Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-11-01
Bertha's Big
Surprise
By LEETE STONE
-ooooooooooooooooooc

POONVILLE could not get along
- without Bertha Ransome; but
Bertha sometimes felt she could do
very well without Spoonville. Some
times, on day like this when wind
and rain battered the post office win
dow with relentless fury, Bertha tired
of Spoonville but Its usual peace
and beauty held her in spite of gray
days.
Sorting the last Of the morning
mail she heard sharp thud outside
following a particularly vicious gust
of wind.
"What was that, jedi" she called
from behind the mail boxes to one
of the men waiting in front for the
little delivery coop to open. Bertha
heard him shuttle to the door and
look out.
Jest the town tablet blowin' down."
Jed replied. II wanted to set them
sideposts in seement; but the town
wouldn't stand for It,"
Bertha's heart stitched. She paused
the trice of moment every morning,
passing that War memorial with its
fourteen names, to glance at the first
one-John Curtis They had been en-
gagged when he went away and had
planned to go to Chicago, his birth
place, to live and work when he re-
turned.
Bertha had heard no word from
him since the day the troop train
steamed into Hartford station and he
had held her tightly in his arms and
whispered brokenly. bye, dearl Back
SOON Don't forget mel"
No, Bertha had never forgotten him.
There was band Of gray in her
thick, lovely hair, plnched turn to
her pretty mouth, and an intensity Of
yearning in her brown eyes that be-
spoke her memory's fidelity. Spoon.
vile was periodically astonlshed that
she paid no heed to the reverent
suit of Ezra jenkins, head selectman,
which had lasted ever since he re-
turned long ago from the fighting
front.
Bertha went to church with Ezra
every Sunday morning, rain or shine;
but that was as far as she went.
She would never let him lead her
down the narrow church aisle to the
pulpit.
She nursed Pop Aiken during his
aged, failing years and did all the
work that the government attributed
to him as its official postmaster. Sim
ply because he had adopted her as
a child, and had been even kinder to
her than he was to his beloved swarm
of cats.
She was the life Of the Ladies' Aid
society, the ad0red spiritual mentor OF
a dozen Sunday School children, and,
three evenings week, the intelligent
counselor and guide Of those who
sought the public library, a gift of
Spoonville's wealthy tOwnsman. The
town just couldn't do without Bertha,
and Ezra jenkins tried every Sunday
morning. strolllng home from church.
to persuade her that he could not
either.
The collapse Of the town tablet this
furious March morning was like
sudden stab that drew blood from the
flesh of the past. The hurt Of 1t was
In Bertha's eyes as she lifted the little
Oaken sliding slab, her sorting finished.
and banded the minister his mall. The
minister was served first no mat
ter how many waited That was as
II should be.
Jed, he who had apprlsed Bertha
Of the tablets fall, town jack-of-all-
trades, was last to be served, no mat
ter II he was first to seek the warmth
of the sheet iron stove. That, also,
was as 1t should be.
The office was vacant when at last
he slouched over to the mail shelf.
Don't expect nOthln', Bertha. AL.
ways jes' step up from force O. habit"
Jed smiled behind his week of whlsk-
ers at the sweet face across the mail
shelf from him.
"Sorry, Jed" Bertha smiled, too, 1T
isn't time for your tax bill yet. BY the
way, Jed, II It clears tomorrow ! wish
you'd get some one to help you set up
the war tablet. Sink new posts and
set them In cement this time. Ezra
will see that you get your money
from the town"
I'll sure work "A II In the morn
ing, Miss Bertha, if the weathers rea.
sonable." He suffered and cleared
his throat "Say, Miss Bertha, you
guess who seen In Hartford last
MIGHT ~ TaH m ha linN
of eagerness In Bertha's eyes. "Seen
John Curtls-no one elsew
"Jedr The wOman's faint rose fin
gernalIs showed blood dark red as
she gripped the counter In front of
her. Jed, John Curtis Is dead"
II know, Miss Bertha, so he said;
but he's live again now. He ask me
bout you first thing an said as how
he was comm over to see you this
evenln'. Said as how he'd bin In fur
rim parts ever since the big scrap
shellshocked or somethln'-an' now
some big Doctors made I'm husky an
sent I'm back home"
Bertha wanted to believe Jed's
news; but all day her heart wavered |
between hope and doubt. Not until
the evening bus arrived, bringing John
Curtis and his gay smile, did her Joy
crystalline.
That night brand new crescent
moon lighted Lovers Lane that wound
It's crooked way to Spoonvllle GENE
terry. Bertha and John discarded the
years OF heartache and loneliness with |
a kiss and tender words and the light |
In their radiant eyes was sufficient
token Of the delightful happiness to
come.