Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-09-25
The Souls Necessity j..
By Margaret Weymouth Jackson

with their baby riding on her feet.
father said: That's the way to start
them. If you'd started that way, be-
fore you could walk any too well. you'd
never have these troubles now, little
daughter"
And then, with infinite patience. he
held her hand and she tried and tried.
It'll be easier tomorrow" he assured
her. I'm going TO take you to see
mother in the afternoon and l want
you 10 tell her you can skate a little.
You'd do well to practice all by your
self. You mustn't give up, Louise. It's
worth sticking at"
She was so tired she couldn't sleep.
All night she seemed TO be skating.
Her feet felt just as though the heavy
steel ~contraptions were fastened to
them. She could feel the bite Of the
straps on her ankles. In the morning
she got up early and stole downstairs.
She unlocked the front door and vent
out alone. Only the milk mar was on
the quiet street.
She sat down on the front steps and
put her skates on and started out
slowly, her hands o~utspread, going
down the hill to skate on the ross
street where it was level. Father had
been right. She could balance her.
self today. She had learned while she
was sleeping. She began to throw
herself forward with more confidence.
Gradually her feet came together a
little better. She was able to lift her
right foot clear of the cement while
her left rolled forward.
She came back at seven o'clock and
went into the house. Her grandmother
was astonished to see her. Louise did
not even listen to her, but ran to
waken her father and tell him. She
had a few small tasks to do on Satur-
day morning and after breakfast she
hurried through with them, but she
was scarcely finished when she heard
a shrill treble: "Looueeese-Yoo, hoo!"
1t was Barbara. Louise rushed out
of the house, her skates clanking by
their straps. They went off together,
skating with long strokes, their arms
around one another's waists, their
hands crossed over in front. They
were together all morning, the little
brown-eyed girl and the little blue
eyed girl. Mary had gone to the coun-
try and there was no n to trouble
them. Mary, Barbara told Louise, was
going to move to the country.
You'll be my chum now, won't your"
she said. Louise gave Barbara's hand
a squeeze, but her heart sank. This
would only last while father was home.
She closed her eyes. She would ask
her mother if she couldn't have a
chum. They had never allowed her to
play with any one.
I've got a secret to tell you," she
whispered. 1--WE got some beautiful
gold paper. I've had it a long time.
We could use it-for the circus next
summer, to make crowns or something
With"
Barbara took everything for granted.
She showed Louise how to put on
skates without a key, how to cross her
feet on corners, showed her the hol-
low tree where they could leave notes
for each other and the hole where
they could go through Smiths fence
when the apples were green. The other
girls came to skate on the hill and
they played "rin-tin-tin" and "send-
ers," "pom-pom-pull-away" on their
skates and laughed until they had to
lCdll Qp dRd1lLoU t1lC tANSo oLA OAA
their sides when Barbara'S baby got
silly and made faces and pulled his hat
on the side Of his head. The two
Marthas would have cOaxed the others
to run away, but Barbara, who was
leader in everything, soon put a stop
to that.
1t was noon before Louise could be-
lieve it. She was bathed by a silent
and grieving grandmother and went to
the hospital with her father. She vas
thrilled to see her mother, who looked
astonishingly young and pretty lying
on a pillow, with her thick fair hair
in a braid. She wore a bright bed
jacket father had bought her and she
seemed shining with happiness and
not sick at all. Father kissed her ten
derby and SO did Louise. Mother asked
about the skates and Louise told her,
with enthusiasm, leaning against the
bed, holding mothers hand.
Mother" she said in a rush, Bar
bara wants me for her chum. Can l
have a chum, mother? You have to
visit each other and stay all night
sometimes. You have to call for each
other and have secrets"
Father sent Louise to look out OF
the window and he talked to mother In
a low voice about groWnup things that
didn't insterest Louise. 1t was all about
solitary confinement being melted out
only to the most hardened criminals,
about gregariouS instincts and the ne
cessities Of the soul.
I'D never have left a boy under such
circumstances" father said, reproach-
ing himself, and mother drew him down
and kissed him.
They had to go almost at once and
mother put the hair back from Lou
ise's forehead and looked into her eyes
and kissed her.
"Of course you can have a chum,
darling" Mothers eyes were full OF
tears. Barbara Peters is a fine little
girl. I know her mother well"
Father went away on Monday morn
ing to be gone a few days to the head
office" Aunt Agnes and grandmother
could not do a thing with Louise. She
refused to allow any one to walk TO
school with her and short of a scene on
the highway she did not intend to
yield. She brought little girls into the
house-walking on the hardwood floors
on their roller skates-tO see the shells
father had brought from California
Her indiscretions were numerous. She
jumped the rope too long and was
tardy in school. She appeared at the
supper table with grimy hands. She
didn't listen when grandmother pleaded
with her. When she was taken to see