Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-03-24
The Old Fashioned
Way
By MARGARET M. LUKEs
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
G. 1922. by McCIura Na,usnanar Sundicata


baby-Dlue evening dress she was fix
ing over and rocked contemplatiyely
back and forth as she waited for her
daughter to come back from the tele-
phone.
Who was that?'' she asked sharply
when Jerry finally came from the front
nall and slid with half sigh into the
rocking chair on the other side of the
coy open fire. Snowfiakes were fly
ing in great beautiful swirls and
making fantastic patterns on the living
room window. For a minute Jerry
watched as if she had not heard what
her mother said. Then, bending her
pretty blonde head over the blue silk
stockings she was mending, she an
swered:
1t was Jack, mother"
"What'd he have to say about the
dancer"
said he wasn't sure. Said all along
he was thinking it was another night
and now he doesn't know what to do
because some folks in Albany asked
him in to party You see,
mother, it does put him In a fix.
L"
Keep still! Mrs. Higgins voice
rang sharply through the living room.
"How long are you going to sit there
making excuses for Jack Crawford?
How many times does that make now
he's tried to disappoint you at the last
minute? Albany. Fiddlesticks You're
good enough for him to come around
here every lasting Sunday night when
there's nothing else going on, l notice."
But mother" Jerrys voice, small
and meek, tried to interrupt, "you
don't understand"
Understand I understand some
things all right. I understand he's
been hanging around here three years
now taking up all your time and keep
ing all the other boys away It's
Albany now, is it? I'll tell you, when
I was girl there was none of your
dawdling around like that. Humph-
party in the city!'' Mrs. Higgins sewed
viciously.
Tears were very near the surface
of Jerry's sweet, blue eyes. She had
to swallow hard before she spoke.
"But, mother, it was different when
you were a girl. That was the old
fashioned way. Jack likes me.
know he does, only" ;
"Only! Thinks he's so fine" Mrs.
Higgins poised her needle in midair>
''There's other folks have friends in
Albany" she said.
Just then a light step crunched on
the snow that lay in small drifts on
the front porch. There was pull at
the bell and in a second Minnie
Cooper, rosy and vigorous with the
cold, burst in on them.
ooh, Mrs. Higgins" she cried, "the
hall for the dance looks beautiful.
It's all those shiny kind of icicles and
we've got moon to hang over the
chandelier. I think Wen have the
best time tomorrow night. It's the
incest dance the Knitting club ever
gave" She drew a new breath.
"Why weren't you down helping to
decorate, Jerry? I'll tell you what,
come down tonight. There's still lots
to be done. You and Jack come down
tonight"
For moment there was perfect
silence in the room. Then Mrs. Hig-
gins cleared her throat and spoke in
offhand fashion.
"Jerrys not going to the dance
with Jack"
"Why, mother" Jerry put in with
establishment. while Minnie Cooper
stood there, wide-mouthed and speech
less In her surprise. Mrs. Higgins
might as well have said she and
Father Higgins were going to get a
divorce For three long years the
fiourishing little town of Bristol had
never seen dainty, piquant Jerry in
the company of any boy but the big,
good-looking Jack Crawford.
snow, them" Mrs. Higgins quickly
added, "Pm not going to give away
your little secret. Least not all Of it.
I'll Just tell one part Jerry's going to
have a new evening dress, Minnie.
I've decided she can't wear this old
blue thing I've been fixing up" She
paused. "Jerry's going to have that
rose one with the silver lace you may
have seen in Sherack's window"
Now Minnie Cooper was not spite
rul: she was not even scandal
monger: but Is minutes after she
walked slowly, thoughtfully down the
steps of the Higgins front porch half
the young folks in Bristol knew what
Mrs. Higgins had told her.
In the meantime back in the dining
room. as she went methodically about
setting the table for supper. this ener-
getic little woman was dealing with
the speechless Jerry. In all of Jerry's
twenty-one years she had let other
people have their way. Perhaps that
Is the reason Jack Crawford. good
natured but pampered son of the silk
mill Crawfords, had never had quar-
rel with her. Perhaps that was the
reason now that the twsakly eyed
mother was able to keep her plans from
her. She said mysteriously:
"You've heard tell that your mother
has friends in Albany, haven't you?
We'll. maybe the friends have sons.