Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-24

eyes with the sweetest light in hers that
ever comes into u womau's face,
well. then he said. as he a,irew
her to him. "you are going TO marry
me,
The day had been dark and rainy, but
now the clouds rolled back and the sun
CHINE. warm and glorious, strcamed
Into the Kitchen. The teakettlc, too. on
the stove behind them, threw UP its lid
and burst into n thunder Of bubbles.
The next time they tried the door il
yielded, Mrs. Mcclure having made
second barefoot Journey.
Whcn they came up from the little
kitchen. the light incffablc was shining
~ their faces. but Mrs. Mcclure called
them back to earth by remarking dryly
IT'S just as well ] wasn't parchiu
for that drink"
The prairie lay scrc and brown like a
piece Of faded tapestry beneath the
November sun that, pccring through the
dust laden air. seemed old and worn
with his efforts to warm the poor old
fadod eurth
The grain had all been cut and gath.
cred into stacks that had dotted the
fields, two by two, like comfortable mar
ricd couples, and these in turn had
changed into bilowy piles OF yellow
straw. through which herds Of cattle
foraged, giving touch Of life and color
to the unrnding cclorlcss landscape. The
trees stnod naked aud bare. The gar
dens where once the corr waved and
the hollyhocks faunted their brnzen
beauty, now lay tangled litter of
stalks, waiting the thrifty farmers torch
to clear them away before the snow
came. The earth had yielded Of her
fruits aud now rested from her labor.
worn and spent, taking no thought OF
comclincss, but waiting in dccrepit In.
difference for her friend, the North
Wind, TO bring down the swirlug snow
to hide her scars and heal her unloveli
ness with it's kindly white mantle.
But although the earth lay scrc and
brown and dust laden. the granarics and
elevators were bursting with n rich
abundance. lnuumcrablc freight trains
loaded with wheat wound heavily up the
long grade. carrying off all too slowly
the produce Of the plain, and still the
loads OF grain came pouring In from
the farms. The cellars were full of
the abundance Of the gardcns--gollcn
turnips. rosy potatoes and rows of pale
green cabbngcs hanging by their roots
10 the beams gave an air of security
against the long, cold. hungry winter.
Inside Of John Watson's home. in
glndncSs reigncd. for was not Pearl
coming home? Pearl. her mothers helper
and adviser9 Pcnrl. her sicnt fathers
wonder and delight. the second mother
Of nll the little Wntsuns. Pearl was
coming home.
Events in the Watson family were
reCkoncd from the time of Pearls de-
parture o" the time of her expected
home coming. PA got raised from one
dollar and quarter to one dollar and
half just six weeks from the day Pearl
left. lacEin' two days" and Mrs. Evans
gave Mary new stuff" dress. ION the
Frida' rs Pearl loft or the Thursda'
three weeks before and. moreover, the
latest McSorlcy baby was born ION
the Wcdnesda' az Pearl was comm
home on the Saturda' four weeks after"
Domestic affairs were Influenced to
some degree by Pearls expected arrival.
Don't be wcarin' yer sweater now.
Tommy man. I'm fcart the red strip'll
run in 1t when it's washed: save it clean
till Pearlic comes. there's man.
"Patsey. avick. wobble yer tooth now
man alive. Don't he havin' that loose
thing hangin in yer jaw, and Pcarlic
comiu home SO soou.'
The younger children. whose appctitcs
were out of all proportion to the supply.
were often ''tidcd over what might
have been n fearful time by n promise
OF the good time coming. When Danny
cried because the bottom Of his pOrridgc
plate was always Stickin' through"
and later in the same day came home in
the same unnamed condition because he
had smellcd chickens cooking down at
the hotel when he and Jimmy went with
the milk, Mary rose to the occasion and
told him in n wild flight of unwar-
ranted extravaganza that they would
have turkey when Pearl came home.
y cranberry sauce. " brown gravy.
NO-ow,
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