The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1921-07-07
A BERRY SURPLUS
by AopiE GRAVES.


berries. Dorothy. You've been gone
only two hours. and there are IL
quarts. II not more In those pals
they look as big as the swamp berries,
though; 1t must be dandy picking.
shall have all my jars filed with blue
berries, IL you keep on. and have to buy
more-and they are awfully dear this
year."
D0r0thy's heart was humping like
the big drum In the band-ragtime, at
that. She had turned her back TO hide
her confusion and was searching the
pantry for pans for picking over the
berries When she returned her moth
er continued:
II heard today--Jane Butterfield told
me--that Jim Bamforth is home She
said he Is in the insurance business In
Bost0n-is superintendent of some Of
ice Of the Plymouth Rock company.
She said he Is doing fine. and was
dressed up to kill when he arrived.
suppose he hates farming worse than
ever"
Dorothy made no reply to her moth
er's remarks and changed the subject
by demanding some fruit jars. Jim
and she had been sweethearts. but her
father had sent Jim away because he
refused to stay with his father on the
farm. insisting on going to the city to
work.
Ii Dor0thy's mother had followed her
on her BURBERRY trips. she would have
discovered the cause of the full pals
that reached the kitchen each day. II
was old Rex who was the nstigator
of the whole thing. He was with his
master who was picking blueberries in
the edge Of the swamp which bordered
DOrothy's fathers BURBERRY pasture.
That he was there with premeditated
Intentions of finding Dorothy was the
result OF almost years endeavors and
hope.
But old Rex discovered her first. His
nose was sharper than his masters
eyes, for didn't he love Dorothy too?
Maybe she surmised the nearness of
Jim.
With questioning eyes they searched
each others faces.
The years space of absence was
spanned by few seconds. At last,
after the flooded greeting subsidized. Jim
invited Dorothy into the swamp, where
the berries were bigger and hung in
great punches from tall trees In the
shade Of young pines. The blueberry
bushes were SO high Jim had to jump
to catch hold Of the lower limbs. He
had to hold them down while they both
rapidly scooped off the berries, quickly
filling the pals.
IL Dorothy had gone home at once,
her mother would have been more mys-
tilted than she was when her daughter
did arrive. But the couple sat down
on fallen log, entirely forgetting the
berries. Rex was glad to see Dorothy
in his masters arms-to know they
were both happy. He could tell when
things were all right.
Dorothy was very silent about her
daily work. Her mother watched her
with anxious heart. She remembered
the time when she and Pa picked blue
berries together in gill dipper--he In
knee 0veralls-she In "a long -sleeyed
tire"-both with bare feet.
A few years later came the husking
bee. when she found the red ear. and
they dared the bashful eighteen-year-
odd boy to kiss her. Then the shy
counting, broken by the horrible YER
dict OF Grandfather Downing forbid
ding the marriage.
Pa was too slow and stupid to
amount to anything. Lazy" grand
father said. How. after two years Of
misery. they accidentally met in an
other town and returned man and
wife. And now pa had $4,000 in the
bank.
She sighed and studied Dorothy. But
Dorothy did not sigh. II wretched
she kept up "brave 'front.'" and her
mother made no comment. When Dor
othy asked her to 60 blueberrying with
her one morning ma was surprised.
I'VE don't need any more blueber-
ries. Dorothy" she insisted. But Dor
othy. with an inscrutable smile, got the
pals and coaxed her mother to go.
Mrs. Meredith resisted Dorothy's ap-
peals to enter the swamp. but finally
yielded when she perceived there was
q reason for the request. When they
came to the log they found 1t occupied
by three people-Jim. his brother and
q stranger Jim rose and ut once In
troduced man.
Mrs. Meredith, this Is my friend,
Rev. Henry Flanders. Dorothy has
consented to marry me without her
fathers permission. As he set an ex-
ample for us she does not think he
can have much Of case against IN.
But she wished very much TO ave
her mother present at her wedding.
"Oid Rex brought US together down
here. We found our happiness on this
old log. and, as a clergyman was stop
ping at my home. we thought It a nice
place to be married, without any fuss
or bother"
Mrs. Meredith was too COMPOUNDED
to speak, and no one else ventured to
make remarks so the minister proceed
ed with the marriage service. Rex.
with ears erect, sat like sentinel,