Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-02-14
IN TWO PARTS-PART TWO


IN TWO PARTs-PART TWO
We'll. no good goin' into that. Blu
some OF them girlsl Why chaps wa
fallin' over themselves to win so mucl
as q smile them lot serious. neithel
a thought for the future-not Xix,
me thinkin', thinkin' Of all / might d.
for a teller and OF 'ow-well. you know
dreams" She stopped and rubbed hei
forehead hopelessly.
Amardis said nothing. Elbows or
knees. chin on cupped hands, she sat
listening. Then Emily Booker told o.
her return TO the village of Little Dole
Keynes.
wasn't till then. with all the marryin
goin' on aroun me l learned the truth
about myself and the truth about men,
Yes" said Amardis. Tell me-"
Emily Booker shook her head.
1T won't mean nothing to you she
said, but it's the truth for all that. Men
are competing creatures - competing
creatures-they on'y want what they
think Others want and because o that
no one would. 1t didn't an they on'y
leave alone what others ave no use for,
If ! 'ad 'ad a sweetheart l could ave 'ad
n 0OL<LA onNNNAitdA No-Oub QN4A llOllt
I could ave none. No one 'ad spoke for
me and because o. that nc one would,
1t didn't take 'em long to find it out
when I came back and they shut the
last door of 'ope by brandin' me a proper
spinster."
Emily Booker lent forward with clenched
hands Il said in a voice shaken with
emotion, "AS SURF as there is a heaven
above there is no more lovin' woman at
cart thar Emily Booker. I'd work my
fingers to the bon for a man I could
call my own. I'd sit up and never close
eyelids for a week for a child that'd call
me mother. And stead o. that I'm the
proper spinster of Little Dole Keynes
the woman with a parrot over 'er door
and as l live so I'll die-and the ooner
the better"
The room had become very dark when
Emily Booker came to the end of her
confession. The sky which had been
dappled with clouds of amber and beryl
now was a silver gray. Amardis drew a
long staggering breath.
Then it isn't for any one man you are
eating out your hearth" she whispered.
Emily Booker shook her head.
One can love all mankind, miss. The
Book teaches us that. We mortals
W tsoAA Y PoA VII 4 ~ ltdNG llOlAllll
behind US
no" said Amardis, no" A CLEAN
Of inspiration dawned at the back OF her
mind. And men are she was going
to say competitive but altered the word
to competing creatures"
They're all alike" the woman nodded.
Amardis screwed up her small face in
an agony of concentration, Somewhere
in her subtle brain a scheme was form
ing based on a phrase of Emily Bookers
phrase she could not quite recall. 1t
came back to her suddenly as though a
curtain had been thrown aside and,
springing to her feet, she cried. There's
been a war, yknow-that's it-there's
been a war"
Emily Booker turned her tear stained
eyes upon the eager young face.
What Of that, miss?"
why, it's everything-don't you un-
derstand? You were away from this vii
lage for four years. No one here saw
or heard from you all thai time. Why,
Miss Booker, it's wonderful-don't you
see?"
Emily Booker shook her head.
"All you've got to do when next they
ply to smile to yourself and say. only
Jt0S ~oS NAAON5A w ~ .
been a war, you know"
With slow movements Emily rose and
brushed the crumbs from her lap.
Il must be goin', miss" She stopped
n bit her lip, and added, II didn't
think you'd laugh at me-"
But In not. I'm not" Amardis in
sisted. I'm frightfully serious. Please,
Miss Booker, try saying that. You don't
know how simple people are-how they
imagine and invent. I've a feeling that
everything could come right If only
you'd give it a try"
But what's it mean, miss?"
Anything they care to make it mean.
A sweetheart, heaps Of sweethearts per-
haps, Or perhaps a husband who was
killed.
Emily Booker frowned deeply.
i've never yet told a lie" she said.
But you wouldn't nave to tell a lie. 1t
isn't a lie to say there's been a war.
They'll fill in the rest-not you"
We'll, l never!' said Emily Booker.
Il never did in all my life!'
promise me-promise to give it a
trial.
For a while Emily was silent, but pres
emily she nodded her head three times.
III think 1t over, miss
You darling" said Amardis, and
Rugged her fast. Then holding her at
arms length-"And if it does show signs
Of working out all right, it wouldn't be
a bad idea If you-came out of mourning
and tried to smile again.
1t was to Mrs. Overton, the mother of
Ted Overton the village wag, that Emily