Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1919-12-15
GRANDMA DIXON
BY HELEN PATTERSON.
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VI utl AAOhi IllS lIOWtl duu, DclOIt
standing erect, touched the tender
shoots lovingly with her fingers.
The larkspur meant more than tall
blue flowers to her. 1t meant memo
ries Of the past; memories of the
morning when q young soldier in a
faded blue uniform had found her re-
jeicing over their first blossom. There
had been four weary years of war and
this, their first meeting, the larkspur
had witnessed. Since that morning
the flower had occupied a place Of
honor In her garden.
Want any help, grandma7" asked a
young man looking over the fence.
you know, I'm great on digging"
Bless you, Dick. OF course l know
it, when look at this garden, but
there Is nothing to do this morning.
Thank you. Come here and tell me
about your work"
"Ill come over, but there is nothing
to tell. l haven't any yet"
"Do you mean to say, Richard Haw-
kins, that you are not going back to
your old workT" asked grandma, as
the young man vaulted the low fence
and stood beside her.
That's just it, grandma. Your hum
BILE servant has to find new job. You
know, the girls are doing our work so
well that many firms are keeping
them, and Bolton & Mason's is one of
them"
"Bst the girls will certainly resign
when they know you are home again."
said grandma. II remember when Abb
ner came home from the Civil war, l
gave up his school had been teaching
and we were married"
"Tll bet you did," answered Richard,
but whose coming through the
gate?"
"Why, bless me! If 1t isn't Betty"
said grandma, hurrying to meet a
young girl dressed in a stylish suit and
very becoming small hat. Come on
Dick, you know Betty. Why, you used
to play with her when she was a tiny
girl. You remember, she is the only
grandchild l have"
Nothing loath, Richard followed
Grandma Dixon down the garden path
and was reintrOduced to Betty. For a
moment pair of laughing blue eyes,
the color Of the larkspur, locked into
his while they uttered a few common
place remarks, and then Betty fol-
lowed grandma into the house. 1t was
not until Richard had walked the
length of the garden that he remem-
bered, with a queer feeling, that he
had seen those same blue eyes in the
girl that occupied his desk at Bolton
& MasOn'S office.
In the meantime, Betty in the house
had casually asked grandma "When
had Richards people moved back to
the old homesteadW
"They haven't moved back" an
swered grandma. Richard is spend
ing the week with me trying to re-
cuperate from his work of the last two
years."
"Was he in all of the WARP" asked
Betty.
Most Of it." replied grandma, "al- |
though it's little he talks about it.
Just now he's all upset over not get
ting his old work back"
But grandma" protested Betty,
perhaps the girl needs the money she |
is earning as much as he does know
some of the girls in our office are TAX
ing care of their mothers and younger
brothers and sisters"
1T may be all right for those girls
to keep our returned soldiers out of a
job, but what about the girls like you,
Betty Dixon, that don't really need to
work." Indignantly asked grandma.
"Why-grandma- know we
girls took up their work so the boys |
could go and fight, and we have all
bought Liberty bonds and worked for
the Red Cross" stammered Betty as
she thought of the young man she had
casually glanced at at the cement
works yesterday.
Eyes, you all did your best while the .
war was being fought and won, but
now that it's over, show your graft
Jude to the boys in a more substan-
.ial way than cheers. I'm ashamed of
you"
You won't need to be ashamed of |
ne any longer, grandma" said Betty
neekly. "Tll make good. just hadn't
thought about it before; and now I'm
going to look at your tulips"
But it wasn't tulips; it was Richard
hat Betty found sitting disconsolately
IN an old seat by the lilacs. No one
,ould resist Betty when she wanted to
De extra charming and soon they were
,alking and laughing like children.
The next day Betty returned home
and the day afterwards Richard re-
.eived two letters; one was from Bet
y, which after reading, he kissed and
Dut in his inside pocket. The other
lne was from Bolton & Mason, in
5iting him to call at their Office.
1t was at the close of the summer,
IN one moonlight night that the tall
blue flowers awOke from their sleep to
hear low voice say:
Betty, I'm to be made sales man.
lger next week and the salary is very
yOod-and-oh, Betty, dear, I've al
ways loved and wanted you. Won't
you please say YesT"
But as Richards arms closed around
Betty the larkspur discreetly turned