The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-12-27

tl1ted the window.
! "Oh, Uncle Jerry" she called. Corn
right in and see ev'rything. I...
just"
"well-oh-weu, Car'Iine," STAR
mered Uncle Jerry, "Pm in kind of
hurry. I'm come in later. IL gu
some news for you"
She looked into his genial face,
ruddy with embarrassed color under
the tan. "Oh. I know" she said
softly. you've fixed it up with
with"
He nodded happily. Say, amt 1
lucky? Cause she's the real thing
and $3.50 finel 1 didn't scurcely
b'lieve she'd take rough old um-
herman like me-"
"Pm delighted she did," responded
Mrs. Penfield warmly. "I'll be glad to
see both Of you having home"
She watched him go on UP Miss
| Hapgood's steps, carrying his shoul-
ders proudly, bearing flowers to the
gentle lady who had put aside her
dreams to live the life of the present.
Then she closed the window and went
back to her work.
There was to be a supper that in
Itself would be a house-warming. With
her usual forethought Mrs. Penfield
had told the members of her family
that 1t would be a fine spread-this
time with supplementary details that
added overwhelmingly to the weight
of her statement. There were to be
mullins and honey for the first course;
| N nd fOv fha 20
1t was only the middle of the after
noon. but preparations were already
under way. Crink had been dis
patched to the store to get the
honey. Mrs. Penfield was setting
the table in the dining-room. From
the window she could catch a glimpse
of the hills, kissed green by the recent
rains. Last week 1t had been winter;
today 1t was spring. With the charm
ing caprice that Is California's, Janu-
airy had said: II was trying to give
you some winter. but I couldn't hold
TO it,"
Mrs. Penfields heart was full of
! thankfulness as she set out the dishes
and placed the silver. She even ar
ranged centerpiece, a small vase
containing tea rose from bush that
| Mrs. Sanders had raised. At last the
children were to have the surround
ings that help to nurture the home
feeling, feeling which persists If
1t is incorporated in ones childhood.
but which is never built up in exactly
the same way if that childhood passes
without it. Thoughts of other days
thoughts of the other home that this
one called up. knocked persistently
against Mrs Penfield's brain, hut she
refused to let them enter. Like Miss
Hapgood, she would live in the
present.
The pudding was made. Lettie was
beating the white of the egg for the
frosting.
Jimmy, amt this fun! ~ she ex-
claimed. I've always wondered how
it felt to beat an egg. l could keep
at it till kingdom come"
Crink burst in at the kitchen door,
"Oh, Penzie," he cried, "ev'rybody's so
excited down to the storei l got to
go right back, but l had to bring the
here's the hOney-and tell you quick"
Mrs. Penfield took down the can Of
sugar from the shelf above the sink.
"What is 1t, Crink? What's hap
pened7"
He stood In front of her, breathing
hard, his eyes shining with eagerness.
"Oh, there's been a turrible accident,
and the father and mother were
killed. but the baby wasn't and"
"Crink, what are you talking aboutT
demanded Mrs. Penfield in dismay
"Why, Penzie, the baby Ev'ry-
body's talking bout it to the store
1t hain't got nobody left-not nobody
Its folks wasn't related to any other
folks. And everybody that comes in
| Is talking bout it, Crink gasped for
breath, but jerked out his statements
with wild gesticulations. "Ev'rybody's
saying what'll become of the baby
and it'll have to go to a 'stution, and
so i thought mebbe@"
Lettie reluctantly relinquished the
| eggbeater, but zealOusly advocated the
infant. 20 Penzie. letsi It'd be such
fun! Golly, I'd love to have "a
Mrs. PenfielG stirred sugar into the
beaten white and spread the frosting
over the pudding whats your idea,
| Crink?" she asked, as she slid the dish
into the oven for the final browning.
"Well, 1 thought mebbe we could
take 1t. You see, we hain't got any
baby now-T'had's growing up so fast.
| And I'd like"
"Oh, can't we have it, please, Pen
zie," begged Lettie. "A baby's just
what we need. There'd be heap
more variety if"
"Yes, it'd be good way to get
variety" agreed Mrs. Penfield, look
ing from one eager face to the other.
~ expect you're right. Fact is, been
kind o. worried all the afternoon,
thinking how fine we got ev'rything,