Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-02-23
CHAPTER vi


Conversation at supper, in spite of
her efforts to sustain it, seemed to
languish. No one but Aunt Rosy
seemed to be in the mood for this
friendly chatting
"Susie tol' me about your holdin'
watch off of him, Sam" she said, "and
If was you l wouldn't like it so well
that that fast young fellah got foot.
hold in here with Nettie so lOvesick she
don't know half the time what she's
about"
'foothold.' Aunt Rosy" replied Mr..
Schwenckton irritably. "He amt
been round here since"
"How do you know he amt? This
after. when I got here. seen Nettie
maxim SIGH chocolate futch and"
"Yes." broke in Susie in tone of
grievance. land mind what she done
yet! She cooked my fire out. SOS !
had to build 1t fresh to cook my sup,
peri"
"And when her futch was done
already. did she offer some to me and
Susie? She did not! And what's
more, don't see none of it bein'
passed round to yous neither! What
did she done with that there futch?
Why. seen her packin' it all up nice
In a white box and hidin' it good
away! Who for? That's what you'd
better find out, Sam Schwenckton
Who for?"
Nettie, her face crimson, muttered
something about "a big nOsey" and
"buttin' INFO other folks business
but her father interfered.
"Be peaceful, both of you. I won't
have no wranglin' at our meals. Till
supper's through already, Nettie can
tell me who the futch is for"
Nettie, flashing a look of hate at
Aunt Rosy, subsidized into sullen
silence.
Aunt Rosy was certainly very dis.
turbing element in this household. 1t
was because of her presence here this
evening that Mr.. SchwencktOD found
himself. greatly to his establishment,
not to say bewiderment and distress.
''up against" the younger generation
in a way that was a shocking revela-
ton to him of how times had changed.
Incredible it seemed to his patriarchal
ideas Of family life that his own
young daughter should dare to defy
him-but here was the fact before his
very eyes-Nettie stubbornly refusing
to answer his questions as to what she
had done with the fudge she had made.
She admitted that it was already dis
posed Of. But neither commands,
threats nor coaxings would elicit any
thing further from her.
Nicely was pledged for rendezvous,
about schOOl-clOsing time, with st.
CrOiX in the woods on the hilltop.
This would be her first meeting with
him since their wordless encounter
in the Schwenckton kitchen the night
of the "holdup" and Nicely, as she hast
ened after school to the hill, was tin
Cling with curiosity as to what he
would have to say of that dangerous
moment which they had managed to
come through so unbetrayingly.
She was pretty sure that poor little
Nettie's fudge had been made for ST
CrOix. "For all l know. he has been
seeing her and has discovered that
am the teacher!' she specialized.
Not that she believed he had been
seeking Nettie. He was, for the time,
too engrossed in herself. But Nettie,
in her adolescent infatuation, may
have been thrusting herself upon him
and St. CrOix would not be overscru-
pulous in accepting gifts the gods Of
fered. 81
"T'n find out about that fudge"
Nicely resolved, land If he is taking
advantage of that ignorant child. I'll
protect her!"
She wondered, as she went on her
way, whether st. Croix would notice
the coat she wore The season having
advanced too far for her gaudy wolfe
frock, without a wrap, she was In
bit of predicament, for her jacket
suit was far too stylish for the Nicely
of st. Croix' mental gallery and the
only other wrap she had was this half
WORKOUT coat she had used on the
steamer en- route for America, an Eng
lish tweed that had once been such a
first-class garment she feared st.
Croix would instantly detect its quail
ity and style-he was so observant
and Informed in such matters-well.
| rather!
If he did notice that her coat was
good English tweed and ask questions,
how on earth should she explain? She
would have to trust to the inspiration
| of the moment.
"It's almost unbelievable that Eve
come through so far without his dis
covering me! rm-some-actress. ]
am! They'll certainly have to notice
me when get to Hollywood"
He was there ahead of her at their
meeting place and the nipping air OF
the hilltop had acted as an irritant
to both his passion and his temper. 1t
was getting much too cold for these
out-of-doors meetings and he knew II
| M placp updpr q roof where they