Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-09-08


the grocer's boy.
"Was it because you discovered
who the grocer's clerks uncle was,
that you left Glover HollowT
Mrs. Johnston nodded. She was
frightened at tMary's bringing Ned
Carter into tits intimate discussion.
when did you see himi Father,
I mean"
IT didn't see him. He wrote me-"
"What did he say1''
Then Polly told about the note and
the money.
Mary frowned. II think Fathers
acting awfully WELL" she remarked.
slow much further have you got to
rum" she asked casually.
II don't know" Mrs. Johnston rose
abruptly. 1--WE sail Saturday, any
way"
Mother, don't 60 like that. I love
you more than ever, and from the first
minute saw him, I liked Claude Mel
notte Dabbs."s
"Maryl' Her mother held her
tightly. You're a perfect darling, but
you don't need to lie to make me feel
better"
Gross my heart, Mother" declared
Mary. Hope I may die Il I'm not
ready to love your Claude. Wouldn't
1t be glorious II Father only had
money enough to come flying after
us!
With this ringing In her ears, Polly
Johnston put out the light and left
the room.
Left to her own thoughts, Mary
found them thronging thick and fast,
and she felt SO excited she could not
sleep. She tried to consider calmly
what her mother had told her, but Il
was not a thing one could consider
calmly.
Mary seldom spoke OF her own ex-
periences, but she had toiled among
the refugees Of the late war. She
had, child though she was, done yeo-
mans work with the first awful rush
Of the wounded, until Mother carried
her away lest she break under the
strain. Though she had only fetched
and carried for trained workers, she
had brushed against birth, death and
raw wounds, and had stamped for
ever on her plastic soul the truth that
one was either man or woman, or
brute beast, and that clothes, money
and calling were only camoufiage for
the human soul.
Mary had her own thoughts In the
matter of her father. Claude Melnotte
Dabbs must be nice, since Mother had
married him and Ned Carter liked
him, so Mary was not at all preju-
diced as she thought of her big, dark
haired, clean-shaven> father.
Mrs. Johnston-Dabbs to give her
proper name, also found it difficult
to sleep. The years, she was fond OF
telling herself, had made her philoso-
phic, but philosophize as she would,
she found that retelling her story had
taken it's toll In nerves and sleep.
Mrs. Johnston believed that mere
parenthood gave neither man nor
woman ownership or legal rights in
human beings. She believed that
parents were indeed privileged when
their offspring truly loyed them. She
believed that her child should be ut
terly free to love her or not, to go
from her or stay, as she chose. But
oh, If she could only own Mary, body
and soul, for q few moments!
Life was going to be very difficult
for her, from now on, unless she could
get Mary to see the necessity for
flight from the pursuing grocer! If
Mary were only twelve years old once
more!
In the morning Polly Johnston
looked like a princess in exile, but
she acted like weary, bored woman,
and she had no time for anything but
the necessary words required to start
them on their work Of packing and
last-minute shopping. Mary was to
attend to the shopping.
Mary had that morning ventured to
open the subject, discussed SO freely
last night, only to find herself snubbed
for her pains, as her mother abso-
lutely refused to answer questions.
What Mary did not know was that
her mothers attitude had been aggra-
waited by an early morning message
to the effect that Mr.. Carter wished
to speak to her on the telephone.
Ned had arrived in town at an hour
too late for casual acquaintance to
call or telephone, and this morning
the hotel operator had called Mrs.
Johnston instead of Miss Johnston.
Mrs. Johnston was very gracious
when she understood who was speak
ing. She was glad that he was in
town, and quite willing to take any
message for Miss Johnston, who had
gone out No, Mrs. Johnston could
not tell when her daughter would re-
turn to the hotel. Mary was with
some dear friends, who might only
part with her when they brought her
to the steamer In time for sailing.
Mr.. Carter was disappointed and
alarmed, though he endeavored not to