Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-08-09

mo, you won't do nothin' OF the
kind. Why, / wouldn't have him see
me now for worlds!"
How foolish, mother. know what
you're thinking of-that you're little
older-but l don't imagine he's been
swimming in any fountain of youth.
And know he'd Just love to see one
of his old friends"
II took lot of persuasion-but then,
maybe the widow knew more about
Hiram than her daughter debut
Mary eventually had Judge Bennett on
the phone and invited the judge and
Mrs. Bennett, who was a newcomer in
the town, having lived there only TWEEN.
ty years, and asked them to bring Mr..
wilkins up that very night.
Five minutes later mother appeared
in the kitchen in her Bingham apron.
why, mother, what are you going
to do?"
I'm goin' to make blackberry pie.
That Wilkins boy was always terror
for blackberry pie
Meanwhile the judge was having al
most as much trouble with Hiram as
Mary had had with mother.
why. gosh almighty, man, l amt
hardly spoke to a woman, except ranch
help. in gosh knows how long!"
But the hour for the supper came
and with the hour came Mrs. Bennett
and with Mrs. Bennett the Judge, and
with the judge came Hiram. And it
was about the merriest supper that
ever happened over hardware store.
My, my. how Hiram and mother
laughed over those old days! They
talked about the celebrated swim from
Maple Bend to Picnic Point-no other
1901 Kid had ever swum it since, the
judge assured Hiram, trying to con-
ceal his pride under that word fool"
sometimes the harp of memory was
played in minor key, for there were
some whom Hiram recalled who had
responded to the final Home Coming.
Yet always the conversation swung
back to some funny happening of forty
years ago, and mother laughed as she
had not laughed in years, and Hiram
laughed as he had not laughed since
the last tenderfoot broke a broncho.
The Judge and Mary's husband told
Hiram about the Community club, and
about the six trains day instead of
two, and the creamery with laundry
attached, and the township high
school, and the interurban, and the
pickle station, and the farm demon
strator, and a lot of other things.
What change do you notice most?"
asked the hardware merchant.
That darn park that used to be the
wild blackberry PATCH" answered Hi
ram, with half laugh and half sigh
But mothers laugh was not a half
one by any means. She laughed UNI
I'll she was ashamed of herself. She
laughed herself to the kitchen and
came back laughing with blackberry
: pie. And the halfmoon cash in the
crust, to let the steam escape, with its
red lips, looked so much like a mouth
that the blackberry pie seemed to be
laughing itself.
do you remember the last time we
went blackberryin' asked Hiram.
A very clever person might have dis
covered tone of tender recollection
in his voice.
Indeed, do" said mother. "And
remember how you dressed all up be-
cause l was goin' along, and you tore
your pants and dassn't go homer"
mo, that wasn't the last time. The
last time was long after that, just be-
fore l went West. Why, guess l
was about twenty them
Well, mother remembered some
thing about that. but not very much.
So the conversation drifted back to
the park and the playground, but Hi
ram expressed the idea that the chill
dren nowadays didn't get any more
fun out of the slides and the swings
than he did out Of the blackberries.
But" said mother, as they rose
from the table, you see, now we
have both the park and the berries
only we have the berries out in the
back yard"
So Hiram and mother went out into
the back yard to see the berries. And,
as they walked and talked, mother re-
membered the last afternoon in the
berry patch much better. Somehow,
they stopped laughing about it. And
they stayed out there long enough to
inspect each individual berry.
After the company had gone, moth.
er sat up talking about them later
than she had been up in years. And
what do you think of Hi-of Mr.. Viii.
kins?" she asked.
II think he's fine old mani" Mary
answered with enthusiasm.
Il don't see why you call him DID,"
said mother with spirit "He looks
twice as young as the judge"
Hiram dropped in nearly every day
during Homecoming week, and he
fingered week after the big week
was over. Then one day he showed
UP at the courthouse, suitcase in hand.
We'll, off for the West?" asked
Judge Bennett.
Yep
A pause-then a grin from Hiram.
"Yep-goin' to sell that ranch and
come home and settle down"