Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1922-03-06
Elsie Wins 4
Grandpa
D HUBERT 4. PLAIN

~ A9e~Av
- HUBERT 4. PLAIN
a. 1884, wsssss~ lsswssAsss UaasAl
Bright a q dollar, Elsie Danveru
had . great Idea y her buay little
head. She was enly nine pears old.
but she knew more thaa most chill
dren 1t twelve. and thought more
deeply and more t. . purpoes than
some people Of twenty.
Under her arm she carried . small
cardboard boz, neatly done up =
wrapping paper ana carefully tied. 10
her way Of thinking It vas very In
portant belonging. When shs came
T. the neat little cottage known -
the Hyde home. she found tn spinstes
occupant. Miss Susan. resting on .
rustic bench after her exertiOOs u
trimming the rose bushes.
Miss Hyde liked the Danvers people
greatly. aud little Elsie particularly
we'll
Miss Hyde received her littls visitor
with q welcome smile. She 1t once
noticed the serious face, usually -
sunny. She made room for Elsie q
the garden seat.
"Aiss HYDE" spoke Elsie ct once,
Il heard some people telling about
the parcels post"
"Have Won something you wish q
send, ElsieY" asked Miss Hyde.
"Yes. ma'am. have" said Elsie 10
. prompt. business-like way. II heard
mamma crying the other day while
she was telling the ministers Wits
about my grandfather. ] never knew
I had one before. He hasn't been
very good to mamma. but maybe he
doesn't know how she loves him. and
how she puts some flowers on biz
picture whenever his birthday comes
around. On my birthday two frienda
gave me the same present-th0se IT.
tie speaking dolls. you know. Well,
I'm sending one Of them ~ . present
to grandpa In this box. and I've writ
ten him . little note In II telling him
about poor papa and Ill Of N. and ]
want you to direct tive got hia
name and everything: Mr.. John
Marsh, Rushville'--snd send Il for me
through the parcels post"
II will do just A. you say. DEAR
she said. land nobody shall know
about II except you aad l."
Elsie parted with her precious pack
age with supreme confidence In hel
good friend. Miss Hyde took Il d0wt
to the postofice and mailed It. Sh'
did some thinking on the way. Sh'
had heard Of stern. hard-hearted oil
John Marsh. Mrs. Nellie Danvers, u
orphan child Of . brother, had bee
adopted BY the old man. Later b
also took charge Of Eunice Ross,
distant relative. Mr.. Marsh did NJ
seem to disapprove Of his wards ma
rage to Albert Danvers. Yet. Will
they were OF on their honeymoon h
had written to them. forbidding theI
to ever approach him again 10 an
way.
Nellie had written. pleading for q
explanation. II was c0ldly refused
The next thing she heard was tina
her uncle was arranging to will hi
fortune to Eunice. Then she wa
shocked to hear Of the death Of thu
latter. Since then old John Marsi
had shut himself in to q misery. cheer
less existence.
"John Marsh. Rushville." receives
the parcels post package two day.
later. He carried II into the house
opened 1t. and read the tiny childist
note II contained. His eyes glared
He gritted his teeth a he gave thu
sQueaky doll Q fling through Q door
way, into the room Eunlce had once
occupied.
All the same. he did not sleep yer!
well that night.
A squeak. clear and distinct. sound
ed through the house. NOiselessIy tn
old man arose from his bed ant
reached the sitting room. In the on,
beyond. where ne had flung the doll
was Z light. He seized . gun be KEEP
always loaded. crept to the open door
way. and made out two masked met
ransacking q desk that had not beer
opened since Euntce died.
Bang John Marsh fred and tn
burglars disappeared.
The old man found q bag left be
hind by the burglars filed with none,
and papers secured from his owl
wardrobe. Then. a. he began to picl
up the papers strewn about from tn
! desk Eunice had owned, he made
startling discovery.
What had estranged him from Mel
lie was q letter apparently In he
handwriting shown him by the plot
ting Eunice. Addressed to her lover
Il referred to her uncle In sneerin,
terms, telling how she cared only To-
the fortune he might leave her. Now
| among the scattered papers. Johi
Marsh found evidences Of Eunice hav
ing Iaboriously practiced to counter
felt Nellie's handwriting.
Towards the end Of the week. q
Elsie was sitting 10 the garden, an oil
man opened the gate. Carefully re