The herald., 1922-04-13
JANET'S REWARD
,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>~>>>~>
BY ELIZABETH M. DUKES


| s. 1872. by Mcclure Newspaper syndie@'e'
MY heavens, Janet! Look how you
waste time peeling those SpudS; why
don't you boil them, jackets and air
Janet's brown eyes flashed; then
hopeless look dragged down the cor
hers of normally sweet mouth.
"Oh. Dick! You never think it 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 care about your fol-de-rOls? Oil
cloth on the table! Shine up the tin
| plates! Posies in a mug
A sheer twisted his none too pleas
ant expression still more, as the man
swung out of the cabin.
Janet let her busy hands hang idle
moment in utter encouragement.
She had pulled her chair into the door
way, where, as she peeled the potatoes,
her. eyes could sweep over wide
range down the green mountainSide TO
valley threaded with the silver cob
webs of rivers. The great peaks tow
cred again on the farther side, blue,
green and wonderful. The clouds
rested on their crests and cool winds
came drifting over to the lonely girl;
but 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 and she had
delighted to put into practice the
dainty household devices the school
taught.
Was il only a 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 schooling 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 "batchs" 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 II really been since she had heard
words Of appreciation and courtesyf
After all. what was the use of try
ing any more? Why mix the biscuits
according to rule, why sweep and
scrub and polish the tinware until 1t
shone like silver, why put mountain
pinks in tumbler for the center of
the table? She won only mocEery 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 blue lake
through her bitter tears. There was
, mournful wall in the wind-it was say
ing, "No usel You are doomed to be-
come dull-eyed old slattern before
you are thirty"
The discouraged little head was still
bent beneath its burden of chestnut
, braids when-what was that? Hoof-
beatsl Yes, and d strange voice.
"Pm sorry to bother you, but can't
, ride farther without glass Of milk.
See you have a COW pastured here, but
I'll be grateful for condensed!"
The man, hat in hand, smiled pleas
, antly at her as he sank down on the
, doorstep with a Jingle Of spurs.
There's milk If you wish It," Janet
| -o.lyod NTH hright tipUa 0f color
concealing the tear stains; but 1t is
almost noon. Surely you will stop
here-it's a long ride to the next
cabin"
|, 81 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 real
picture place; and can 1t be / smell
, baked beansT"
"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 meringus
, light as foam and over a crust that
crumbled with fiaky richness.
, Dick ate in silence for once; per
, haps the strangers compliments fol-
the menu twisted his mouth a bit, 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 or
his way. Dick even grumbled an In
: vitation when Sargent announced hi
:, would be back that way next week.
= This is place to ride fasting sever
y days to get to at last. l hope I sham
! wear out my welcome, but I'm afraiC
a I'm going TO try to this summer"
;. IF at first you don't succeed, try
n try again !" teased Janet, releasing hel
a hand from Sargent's hearty clasp;
= clasp that yet had something in it 81
|