Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-03-24
men, Lyd, believe had an idea Of

her. sLydia, do you care for me
care for me enough to marry meY
Lydia turned pale. Something in
her heart began to sing. Something
In her brain began to stir, uncomfOrt-
ably.
ooh, Kent" she began, breathlessly.
then paused and the two looked deep
into each others eyes.
Lydia! Lydial Il need you sol"
cried Kent. "You are such dear,
such pal, so pretty, so sweet-and
/ need you sol Won't you marry me,
Lyeia?''
''Ive always loved you dearly, Kent,
and yet" faltered Lydia, "and yet,
somehow, I don't think we'd ever make
each other happy"
"Not make each other happy Ia
like to know why not! Just try me,
Lydia Try mel"
"Td like to try you, dear If Walt,
Kent, waitl Let me have my play
time, Kent. I've never had real one,
you know, till now. Let me finish
college, then ask me again, will you,
Kent?
Kent jerked his head Disconnected
". II think 1t would be better for us
to tie to each other right now. Please,
Lydia dear!"
Lydia shook her head slowly. Let
me have my playtime, Kent. / don't
know that side of myself at all.
Kent looked into the clear tender
blue of Lydia's eyes. Then he said
softly, Gall right, dear! You know
best. But will you give me just one
kiss-for remembrance"
EYES," replied Lydia, lifting her
face, and Kent pulled off his cap and
kissed the warm, girlish lips, tender
ly, lingeringly, then, without word,
gently turned Lydia homeward.
Kent's announcement that he had
broken with Billy Norton did not
amount to a great deal. AS winter
came on, he and Billy met constantly
at the cottage and, outwardly at least,
were friendly. The commission fin
ished it's sitting and turned its find
ings over to congress. Congress In
structed the district attorney to carry
the matter to the state courts. When
this had been done all the incriminat-
ed heaved a vast sigh Of relief, and
prepared to mark time.
During all Lydia's Junior year, but
one fly appeared in her ointment. And
this. of course, was with reference to
clothes! that perennial haunting prob
lem of Lydia's, which only woman
who has been motherless and poverty
stricken can fully appreciate. The
latter part of February, the great col
lege social event of the year was to
come, the junior prom. Lydia felt
sure that either Kent or Billy would
ask her to go and for this the organ
die would not do. And for this she
must have a party coat.
Lydia knew If she took the matter
up with Amos he would go out and
borrow money for her. She shuddered
at the thought of this. Then she
heard of the college Money-Making
Bureau" She discovered that there
were girls who were earning their way
through college and that the bureau
was one of the quiet ways used by
the university to help them.
There was the mending department
for example. Here were brought
every week by the well-to-do students
piles of mending of every variety from
heelless socks and stockings, to thread
bare underwear and frayed cuffs and
collars. These were made into pack
ages and farmed out to the money,
needing girls.
Early in January, Lydia sneaked
into the little room and out again with
a neat but heavy bundle. She got
home with it and smuggled it into her
room without old Lizzie's seeing It.
Socks, wristbands and torn lace
there was fifty cents worth Of mend
ing in the package! Lydia calculated
that If she did a package night for
thirty nights, she would have enough
money to buy the making of the party
dress and cloak.
The necessity for secrecy was what
made the task arduous. Lydia fin.
ished her studying as hurriedly as
possible each night and went off to
her room. 1t was bitter cold In the
room when the door was closed, but
/ she hung a dust cloth over the key
hole, a shawl over the window shade
wrapped herself in a quilt and un.
wrapped the bundle. By two o'clock
she had finished and shivering and
with aching eyes, crept into bed.
Within week she was going about
her daily work with hollow eyes and
without the usual glow in her cheeks
but she hung on with determination
worthy of a better cause.
The third week she took cold, an
almost unheard-of proceeding for Ly.
dia, and in spite of all old Lizzie's
decoctions, she could not throw it off
At the end of the fourth week she
carried back her last bundle, and
with fifteen dollars in her pocketbook
she boarded the street car for home
She was trembling with fatigue and
fever.
When she reached the cottage, she
stretched out on the couch behind the
old base burner with her sense of sat