American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-04-04
%NB0NN SUE
--
BY ANsTIs M. ReNEAR'

Che stood on tipt0e TO GO IL, lor MISS
susan was slim and very tiny. The
.srrbonnet had been her mothers ana
hod always. during the thirty-ocd
vears of Susan's life, hung on the thlru
hook. Although she had peer alone
,n +ha homestead for over q year. IL
would have peer sacrilege to hang the
bonnet on a lower hook! AS she Dent
over to picl. up her garden basket ana
shears. her long brown braid escaped
IFS nins and swung over her shoulder
"Rotherl" said Miss Susan; she
nausea ~irresolutely a moment theh
nushed open the screen door. No n
could see her from the street anu
there was only the silent, suffered
house next door, vacant for years
Swinging her basket gently, Susan
crossed the velvety lawn to the south
trellis, where her roses grew. quiet
w she moved about among the great,
rich blooms. until, spying q perfect
rose high on the trellis, she CLIMBED
uncn the garden bench, to cut the
flower. She leaned eagerly forward.
slipped and in clutching at the trellls'
dronned the rose. 1t fell, with a sort,
little sound, fairly upon the open book
of a man In the garden, next door!
Startled, he looked up, dropped MS
book and seized a pair of crutches at
his side. When he had risen and FACED
her. Miss Susan saw upon his uniform
a majors insignia.
eHeJlo, S~unbonnet SueH' he SAID
twirling the rose, "is this posy for mef
Many thanks!"
Amusement widened Miss Susan's
dark eyes, indignation lent a rosy
flush to her cheeks, but suddenly, as
realization of the mans very natural
error came to her, amusement tiited
the corners of her mouth and revealed
a dimple.
I'll dropped it," she said in pretty
embarrassment, "but you are quite
q. welcome to it. Would you care for
more? / nave so many"
The majors cap lay on the grass,
and the sun turned the gray In MS
black hair to silver.
81 should like some immensely; my
orderly, who keeps house for me,
e doesn't care much for 'gew-gaws' and
l the old place needs a bright touch OF
: two"
n Susan was shipping busily she had
gotten down from the bench, but the
major was tall and could lean over
the fence easily.
It 81 have come to live here" he con-
e tinued, "for the summer, at least. Ar
r. rived last night. The place was left
10 me by q great-aunt whom I'd never
e seen. I didn't take the trouble to in
v v~estigate until the surgeons agreed
that several weeks rest was impera
Id tive for this leg of mine. So l packed
a. up and brought Thompson along"
al Susan's cheeks were pink as tn
roses she handed over the fence; al
or. most in panic she picked up her baske
and fled to the house.
The major was in his garden tina
In day and the next and the next; in fac
lal even when it rained, the major foun
tie # necessary to get q breath of air
tn his back garden.
The summer passed and with 1T tn
lie roses. But nasturtiums bloom faltl
fully and persistently, with care, Ill
ew til late in the autumn. Never ma
err those on Miss Susan's back fence bee
To- such a riot of color and when or
ur- Cannot have roses to tighten one
ent rooms nasturtiums do splendidly.
ing. Tho crutches were abandoned and
OF cane took their place. Over the rem
the major told his war experience
OF thrilling, sad or humorous, Miss Sust
ap- listened with shining eyes but she sa
tea very little. She did not exchange CO
&C fdences with the major, but alwa
nal she wore the frilly sunbonnet with t
braid over her shoulder.
rom One golden morning in Septemh
ted the major said a brief good-by. Sus
hon clutched wildly at the feEce.
"But-are you able? Your leg
side she began. The major was very p'
be and stern, his voice was hoarse.
"When q mar is on the point
making a fool of himself, dear chi
nm IL IS time to say good-by. l am for
nv two and you are q mere baby. For
me. little Sue, but don't forbid me
tune remember you. Some day when J
{ OF are older think that his love for !!
liter once made a man better"
And then fate masquerading In
fat unwleldy form of he groc'
MIN wife came putting along the 81
In street. Her loud voice carried
.e OF tinctly into the back garden as
VINO declared to her companion:
eyed "Wal, I've known Susan sence
regi' day she was born, thirty-four W
pro ago next month and I never SEQ
'med cut sech a caper! Hair down lik
young I'm, they say, a-handin' flow
ional over the fence every day to tibet
III dier-feller. / sh'd think"
ever, The voice died away as its ov
waddled on, leaving tense silence
been the back garden.
their Susan met the majors eyes squal
'orite 'If 1t is any consolation" she
unsteadily, "let me confess that
care, too! And 1 shall-pay-all
!. life for this silly deceitl"