Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-02-03

Grossly.
shabby and old to Lydia and she
kissed him very tenderly. 1t required
all the. supper hour and all the re-
mainder> of the evening to tell the
story Of the camp and to answer Liz
zie's and Amos questions. There
were several episodes Lydia did not
describe; that of the half-breed coun-
Gil in the wood, for example.
Lydia was sitting on the front
steps, the next afternoon, with book
in her lap and Adam at her feet, when
Billy Norton called. He stopped for
a chat in the garden with her father.
before coming up to greet Lydia.
"He is awful homely. A regular old
farmer" she thought, comparing him
with the elegant Gustus and with
Kent's careless grace.
"Hello, Lyd! Awful glad you're
backw
He sat down on the step below her
and Lydia wrinkled her nose. He car
ried with him the odor Of hay and
horses.
Flows your mother" asked Lydia.
"Fm coming over, tomorrow"
Mothers not so very well. She
works too hard at the blamed can
ming. told her I'd rather never eat
it than have her get so done up" -
"I'Il be over to help her." said Lydia.
eve had perfectly heavenly time
in camp, Billy"
did your" asked her caller, indif-
ferently "Going to try to sell fudge,
this winter, Lyd?"
81 don't know" Lydia's tone was
mournful, Daddy hates to have me.
Now I'm growing up he seems to be
getting sensitive about my earning
money"
Hes right, too" said Billy, with
a note in his voice that irritated Ly-
dia.
"Much you know about it You just
try to make your clothes and buy your
school books on nothing. Dads just
afraid people1T know how little he
earns, that's all. Men are selfish
pigs"
Astonished by this outburst, Billy
turned round to look up at Lydia. She
was wearing her Sunday dress of the
year before, cheap cotton that she had
outgrown. The young man at her feet
did not see this. All he observed were
the dusty gold of her curly head, the
clear blue Of her eyes and the fine set
of her head on her thin little shout
ders
"You always look just right to me,
Lyd," he said. "Listen, Lyd. I'm not
going to be a farmer, Pm"
"Not be a farmerp' cried Lydia.
after all you've said about It'll"
mo! I'm going in for two years
law. then I'm going into politics. 1
tell you, Lydia, what this country
needs today more than anything Is
young, clean politicians"
"You mean you're going to do like
Mr.. Levine?'
God forbid!' exclaimed the young
man. "I'm going to fight men like
Levine. And by heck" he paused and
looked at Lydia dreamily, 'T'll be gov
ernor and maybe more, yet"
"But what's changed you" persist
ed Lydia.
1.-THE fight about the reservation,
mostly. There's something wrong,
you know, in a system Of government
that allows conditions like that. It's
against American principles"
Lydia was impressed She forgot
that Billy smelled Of the barnyard.
. "Well," she said, wed all be proud
of you If you were President, can
tell you"
"Would you beI Billy's voice was
pleased. "Then, Lydia, will you wait
for me?''
"Wait for your
Eyes. till make name to bring to
you"
Lydia flushed angrily. "Look here,
Billy Norton, you don't have to be
Silly. after all the years we've known
each other. I'm only fifteen, just re-
member that, and don't propose to
wait for any man. I'd as soon think