The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-05-11
CHAPTER XIV
LettIs Attempts Hospitality.


straps. Look here, Uncle Jerry. IT.
bean splits"
They look IT." laughed the BIZ
man, as he Inspected the beans, which
were halved or otherwise dlsinte
| grated
yes, it was easy to name EN-
she agreed. Point is, they don't cosi
but half as much as the whole ones
and where's the diffrunce in nourish
ment7 The whole beams there, only
not In one place. And l know way
to cook oil into beans soft the chill.
dren don't taste 1t, and I put In a nice
dash OF Indian meal, and land, they
don't need nothing more to a sitting
They get as nourished as they can
stand. You know a lot of folks are
overfed.''
"'Round hereY' inquired Uncle
Jerry, with lazy ambiguity.
She faced him with flush on her
cheeks. "Uncle Jerry, you don't
mean that the reason you don't-don't
take meals with us oftener isis"
"Good Lord, no, Car'line," he ex-
ploded in amazement. "Ain't anything
would suit me better'n to eat with you
all the time. but the work I'm trying
out is-it means irregular hours.
That's all, honest. Why, you don't
s'pose I'd be such a blamefool as to
criticize All is, 1t kind o. gets me
to think what a family you came out
of and the bringing up"
Gho tiFfod har hand frfoLIx m
gesture that brushed the past out of
existence. Don't you know that's
why can live this way and be happy
doing 1t? I've come to see that the
more possessions you can eliminate,
the better you can breathe and the
more time you got for other folks
and that's the main concern, ain't itr
'I'll be running along" said Uncle
Jerry. with a whimsical smile Thine
l get back you'll have yourself argued
out Of food and furniture, / expect"
mo, I WON'T" she laughed. "Ill
make a stand for a certain amount
of both, but I'm going to remember
that enough is all l want. There's
Perennial Prue," she added softly, as
she caught a glimpse through the
open front door, TOO bad you're
going. off. You might"
"Well, now, II don't have to go
away" admitted Uncle Jerry
slowly.
Mrs. Penfield gave him sly glance,
but made no comment 1t was begin
ming to dawn upon her that Uncle
Jerry admired Prudence Hapgood-
that he regarded her as a superior
being, worlds removed from the sort
Of existence which he had known. |
Before her he was sometimes shy. al |
ways awkward, always self-conscious-
ne, the nonchalant, self-possessed |
Terry Winston-and yet he stayed byl |
Mrs. Penfield wondered.
Certainly Prudence was different |
rom anyone else in The Custard Cup.
She was like quiet little rowboat
hat had strayed from its moorings
md had floated into a group of varie-
,ated craft. Always gentle and
she yet had the slightly
loof manner of one whose tho,tghts
re turned often inward. So far
rom being modified by her surround
ngs, she had brought her own world
nto them and kept 1t intact. her
arefully preserved silk gown; the
ne old lace around the neck and edg-
IL the sleeves; her sweetly sad
oise; the calm expression of her
set her apart from her
eighbors. intangibly but undeniably.
She had brought bit of crocheting:
Irs. Penfield got out her sewing;
erry Winston nervously proffered
,me "reminiscences of the Oregon
oods-in the interests Of pillow
'ps; Lettie was quietly cutting pic ,
Tres out of an old Weatherstone mag !
zine. Conditions were ideal for a I
,ngenial confab-when like q bolt
1T Of the blue, word came that Mrs. $
nslow's baby had been taken Ill. a
'ould Mrs. Penfield come at once? b
course she would. $
"You entertain Miss Hapgood," she v
minded her household, with a part
z wave of her hand. 'I'll come back |
s0On's / can"
No one knew upon whom the mantle c
hospitality had fallen. Uncle Jerry |,
came more communicative about h
'es and out-of-doors, strangely easier d
W that his niece was gone. Lettie, u
weyer, understood that the honors 2
re hers. When Penzie was away, Ct
-ely she was the next hostess In
e. She put aside her pictures and 81
ected her mental energy to the
estion of hospitality. in
Talking amt much good" she said W
herself. watching Uncle Jerry, who d,
s expatIatlng on the value of Ore 81
i pine. WED oughter feed her. III
ks don't think they've had a good 81
e to your house less they've ct" en-
Is decision was cemented by the tn
t that Miss Hapgood had treated w
nix and Lettie to cake a few days
ore. 81 gotta feed her somep'n. nc
I gotta" She sprang to her feet 81
stole into the kitchen. an
he stood for some time, thinking an
.hout looking. she knew there were he
treats available in the cupboard he