Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-07-15
nlne AN you glad to be here. alone.

with msir
"Why, yes You are my friend"
'tOniy your friendT'
"Oh, see, there's place where per-
haps we can slide right over the pitchi
Let'sln
She was on the sled In an instant,
and behind her. kicked 1t loose.
With a gentle crunching sound the
runners started scraping through the
snow; then, as the ,peed increased, the
sound rose to q whine which mingled
with the rush Of air in our ears and
the spray Of snow In our faces. Jeans
heels were Just above the snow sur
face, and when, as happened once or
twice. they dropped too low. they
showered us with flying icy, crystals
Then. just at the dip, one heel drove
in much too deep-too deep to be ac-
cidental-ths sled trembled. turned
sideways and went over.
We disentangled ourselves, laughing,
but we did not immediately rceiimb the
hill. found sheltered spot In the
pitch where We might at on the sled
with our backs to the great drift while
cur faces caught the slanting warmth
of the sun and cur eyes could range
the Geld Of tiny rainbow signals
thrown up from the ripple at eur fest.
Jean broke up the erusted snow with
the heel Of her evershos; then buried
her feet in the powdsry mound. Pres
emily toe came WEIGHING mp Through
.Jsan, don't' cried. sY6u take me
back to those old daysl We under
stood everything then then everything
was supposed to be settled.
The toe settled to stiffness IN Nh
borrowing; Jeans sensitive hips, tee.
settled TO q stiffness Arm and sad
Tell me, Jean" pressed at length ;
why can't We 60 back; why cant we
start over asain-lfks thatr
I'VE have always been good friends,
she murmursA
-Good friends-yes Must II stop at
that?"
"And neighbors," she Continued
we have always been good neigh
bcrA Perhaps that he the trouble"
"Hcw-tfie troubier'
well, it's like this" she said, and
again the toe began to gyrate In the
snow. We've known each other 80
well, and so long, there isn't anything
-much-left to know, is there! Could
you stand the boredom Of person
who has NO new thoughts, no strange
ideas, no whims-nothing that you
haven't already seen and known hun
dred timesr'
There never could be boredom with
you, dear. Just to have you with me,
to feast on you. to know you were
mine would be enough for me-"
"For about week. You'd soon tire
Of feast with no flavor to it. l
would, at any rate. Oh, ! see
1t working out already / don't want
to gossip, and Jack and Marjorie have
been everything they could to me, but
already can see them settling down
to the routine-the deadly routine.
Bad enough anywhere, but on these
prairies, with their isolation, their i'm.
mensity unbearabla couldn't
stand It."
studied her for a moment in 81
lence. Jean might know all about me ;
/ might have no new thoughts, new
Ideas new whims, but 1t was quite
plain didn't know all about her.
"Still, there are many couples on
these prairies living happily, I sup
pose" ventursd.
you suppose" she repeated. THAT'S
right. It just superstition. Nobody
knows; that Is, the public doesn't
know. But what is their happiness !
An ox-like acceptance Of the routine.
Breakfast, work; dinner, work; sup
per, work sleep; breakfast-ths whole
circle over again. I couldn't stand It,
Frank; there's no use pretending /
could. Pd-rd run away with some
onew
"JeanI"
"Yes, know what you're thinking.
But It would break the routine, any
way 1t wouldn't be that way would
lose my soul; perhaps that way !
might save It."
You're q strange girl. Jean"
"YeSi After all these years3 am
90 glad As long as am strange you
will be interested In me. That's the
trouble with you; you're not strange.
I know all about you And I wouldn't
BE- your housskseper for life for the
sake Of being your lover for week.
.Jeanp
Shocking, isn't it, But true. Don't
you know that's what happens, nearly
always? 1t must happen, unless there
are new points Of interest always aris-
ing. Ishave the misfortune to think,
and SO see these things In advance.
and try to shield you from them"
'The misfortune to think?"
"Of course. Otherwise I could &C
cept the OK routine and grind out my
soul in the treadmill of three meals a
day. i suppose that's what people call
morality-ideal wife and mother, etc.
I'd run away from 1t ALL"
], too, punched the snow with my
heel. II never heard Won talk like