The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-05-28
By KENNETH S. BARNHILL

well, why shouldn't he?-he liked his father But
the doctor was getting older. And now that the
heavy beard was gone lines of tiredness scratched
his face. Funny, how Gus could talk to the doc
tors boy. Young Doc was a quiet lad and he liked
10 listen to the old German Gus talked of the wav
the corn was coming along. He took the young
man out and showed him the cattle He grinned
when the young doctor called the straw stack whore
the cows had eaten deep around the edge blond
flapper's head. Gus thought the stack knew as
much as woman-maybe more. In the stables he
let the boy look at the new work team Yah he
called them Doc and Prince.
And the doctors son had danced with Hildegarde
No one told him to signal for the orchestra to stop
playing. lie had danced for hour before Gus
called him over and told him to wave his hand at
the leader. The boy gave the leader dollar Gus
thought that was fine; they only caught the doc
tors boy once He laughed then, Just little He
liked the boy, for he so quiet and he listened
Minnie had gone to the kitchen and Gus had
arisen to go to the barn when Hildegarde told him
the baby was coming. She told him with her pretty
proud head hanging down, ever so slightly He had
wanted to put his arm around her shoulders and
pat her head-tell her that all was well with him
Instead his throat had filled and slowly he turned
from her and walked heart heavy, to the stables
He slipped into the stall beside Prince and drew
the horses head against his side. Prince placed his
muzzle against Gus cheek. He could pat Prince;
Prince couldn't talk
But the doctors son liked to hear Gus talk He
had taken drink that the boy had given him and
that made him feel better. Everyone seemed to
want to speak with him. Why, even old Wilhelm,
the state senator, said the farmers thought Gus
should run for county commissioner Anyone who
has farm and family like he would make a good
man to spend the county's money. Yes, that was
nice. Gus liked to have them talk to hinn-strange
he liked to talk to them, too
Ach Gott the day was over now Everyone was
there but Harmon. Gus slipped a drink of wine
from the pitcher on the table Mist came over his
eyes Harmon had been good boy. He used to talk
to old Gus. But he had been killed in the war
Harmon had gone to Germany in 1916 and two
years later the French had killed him. Gus kept
the letters Harmon had written him. He liked
to read the letters-with the help of Herr Pastor
Henry and Frederick never came over much now
They had families of their own Gus had given them
hundred acres each of the land he and Minnie
had worked so hard to clear and drain The work
was getting pretty hard, but now there was Hide
gardes man. He was steady boy. Strong-a good
worker, Gus knew
Gus tipped the pitcher back again and the sour
WINE trlckled around the edges and down his chin
lie wiped 1T off with the back of a thick, brown
hand. They all liked him at the wedding He had
thought they would not. The League of American
PATRIOTS had streaked his barn with baring vel
low paint during the war-just because Gus would
not buy Liberty bonds. Gus couldn't buy the bonds
the money might have been used to kill Harmon
helped paint the barn had sold his ten thousand dol
lar bonds to Gus for eighty five hundred after the
war. He still had them. They were worth more
than ten thousand today He smiled again They
did like him; he had talked nice with the doctors
boy.
Minnie was in bed. She had gone upstairs Hide
garde and her man were in the room where Gus
and Minnie had slept. Hildegarde said it was easier
Tor her to take care of the baby down there She
stayed in bed for two weeks after little Gustave
was born Gus thought of Minnie and her child
bearing The baby whimpered in the next ROOM
Gus sat still and listened to hear whether Hide
garde would get up. There was no sound but the
babys soft cry. Oh well, Hildegarde was tired
She had been up for two days-dancing and enter
tanning the wedding guests. She probably had
little too much to drink Gus chuckled. Quietly
ne arose from the best chair and picking up the
light went into the bedroom. Little Gus became
quiet when he stopped over the crib. Minnie never
had crib for her babies Old Gus liked the crib
The young Doc said it was fine thing to have
With hesitancy he poked finger into the baby's
stomach Little Gus clasped the solid finger in two
fat hands and looked up at the old man. Gus picked