Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-08-04
JANET'S REWARD
BY ELIZABETH M. DUKES

MY heavens, Janet Look how you
waste time peeling those sruds; why
don't YOU boil them. jackets and all7'
JaEet's brown eyes flashed; then q
hopeless look dragged down the cor
, ners Of normally sweet mouth.
'Oh, Dick! You never think 1t mat
tiers how do things. and all my school
lessons on making a home attractive
are just wasted on you, for you don't
! care, no matter how hard try"
I'm no softly! Give me plenty OF
grub and a place to sleep, and what
do l care about your fol-de-rols? Oil
cloth on the table. Shine up the tin
plates! PoSieS In Il mug
A sheer twisted his none too pleas
ant expression still more, Us the man
! swung out of the cabin.
Janet let her busy hands hang idle
moment in utter encouragement.
She had pulled her chair into thc door
way, where. us she peeled the potatoes.
her eyes could sweep over n wide
range down the green mountminSidc to
Il valley threaded with the silver cob
webs OF rivers The great peaks tow
cred again on the farther side. blue.
green and wonderful. Tie clouds
| rested on their crcStS and coGl winds
| came drifting over to the lonely girl ;
hut these brought no message of com
fort today.
A happy girlhood In the valley
school had been Janet's. The girls all
worked for their board ard she had
! delighted to put into practice the
dainty household devices the school
taught
Was It only year ago that the
death of her quiet. hardworking father
had brought her back to the cabin of
| the brother who refused to provide
more money for "schoolinR taught by
! a pack Of tom-fool old maids?"
Dick had never cared to know any
thing better than the sQualid noun
tain ways. A "hatch's'' round of bis
cults, yellow with soda, meat cooked
to rags and flat-tasting canned goods
did not seem to have sickened him. At
least, he sauced the food Janet pre-
pared most carefully with his sneers
The year as his hOuSekeeper seemed
like cons to the poor girl; how long
had It really been since she had heard
words Of appreciation and courtesy?
After all, what was the use Of try
ing any more7 Why mix the biscuits
| according to rule. why sweep and
scrub and polish the tinware until 1t
shone like silver, why put mountain
plnks In a tumbler for the center Of
the table2 She won only mocGery and
scorn, even before the rough strangers
who sometimes shared bed and board
at their cabin.
The blue of the distant peaks
seemed to swim like a blue lake
through her bitter tears. There was n
mournful wall In the wind-it was say
Ing, mo use! You are doomed to be-
come dnll-eyed old slattcrn before
you are thirty"
The discouraged little head was still
bent beneath its burden of chestnut
hrmidS when-what was that? Hoof-
beats! Yes. and Il strange voice.
| Tin sorry to bother you, but ] can't
ride farther without glass of milk. I
See You have a COW pastured here, but
III he grateful for condensed"
The man, hat in hand, smiled pleas
antly Mt her as he sank down on the
doorstep with Jingle of spurs
'"There's milk II you wish IT," Janet
replied, with bright tinge of color
concealing the tear stains; 'but it is
! almost noon. Surely you will stop
here-it's long ride to the next
cabin"
II didn't Intend to-" was the laugh
Ing confession, "for I'd rather ride
empty than swim In grease as at most
OF these shacks. But yours is a real
picture place; and can 1t be I smell
baked beans?"
"You smell my regular Saturday
dinner" said Janet
He did full justice to Janet's food
symphony In brown and gold; the
fluffy mashed potatoes, yellow with
cream, the smoking beans topped with
crisp pork. the steamed brown bread
succeed with plump raisins, and the
custard pie whose thick and golden
filling quivered under meringue
light rs foam and over crust that
crumbled with faky richness.
Dick ate in silence for once: per-
haps the strangers compliments for
the menu twisted his mouth hit, but
he said nothing. He did not leave un-
til Steve Sargent. the new forest
ranger. had risen reluctantly from the
shining white oilcloth and started on
his way. Dick even grumbled an in
vitation when Sargent announced he
would he back that way next week.
This is q place TO ride fasting seven
days to get to at last. / hope l shant
wear out my welcome but I'm afraid
I'm going to try to this summer"
"lf at first you don't succeed, try,