The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-27
BY Ann Isle.
whose Serials Of Married Life Have
Won . Big Popular Success.

11MN WAb l4lEly OkaBBCu
out Of, the car by two
trembling yet strong old
arms. And / felt Grandma samp-
sons apple cheek against mine
while her whole vast bulk shook
with welcoming laughter.
A Beautiful Surprise.
. "What a beautiful srrprise!' /
cried turning with wet eyes from
her to Ralph.
Introductions followed. Grand
ma Sampson was just as much at
home with Lorraine ThurlOw as
with me. and when It came to
Irma, the old lady fairly folded
the girl to her bosom.
PA and the boys is all away
today" she announced. Circuit
riders upstate q piece and they
all went to hear him. So long
about seven when / found out 1t
was going to be purity day and
they was going fer sure I calls
up friend Lacy and invites him
to bring q passed. Of his friends.
Well, children, now we'rc all here,
who's for workin' and who's for
going to swim In the little creek
or to row on II IL that sets
better?"
fare there any berries to pick
or peas to shell7' asked Lorraine
Thurlow with . twinkle In her
wonderful eyes.
Both" answered Grandma
drily. II pick you to set on the
back porch with this young Teller
and shell a mess of liny beans
and another Of peas to say nothin'
Of shuclin' the corn"
Grandma told Park off as Lor-
raine's helper. But the beautiful
Mrs. Thurlow plucked Ralph by
the sleeve and announced that he
was her partner. Grandma shock
her head vigorously and an
nounced that she had other uses
for Ralph. Lorraine Thurlow
smiled and yielded gracefully.
But it struck me that she looked
disappointed.
The indomitable old lady now
produced two big Tin buckets and
fairly shooed Peter Stanley and
Irna off the porch, in q direction
which She announced led to the
berry patch.
"Oh-we won't like itr gasped
Irma.
But Peter Stanley seized her
hand and raced off, emitting In
dian warwhoops as he dragged
her with him.
.rTys three" she said to Ralph
and me. "goes fishin'. reckon
an old woman like me can risk
fishin' even if some of the neigh
bors don't hold with that on the
Sabbath"
Then she waddled off the porch
and led the way through q won
derful little woodsy path and up
over the pasture and down an
other rambling road. followed
meekly for a while. Then I began
to sense a purpose In all this. A
mystery about to unfold seemed
to beckon. I felt my heart begin
ming to thump.
And as we followed along I be-
van +o feal sure that the whole
day had been arranged just Tor
this - that Grandma Sampson
should lead Ralph and me down
the path to-what7
On and on Ralph Lacy and I
went following Grandma Samp-
sons ample form over her chosen
,path from the old white farm
house where Peter Stanley had
brought our party for a country
Sunday.
"I wonder If there's ood fish
ing" I murmured, trying to deal
with my own growing sense that
something strange and mysterious
was imminent.
Before Ralph could answer the
old lady led us down into hol-
low and we came out on a little
rise which commanded a view OF
a mountain lake stretching ahead
Of us in smooth gray blue SHIN
mers. And in a. flat-bottomed
skiff just below us sat a red
haired boy, lazily watching while
a handsome, erect old gentleman
reeled in a taut line.
In spite of his great change for
the better, the boy was clearly
enough the wasted young crea-
ture I'd seen lying helpless in the.
big farmhouse four-posters less
than four weeks ago. Sitting
there in the sunlight he was re-
vealed as far younger than Neal
"a lad in his teens, and Of
slighter build than my brother.
But the resemblance persisted.
And 1t tugged at my heart. while
my eyelids fluttered in unison.
"Why-he looks almost wellv'
I managed to murlnur.
'E1o's almost WELL" Grandma