Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-11-09

there"
Grandma Gates was sick, she heard
him tell Ina. In n few moments he
ran down the stairs. Next day they
told how Dwight had sat for hours
that night, holding Grandma Gates so
that her back would rest easily and
she could fight for her faint breath
The kind fellow had only about two
hours of sleep the whole night long.
Next day there came Il message
from that woman who had brought up
Dwight-"made him what he was"
he often complacently accused her. /;
was a note on a postal card-she had
often written a few lines on n postal
card to say that she had sent the
maple sugar, or could Ina get her
some samples. Now she wrote a few
lines on postal card to say that she
was going to die with cancer Gould
Dwight and Ina come to her while
She was still able to visit? If he was
not TOO busy.
Nobody saw the pity and the terror
of that postal card They stuck it NJ
by the kitchen clock to read over from
time TO time, and before they left.
Dwight lifted the 'griddle OF the cook.
ing-stove and burned the postal card.
And before they left Lulu said;
"pWight-you can't tell how Ions
you'll be gomez"
"cf course not. How Should | tcllT
NO. And that letter might come
willie you're away
"ConccivaLly Letters do come while
a mans away"
Dwight thought if you wouldn't
mind if l opened it,
"OVened it;'
yes. You see, it'll be about me
mostly"
81 should have said that it'll be
about my brother mostly"
"But sou know what | mean You
wouldn't mind If did open it,"
"But you say you know what'll be
in it,"
so ! did know-till you've got to
see that letter, Dwight"
And so you shall. But not till
show it to you. Ny dear Lulu. you
know how | hate having my mail in
terfosed with"
she might have said: "Small souls
always make Il point OF that" She
said nothing. She watched them set
off, and kept her mind on Ina's thou
sand iniunctions.
"Don't let hi see much Of Bobby
Larl,in And, Lulu-if 1t occurs to her
to have Mr.. Cornish come up TO sing.
of course you ask him You might
ask him 10 supper. And don't let moth.
er overdo. And, Lula. now do watch
MOuOna's handkerchief-th child will
never take Il clean one II I'm not here
TO tell her. .
She brcathed injunctions to the vcry
stcD Of the bus.
IN the bus Dwight leaned forward
"See that you play post oflico
squarcly, Lulu" he called, and threw
back his head and lifted his eyebrows
In the train he turned tragic eyes tc
his wife.
INA" he said. "Its ma. And she,
! going to die. II can't be- ="
Ina said "But you're going TO hell
her. Dwight, just being there Will
her"
II was true that the mere presence
Of the man would bring kind Of fresl
life TO that worn frame. Tact am
Z wisdom and love would speak througl
him and minister.
Toward the end of their weeks alb
sence the letter from Ninian came.
Lulu took it from the post Of.ic,
when she went for the mail that eve
ming, dressed in her dark red gown
There was no other letter, and she car
ried that one letter in her hand al
through the streets. She passed those
who were surInising what her stor!
might be- who were telling one anoth
er what they had heard. But She knew
hardly more than they. She passed
Cornish in the doorway of his LITTLE
music shop, and spoke with him; an,
there was the letter. 1t was so tina
Dwight's foster mothers postal car,
might have looked on its way to b'
mailed.
Cornish stepped down and overtool
her.
"Oh, Miss Lulu. I've got new soni
or two"
She said abstractedly: do An.
night. Tomorrow night'-could YOU
" was as II Lulu were too preoccupieC
to remember to be III at ease.
Cornish flushed with pleasure, sail
that he could indeed.
"Come for supper" Lulu said.
oh. could he? Wouldn't that b.
-. Well, say. Such was his accept
ance.
He came for supper. And hi wa
not AT home. She had gone off in th
country with Jenny and Bobby, an'
they merely did not return
Mrs. Bett and Lulu and Cornish an
Monona supped alone. All were n
ease. now that they were alone. rs
pccially Mrs. Bett was at ease. 1t be
came one Of her young nights, he
alive and lucid nights. She was there
She sat in Dwight's chair and Lul
sat in Ina's chair. Lulu had pickle
flowers for the table-a task covcte