll more soberly. "The last heard
he was workin fer the Oliver mipc
people up on the range He'll be back
c.me day"
"And you live here all aone?"
"Yes, sence my old man was killed
killed. | echoed, sympa;hetIcaly
tho her tone had not sought sympathy
Eyes, right in the woods here ST,
\ onths ago. We had a claim here an,
he was clparjn' "A njern of land u,,,