Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1930-02-27

| Work. Sne tossed nm Scant re.
spect for that choice, which. although
1t accorded him high mark for
character, H. no way entitled him to q
permanent place in her plans for the
family's future. Being a seminary
man, with special study at Oxford. he
would begin perhaps at a thousand
dollars. or twelve hundred II he was
lucky. and would progress upward.
Slowly. perhaps as far as Two thou.
sand. twenty-five hundred, possibly
he was so very good looking. If he
married, he would instantly. according
to time-honOred Methodist parsonage
statistics as figured ~ Ginger, become
possessed of a minimum of three chill
dren.
Small good would be one of his es-
tate 10 the impoverished and needy
TOllivers. Encouraging him was
deliberate throwing away of their one
resource. 1t was the willful choking of
their oil well. Ii was the burning of
their liberty bonds. Ginger recOnnoi-
tered carefully. She did more than rec
onnoiter. She bounded. She was all.
present, all-pervasive. all-observing.
If MarjOry and the young minister
inclined for stroll In the moonlight,
Ginger inclined also. If they sat in
the shade OF the ramhlers on the
veranda, Ginger sat with them. bored,
but unyielding.
Had she washed dishes all these
years merely to save the fair hands
OF MarjOry for the dishes of Hiram
BuckwOrth and q minimum of three?
The attic saw little CO Ellen Tolliver
during these days. She met the post.
man. thanked him warmly for the
letters he gave her, and flew to the
attic. The dimes crashed into the
dolls trunk, and Ginger returned to
her yeranda vigil.
In a way considerable disappoint-
ment attended the accumulation Of
funds for the blind. Rarely did she
receive more than five contributions in
a day, a stingy fifty cents. Lovely
daughters cannot be sent to finishing
schools, shabby parsonages cannot be
done over, suffering eyes cannot be
operated on by expensive surgeons,
upon patry FIVE dimes a day. Not
that Ginger frowned upon her re-
ceipts, far from it. 1t was only that
she had hoped so greatly.
In the three weeks OF Mr.. TOllivers
idleness in the country, he had &C.
quired a thick coat of unaccustomed
tan, and five full pounds in weight,
with such an increase of strength, en-.
thusias1, and ambition, that he was
inclined to feel ashamed of his con.
tinued idleness. Word from town that
a special committee from the official
board wished to meet him al the par.
sOnage on Thursday evening for dis.
cussiOn of important church matters,
gave him real pleasure
Eddy Jackson drove him In, with
Miriam, and feeling, with his usual
tact, that the family would like to be
alone for few hours of intimate re-
union, he pleaded important business,
and left them, promising to return for
them at eleven o'clock. AnG after
their modest supper, they sat, the
three girls and their father, In the
pleasant old living room and waited
for the coming of the committee.
"They want that last two thousand
raised said their father, smiling.
land so do l. But | am sure the peo-
pie will contribute 1t of the own free
will, in gratitude. on the day of the
dedication"
Presently came Joplin Westbury,
alone, Ill at ease, but obviously a man
with his mind made up.
well, Brother TOlliver," he said,
''it's good to see you again. You are
looking better. Eyes any strongerY
81 think so, yes, am sure of It. l |
feel much better. What hour was ap-
pointed for the meeting? Isn't the
rest of the committee later
swell, as matter of fact, the rest |
of the committee is not coming. Broth |
er Dawes was called out of town on
business-late this afternoon, and |
Brother Macklen is in bed with an
attack Of acute indigestion. Not that |
l believe a word Of 1t myself. They
just backed out, that's ALL"
us the meeting postponed. then?
swell. no. You see, I was the chair |
man anyhow. and can do as well
without the committee. Well lust |
have K out by ourselves"
The girls rose quickly. "Well run
upstairs If you will excuse u.s." said |
Miriam.
mo, don't CO." said Joplin West.
bury quickly, evidently not at all de-
string to be left alone with his gentle.
unseeing pastor. You stay right
here. It's familN matter. as Won
might say, and Wen just have it all
right out in the OPEN
Mr.. Tolliver sat very still, a rigid
figure against the faded blue velvet
of the big chair, his head bent for.
ward.
you see. We had meeting of the
official board Monday night"
"You did! Why, I could have come
In for IL