Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-02-09

uS SuOOk HIS ucdU uumUIy, W iduSu
at a normal school graduate Though
I'm sure, Miss Schwenckton. that the
normal school course does not include
histrionics do know that much
about normal schools However. ]
congratulate you"
ION my-intelligent ideas about
teaching?"
ION your excellent acting"
She stiffened with alarm. "But-
but you've not seen it i" she objected.
you're sure? By the way-what
role were you going to play when ]
passed you on the road the other day
dolled up like comic valentine?"
She caught her breath. "But-but
you never looked at mel Do you see
with your left carp
He laughed. rose abruptly, and held
out his hand. "Good-by, Miss"-his
eyes bored into hers like gimlets-
"Schwenckton; won't torture you
any longer with my unwelcome pres
encev
"Good-by." she sighed with deep re.
lief.
"But-a few questions before I 60,
II you don't mind" He took out
pencil and notebook. "Your class at
KutZtOwn nOrmal?'
She could not answer that question
offhand, apparently. "Wait minute"
She opened drawer of her desk. took
out her diploma and handed 1t to him.
She had been prudently keeping this
diploma at hand to be ready at need
when he should call.
"Um-mm," he said thoughtfully,
'two years ago. You didn't teach last
year?"
"No-no."
"Why not?"
"Well-I was going to be married.
but, strange as 1t may seem to you.
I got Tilted"
He caught his lower lip between
his teeth and stared at her. Then,
with an abrupt nod. turned away and
left the schoolroom.
"My Cdr she thought her hand
pressed to her heart, show much does
he suspect?"
1t was, of course, her accent that
betrayed her. She could perfectly
disguise it when she adopted the ex-
IRENE Pennsylvania Dutch dialect,
but nothing short of that could hide
the foreign touch of her speech.
She could only hope that her pos
session of this Kutztown normal
diploma would throw him off the scent
All the Schwencktons, except the
ailing wife and baby, were very tired
Of Aunt Rosy and longed for Susies
recovery not only for her own sake,
but because 1t would rid them of the
older woman's unpleasant company.
Nicely and Mr. Schwenckton both
loathed her uncleanliness; Nicely
feared her spying upon her; Sammy
hated and resented her; Lizzie was
afraid of her cold-blooded spite for
the humiliating defeat the child had
caused her; and Mr.. Schwenckton
was impatient to be rid of her so that
he could bring home his daughter
Nettie.
And at last, in spite of unsanitary
conditions, and through the occasional
conniving of Nicely and the doctor to
outwit Aunt Rosy and Mr.. Schwenck.
rally and the baby to pick up: and
week after they were brought down
from the stuffy bedroom to the less
confined atmosphere of the kitchen
Susie was almost as strong and bloom.
ing as she had ever been and the baby
began to get fat.
Aunt Rosy was so reluctant to leave
that Nicely would have suspected her
of having purposely prolonged Susie's
convalescence by her bad care of her
had it not been manifest that these
two sisters were really very fond of
each other.
It was q peculiar attachment, for
Susie seemed phlegmatically indiffer
ent to everyone else, even to her baby.
and certainly to her elderly husband
Nicely thought she had never met any
one so stolid; so incapable of being
stirred by anything
This stolidity seemed more marked
than ever in contrast with the adde's
cent vividness of her stepdaughter.
Nettie. who, on the very day of Aunt
Rosy's departure. was brought home
from her grandmother's by her father
young girl in her early teens. with q
pretty. though plebeian face, whose
awakening nature was making her
avidly curious about life She wor
ried Susie with questions to such an
extent that the older woman. not &C
customed to using her brains found
the girls challenging curiosity ex.
hausting to the point of pain.
| One evening Mr.. Schwenckton's alb.
sence from home The had gone on a
business trip to town. gave Nettie an
unwOnted opportunity. for her fathers
presence was cheek upon the init
mate questions she loved to ask. Liz
zie and Sammy had gone to bed
Nicely. in bathrobe. with her hail
In heavy braid down her back was
sitting at the kitchen table writing
letters; Susie was rocking her baby