Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-02-17

, angular, sharp faced woman with be.
ringed fingers. rough face, and hennaec
hair, came down the steps and joined
her daughter.
Gran'pop, little, wrinkled, shrunken
wearing a battered black hat and a worn
faded coat of Confederate gray. now toe
big for him, looked at them defantly
through his n open eye.
HE belongs down across the railroad
tracks," Mrs. Bird said sourly.
Gran'pop opened his other eye.
There's room for ALL he invited. Get
your chairs, girls, and join me. The sun
feels real nice here"
why don't you stay back OF the house
when we have callers?" Goldie snapped,
You loo like the furnace man"
From under the brim of his old black
hat Gran'pop peered at the overdressed
mother and daughter. His wrinkled face
grew more wrinkled as he chuckled.
"You-all 'ud make two good ticket
sellers fer a movie" he said.
A flush of rage suffused Goldie's face.
II wish I could 70 him to the poor
housed" she choked. 'The-the dirty lit
tie buml He's always undertook"
Mrs. Bird nodded agreement.
Didn't seem that way when George
was livin'," Gran'pop reminded. TWAS
sugar talk every time you spoke to his
gran'pop then"
He's dead nowl" Goldie snapped. "And
I'd like TO put you in an old folks home"
Cant" Gran'pop retorted placidly.
Georges will said you got to make me a
good home while I'm livin'. Amt no
use on figgerin to sell the house and
lightin' out to the city with all Georges
money"
Goldie clenched her fists until the
haout1u ftrtoI ro4Io Ht+ ir+o 49,. ~1~uo
II amt going to stand him and
this dead burg much longerl" she choked
I'll break h crazy WIFI
TRY It," Gran'pop invited cordially.
Shut upI' Goldie said f%uriously, and
stamped back up the steps. Her mother
gave him a vicious look and followed.
Gran'pop shrugged deeper into the old
worn coat Of Confederate gray, closed his
eyes once more and dozed.
An hour later a faint clatter of plates
from inside the house brought him back
to life. He tilted the old chair forward,
stretched, stood up, limped around the
shrub and started up the front steps.
On the end Of the peg leg there was a
cushioning disk Of leather, secured by q
small screw through the center. The
leather had not been replaced for some
time, was worn thin and loose. AS
Gran'pop stumped up the front steps the
peg dragged against the edge Of a step
and h disk scraped of.
He did not notice 1t, nor that each
step he took the head of the screw left a
small dent in the porch floor.
Inside the front door was o large hall.
On the left was the living room, back OF
1t the dining room. The floors were
highly polished hardwood. Gran'pop
limped into the living room, leaving q
trail OF little marred spots behind him.
A colored girl was placing dishes on
the dining table.
Gran'pop stopped in front Of the liv-
ing room fireplace and asked: bout
ready to eat, Lucy?"
She flashed her teeth in a smile and
nodded. "Yassuh, won't be but a few
minutes now" And she hurried back
into the kitchen.
He considered. There was no use going
back to his chair: 1T was too soon to sit
down at the table.
1nstinctively his left hand dropped into
the pocket Of his faded old coat and
brought up a blackened pipe and box
OF matches. His right hand brought
rough cut tobacco from the right coat
pocket. He filled the pipe. lit 1t. and
began to pace up and down that side OF
the room, putting slowly. Each time his
peg leg came down ON the floor, q marred
spot appeared. He continued for almost
i've minutes. unaware Of the damage he
~as doing.
0oldis and her mother were upstairs.
The hired girl went to tho foot Of the
hall steps and called them. 0ran'pop
knocked the dottle from his pipe into
tho fireplace. replaced tho pipe In tho