The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-11-04
The Gift
Supreme
BY JESSIE E. SHERWlN
f6. 1920. Western Newspaper Union.

co. 1920. Western Newspaper on'on.'
The hundred dollar flag that had
been donated to Corydon by its school
children and worked for ana s'lVea
for by those patriotic subscribers, was
Haunting gayly in the breeze ana
there was certain holiday aspect 10
affairs In general In the little puDlfc
square the town band OF six pieces
was playing on an elevated platform.
There were gathered the principal To-
cal officers and half the population OF
the district grouped about them
"What is the occasion of the gAtner-
ing7'' inquired stranger on the steps
Of the hotel facing the pleasure
grounds.
ELMER Rolfe, one Of our best citl-
zens, built up Corydon to what 1t is,
was a hero in the war and Is going
away They have presented him with
n handsome watch and chain ana
credential as to his usefulness IN this
community that will carry him any
where"
"Must amount to something to have
II w ----~-
or. Politician? Wealthy?'
Neither He is a modest, purely
human being, who came here an igno-
rant farm boy ten years ago. He serv-
ed at the hardest kind Of labor until
he was twenty-five. Then he had
saved up little money and took spell
of rest and study. Just over the hill
is a little schoolhouse. The teacher,
Miss Dorothy Walters, was only sew
enteen when Elmer, eight years her
senior, applied for admission as
scholar
THE big boy of the school, eh?'
AUST about that. He had to begin
at the bottom. 1t was the alphabet,
then the primer, and so on and up.
He became the beloved Of every child
In the place with his hearty, good
natured ways. After two terms Miss
Walters marked out course of home
study for him that finished him off an
intelligent. well posted man insall the
elements Of practical education"
"And then?"
He loved the town, the people. the
environment that had enabled him to
make man Of himself His one i'm
pulse was a desire to make the COM
munity better for their care of him.
Elmer had an aptitude for construc-
ton The town board got the idea
Of employing a manager. They Sc
lected him. Electric lights, traction,
the telephone, new water and sewage
system-he worked out all these prob
lens as skillfully and far more eco
nomically than professional engineer
would have done. When the war
came he was among the first to- vol
unteer Since his return he has fin
1shed up the last Of his public utility
work and has been offered a fine posi-
ton in sprouting Idaho town."
1t was a wonderful day for Elmer
Rolfe and his heart was full. Outside
of the one great gift there were a
score Of minor ones. A motherly old
lady had brought him two sweaters,
knitted by herself, Ito keep him warm
out in the wilds." ''''
AS the functions were over and he
got somewhat to himself, Elmer Rolfe
looked all about as if searching for
some particular person. Disappoint-
ment clouded his earnest, open face
Then it frightened as he noticed an
old lady making toward him. She
was the woman at whose home Dor0.
thy Walters, the school teacher, had
boarded for years.
dorothy was quite ILL., she told
him. "She asked me to bring this to
you-only copy of the book Of poems
you always liked. She bids you God
speed and hopes you will write to her.
l.-"Oh, must see Dorothy before
reof be declared. DO you think
could &; lesvs c9ryse A. y|!aggt ths 81;
cation, courage, AND hopper" ,sH:;.., ,:..-
Re spoke tie fast Word sadly. The
keen-eyed old lady caught the inflec
ton Of his tones and the emotion his
eyes displayed: .,1:zl lzzzaR*ss :s:ss8''s
), 'tHope-f0r What, Elmer?' she said
yearningly, as if she had been his OWL
mother.
''Oh, that applies to vain dream Of
years agone," replied Elmer with af
fected lightness. II never realized
how grim and grizzled and old wa!
until I came back from the war ant
saw she was as fresh and sweet a!
when a young girl. You see"
He stammered; he flushed. The OLE
lady caught his arm. "Oh!" sh'
spoke, "if I guess right, if you NEAR
that you are hiding from Doroth!
love you feel for her"
"Just that. But what then?"
"Go and tell her. Do you know VIII,
she is Ill, why she shrinks from meet
ing you? 1t is because she is sick a
heart at the thought of your goin
away"
A great Joy came into the face Q
Elmer Rolfe. His eyes turned dow
the thoroughfare, at the end Of whic
he could see, notwithstanding the dis
lance, the little hill schoolhouse tina
was so dear to him.
"Sho has dreamed Of that far c0ur