The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-02-11
BY BARBARA KERR

gurgle of the apple butter as it surged
through the holes in the wooden pad
die of the stirrer:
'Peter-pitter-p atter-putter-
Observation-Disclosures - apple but.
ter
Too much hard cider will make you
stutter-"
well, hello, little poet! How do
you know? Tried it? I've brought
the rest of your cider from the mill,
but it's not hard. Where's your
mother?'
Ashamed that anyone, especially
Milo Ward, the idol of her childish
heart, should have heard her silly lit
tie song, Sarah Jane hung her head in
modification. She would have run
away, but she was mindful that Dun
can farm was famous for it's apple
butter, which had never been burned.
She tried to pull her little brown bare
feet up under her skirts and almost
upset her precarious perch
Look out for the throne!" cried
Milo, as he caught the chair and right
ed it on the box. Then, seeing her
embarrassment, he took the stirrer
from her hands, saying gently: Don't
mind me, little Say-Jane. Let me
give the stirrer few whirls while
you find your mother for me-"
Sarah Jane needed no second bid
ding. She found her mother, but
would not return to her post till Milo
had delivered the cider and gone. She
heard him say to her mother as he
was leaving: Il guess l leased Say
Jane, Mrs. Duncan; tell her I'll have
better manners next time, for Pm go
ing away to college"
October came and went in the val
ley. Other children, sons and daugh-
tiers of the farmers, went to college.
Many of them, after finishing, returned
no more, but took up their lives in va
rious ways in other places. One who
did not return was Milo Ward, for his
family had moved away and the Ward
farm was sold. But Sarah Jane could
not remain away; the old folks at
home needed her. She and her moth
er still made apple butter, but not In
the big copper kettle, for there were
so few now to eat it.
Then war broke out and Sarah
Jane, patriotic and sweet and>-whoIe-
solAe as her own valley, wanted TO do
her bit. She would make apple butter
for the soldiers. She brought forth
the copper kettle, and as she sat pa
tiently stirring her thoughts reverted
to that other October day when she
was so mortified, and she and her
mother laughed over the memory.
When the apple butter was done and
set away to cool in great stone Jars,
Sarah Jane made market basket full
OF apple butter sandwiches and took
them in to the station, for she had
been warned that troop train was
coming.
She delivered the delicious sand
witches into eager hands thrust through
the windows till she had just one left.
when she saw q soldier hurrying to
meet her. Thinking that he was COM
ing for the treat she held 1t out to
him, crying out her wares In her mu-
steal contralto: "Just one of nv fa-
nous apple butter sandwiches left.
Warranted pure cider, fresh from the
Duncan farm"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS but
teri" mimicked the soldier. "And it's
little Say-Jane, too. Don't you tell me
you don't remember me" and he took
fhn oh he
81 remember that you promised
you'd have better manners next time.
and now you've reminded me of that
awful moment"
when the queens throne toppled-
and when I tried to fix it she abdi-
Gated
ut looks as if you were intent on
soaring some one else into abdlcating."
remarked Sarah Jane with a sweep of
her basket toward the train-"the
way you go flying through the coun-
try, not even stopping TO see the old
home place"
who says soT' bantered Milo. 81
have a 26-hour stop-over. l was
going out to your place, hoping you'd
invite me to stay, and then take me
around to see the old places. Be-
sides one apple butter sandwich
is only tantalizlng when you haven't
tasted the Duncan brand for so long"
Sarah Jane for moment was
tongue-tied with a rush of her old
childish difidence "Oh, have |
heart !" he pleaded, as he took her bas-
ket frcp5 her arm. I'm sure your
mother would bid me welcome"
EYES," assented Sarah Jane demure-
ly, "mother is such a good patriot, |
she'd do anything for soldier"
1--WE a great mind to make you apol-
ogize right now for that remark to an
old sehoolmate, little Say-Jane," he I
threatened as he helped her into the /
roadster. "We are going to cut out I
all the hero stuff. I'm not making an
international appeal. In fact, 1t is a
sort Of domestic matter. I've bought !
the old farm and I'm going to talk
business to you
"Be careful!" warned Sarah Jane
in a panic. I'm not a good driver
It just about takes all my mind"
ooh, in a case like that, I'll take the
wheel, or else Wen stop at the old |
hedge, under that big hedge apple tree,
and III tell you why l did not come
sooner"
AS he drove through the sweet-seent-
ed lanes he set about giving, as he
termed it. a strict account of himself.
And it must have been quite satlsfac-
tory to all concerned, for while 20
hours leave is all too short, 1t was
still long enough to convince Sarah
Jane Of his sincerity. OF her love for
him she had been convinced years ago.