Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-07
Redwinged Blackbirds.
n n RS. WHIPPLE read the docu-
NH ment carefully, ignoring the
vt outstretched penholder in her
husbands hand.

land you want me to sign it?"
Naturally, as I'm standing here
holding out pen to you"
She dropped the paper on the table
and turned to him. TITS for the auto
mobile you've been talking about, /
suppose?" she asked. do you remem-
Der it took 10 years to pay off the
mortgage that was on the place when
/ married you? And do you realize
that, though Mary's expenses at the
seminary and Toms at college are
all paid for the present year, $1,000
will be needed for the next? We have
some $500 in the bank, think, and
you've rented the farm we might
have counted on for some income.
See your way?"
There you CO." said Whipple ir-
ritably; always and forever trying
to throw cold water on whatever l
bring up OF course / remember;
and of course realize. The money'll
come round all right when its needed.
It always does. But you seem to for
get the farms naturally mine. You
didn't have a cent when / married
you"
Mrs. whipple fiattened the paper
on the table, took the pen from his
hand and signed her name quietly.
II can't answer that argument, VIII
liarn," she said coldly. You flung
1t at me when you rented the farm.
1t is an unfortunate fact that l did
not bring you any money"
"Oh, come, now, Mary" apologiZed
her husband as he picked up the pa
per and slipped it into his pocket,
''you know didn't quite mean that
I'm always making fool statements
I'm sorry for afterward. OF course,
] don't really own the farm. There
was the $4,000 mortgage, and you
helped pay that off-in fact, it was
your idea and energy that did it. l
never could have paid it off by my
self. So it's really part yours, and
I only rented it for two years, you
know. I'm 4S and have worked
pretty hard, and II feel I ought
to have a little rest--that both of
us ought to. We can take up the
farm again at the end of two years
IL we like" He walked slowly toward
the door, took out the paper and
slipped it back, hesitated and re-
turned.
I'm awfully glad you've come
around to see the automobile buying
same as / do he mumbled. It's
time we had one. Diem Anderson
and Sam Potter. and"
''I understand" she interrupted.
the other day. They mortgaged
their farm to buy a car. Mr.. Potter
got his father to indorse note for
him at a bank. The Smiths have
considerable surplus money, / be-
lieve, so it was all right for them
understand all right. You had auto
mobile in the brain three months ago,
when you first limited about renting
the farm. You'd never have dreamed
of such a thing otherwise. You want
ed more time to play with it"
There. that proves you don't I'M
derstands" he exclaimed triumphantly.
'You think it's just extravaganza. It
isn't. The agent says there's no trou-
bic at all in selling automobiles. It's
fair time now, and he's going round
to the big ones and says he'd like
q man along to help. So this after
noon I'm to get my car and then go
with him few weeks to learn about
driving 1t and how to sell. Why, 1
wouldn't wonder If I could sell lots
Of 'em. The $1,000 won't be needed
for nearly a year, and I'm likely to
make it two or three times over in
that time. The agent says
"Just what day does the renter take
possession"
Next Monday. But he'll come into
the house today with his family. That
will make it pleasanter for you, me
being away, so you won't be lone
some. They take only the back part
Of the house, so there needn't be any
more mixing than you like. It'll be
lots easier and pleasanter for you,
Mary conciliatingly; "board with
them, have all the company you like
and go visiting whenever you like"
81 shall go away myself tomorrow"
she said calmly. mo use my staying
on here"
"You-go away! But you mustn't.
Mary. It wouldn't be right. Then,
there's nobody but your sister, and
you wouldn't want to live there. Her
husband drinks and"
"Not there, of course. I'm thinking
Of the $1,000. / shall be doing what
I can To-
sMaryr quick wrath mingling with
the expostulation. ''You surely don't
mean going back to your old work OF
demonstrating family flour to the pub
lie, baking biscuit and waffles with it,
and having your girls pass 'em round
with cups Of coffee to gaping listeners
while you talk? don't mean but it's
nice work, and you used to draw sc" :s
pay, and it was listening to you lee
turing on a platform that started me
~ AdAlAAS Ala 4OtC~-OAL-bQls
can't you see? Going back to work
would make 1t seem like-like I was
hard up"
Mary Whipple looked at him with
o half smile. tenderness in her eyes,
but resolution on her lips. She was
still the striking figure that had dem
onstrated flour to the public 20 years
before, little older, little stouter,
but with the same friendly eyes and
clear. persuasive voice.
"Will Whipple," she smiled, you're
a dear, good man, with a warm, low
ing heart as big as your body. Your
face is still the same handsome, clean
souled one that / once singled out
from the crowd looking up at me.
But, for all that, you're only big,
irresponsible, headstrong boy, as you
always have been and always will be.
Just now you've taken the bit in
your mouth in spite Of reason and
my wishes. Indeed, you didn't even
ask my advice, knowing you were
contemplating a foolish move. But
we'n let all that pass. Now you want
to lock me up while you're racing
with lot of future trouble. 1t can't
be done. VIII, really and truly it
can't. I've got to try to head you
OF in some way, get between you and
the stone wall and arrange as best
can for that 81 900. To tell the
whole truth, Mary and Tom are more
IN my thoughts just now than you"
After dinner Whipple left with pro-
fuse but unsaid apologies in his eyes
and hesitating voice. The next morn
ing the new tenant arrived with his
family, slipping quietly into the back
part Of the house. Toward noon there
was whirr and honlking outside that
drew Mrs. Whipple to a window. She
supposed it was her husband returned
unexpectedly. But, no, it was a
straitge car. much handsomer and