Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-07-15
you mean thati Oh. JEAN Il you

ASKOV IA
you mean thati oh. JEAN Il you
do. -.
sYes, mean It. That Is the great
dificulty. at isn't true You wouldn't
love me always. I wouldn't always be
the only girl"
.Jean, you would. swear itp'
'sThen must reverse it / wouldn't
love you always. You wouldn't always
be the only man In the world"
Ny spirit, which had gone pounding
upward, fell like burst balloon.
''Why7" ! demanded.
Because your vision Is too small
Because 1t is bounded by the corner
posts Of Fourteen. Because couldn't
live penned up in such a-a pasture"
You'd be breaking out-toward sec
ton Two"
"Franki" II was her turn to >ex.
claim.
'YeA toward section Two. You've
done some plain talking. Jean; now
it's my turn. 1t is Spool that has up
set your mind-put all these wild no:
lions in your head It Is Spool that
you are thinking about. not me. sup
pose you think you could marry him
anu not drop into the routine; you
would be less an OK. as you put It, on
Two than on Fourteen. Perhaps that
would be best, after all. Perhaps II
you were fenced In on Tive, you might
break out toward Fourteen"
'Frankl Please don't be unkind-
and unfair. "a am thinking
about Spool, and 1t Is just because he
Is not bounded by section Two. You
and Jack and Jake think he's a green
horn, and you play your silly little
tricks on him, but his werld is the
world, and yours Is Fourteen, and
Jacks Is Twenty-Five. and Jake's is
whatever his section is He's so big.
so bigl"
IT sea Spool has Travelled more
than we have. He has seen more of
the world He has met more people.
And so he IL big bet grow more
oats to the acre than be- does-you
should see his blowing; looks like
be guess and be id as Jake says"
"Quite an elegant remark; suitable
30 Jake, hardly to be expected from
you. And your argument would be ir.
resistible-ifI were an OK"
"You're sharp, aren't you? Well,
something to eat Is not to be despised.
even by big people, like you and Spool.
Even the soul, which you are afraid of
losing on Fourteen, will pick up and
leave you on Two, unless you feed that
body In which 1t lives. That's what
the soul itself thinks about people who
don't hustle for living; it gets up and
leaves them."-
"Good for you'll" cried Jean. You
are actually thinking. have goaded
you into it. Nowhere are weT'
Were at Spool. You say you could
love me for week, and him forever"
II didn't say that
'You as much as said 1t. Spool may
have advantages admit his travel,
and all that-but will those. things
keep him big? Won't section Two
bound him In year or so, just as you
say Fourteen bounds me now? Is he
different clay; less OK, more soul?'
Section Two can never hold Spool,
because he-because he is big, don't
you see? He reads, he thinks, he
sings, he dreams No section can hold
one who does those things"
"Does he write poetry" inquired.
innocently.
I'll don't think So" said she, not
seeming myvtrap, ''but he is very fond
Of 1t. You should hear him read"
Hear him read Come to me. I.
Spoof!"
She turned to me fairly again. She
had withdrawn her hands from mine
and was crushing little crusts Of snow
between her mittens Now she dropped
the snow, shook her hands free of it's
powdery residue, then linked them
about her knee. For a. long moment
she held me under her eyes without
blinking.
$50 you saw that, did your
"Jean-I'm sorry. apologize. I
saw 1t by accident couldn't help
that. / could have helped speaking
about It. apologize"
Then her eyes dropped ''It was
very foolish" she murmured. .You
have a right to be amused"
"But I'm not amused" protested
"And I'm not sure 1t is really foolish
At snY rate, I'll confess something.
Jean; when / found 1t tried to write
a poem-te you-but couldn't The
only rhymes could think Of were Jean
and bean"
Splendid Oh, Frank, I'm begin
ming to be afraid-to hope-that ]
didn't quite know you, after all. Fancy
you trying to write poetry-and about
mel Let's write verse now. III help
you"
She whipped mitten from her hand
and sat with her fingers tightly drum
ming on her lips, summoning the muse.
you'll have to write it." said. ETH
sign It"
"AlI right I" she exclaimed at length.