Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-02-26
FORGETTING
BY MARJoRY Z. WEBSTER.
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| relied with Tom, broken her engage
ment, and come up to visit her aunt
/; in this little village among the hills.
+, In order to forget him.
''If you weren't quite so selfish. and
could forget yourself for five minutes
| at q time, you would be little bit
happier. Betty" her aunt said one day.
her voice softening her words.
Betty didn't even turn from the win
/, dow. where she was gloomily looking
down the road. Everything looked
even more dismal than usual in the
/, grayness Of drizzling rain.
| A little later her aunt called her out
into the kitchen. where she was pack
ing some Jelly in basket.
Betty, I wish you would take this
Jelly down to Mrs. Emery-she lives
In that white house near the cross
roads, you know. was going myself,
but my rheumatism is troubling me
and I'm afraid 1t would make 1t worse
to 60 out in this rain. The jelly's
especially for her son-he nearly died
with pneumonia this fall, and is just
beginning to sit up now. thought
perhaps you could cheer him up lit
tie. You don't mind, do your
81 don't mind taking the Jelly
down." Betty replied, "but I'm not go
ing in. because l don't want to see
him. don't feel like trying to cheer
up anyone, anyway, especially when
they're men,"
Betty trudged down the road mood
| lily. At the Emery place Mrs. Emery
herself opened the door, and greeted
her in such q warm. friendly way,
that she was ashamed Of her cross
ness.
II made some pumpkin pies this
morning, and want to send one up
to your aunt. Come in and wait in
the sitting room, while wrap 1t up"
Mrs. Emery said, drawing Betty in,
In spite Of herself, and pushing her
into the cozy, old-fashioned living
room. Here's someone to talk to,
Don-Jessica's little niece, Miss
Southall. You must entertain her I'M
til l get that pie wrapped up"
my. but 1t seems good to see some
one from outside" he said. you're
all wet; sit down near the fireplace"
Betty obeyed. He didn't look any,
thing like Tom-she was glad Of that.
He was sitting in an armchair, all
bundled up in red and white crazy
quilt. His face was very thin and
drawn-until he smiled, and then he
looked surprisingly bright. He asked
her about her trip up and about her
self-not a bit like Tom, whose con-
versation was always mostly about
himself-and by the time Mrs. Emery
came back, Betty had promised to
come down the following afternoon
and play cribbage with him.
In the weeks that followed, while
he was convalescing, she went down
often. Sometimes she read to him.
] sometimes they played cribbage, or
! roasted chestnuts or popped corn III
the fireplace, sometimes they just
talked. When he grew stronger, and
/ there WAS no longer any excuse for
her to visit him. he began to call
often at Aunt Jessica's house. Later,
when he was quite we'll again, they
snowshoed and skated together, and
he took her sleighing behind his new
and favorite horse whose name he
changed from Dolly to Betty, because
1t sounded so much better. Betty
soon forgot that she wasn't happy,
but she was too busy to notice the
/, way her aunt's eyes twinkled at times,
when she looked at her.
1t was some time later that Betty
answered the doorbell one afternoon
to find Tom Rollnsford standing on
the doorstep.
"What forsaken hole of a place
to hide away in" We're his first words.
II couldn't get anyone to bring me up
from the station and had to walk all
! the way" His voice was somewhat
irritable. for he was very cold.
what q. shame." Betty sympa-
thized, as she led him into the living
room, wondering to herself what she
had ever seen in him.
! When she had closed the door, he
seized both hands--just as Of old
and said:
"Well well, Betty, you're prettier
than ever. You were unreasonable
last summer-about Louise, I mean
but I'll admit it was partly my fault,
so thought I had better come up and
apologize and take you back home be-
fore some farmer up here married
you"
III that's why you came up" Betty
said, "I'm afraid you've come too
late" She pulled the curtain aside
and pointed down the road "See that
white house down there-the one with
the big barn? Well, next month am
going to marry the man who lives
there. Yes, he is farmer, but he
isn't cad"
Betty, you're joking!"
"Oh, no, I'm not. See my ring. He
10 coming to supper tonight. Won't
you wait and meet him?"
/ The look of unbelief on his face
changed to one Of injured pride. Look
Ing at his watch, he said stifly:
mo, thank you. I've got to catch
that $50 train back-an impor-
tant engagement, you know-so I'll
tear along"
With little smile in her eyes, Betty
watched him laboriously make his way
down the drifted road, then her gaze
became fixed upon the little white
house. and with the smile still playing