Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-07-18
JASPER
AND THAT
ENCHANTED
VASE
COOKING round gulltily, Jasper
phillinS opanad tho naplapQ
Observation-Disclosures,
90 by d. J. walsh.)

l. Such little package to contain
so much beauty, he felt. For
this young farmer never analysed
things. Enough that sour soil gave
him scanty living. Enough when his
wife did not express active dlspleas-
ure with his work.
But now this great happiness had
come to him. Old Mrs. Parr, the only
wealthy woman In the community,
had seen him look at this blue thing,
enraptured with Its line, its vivid
color. And she had left 1t to him
in her will. 1t was his. Something
made him find place for 1t in the
barn, behind old Ruth's stall. Mildred
, wouldn't look for valuable vases In a
COW barn. He feared 1t had money
J value. If 1t had he knew he wouldn't
be allowed to keep it.
: Jasper took it out each morning.
He almost trembled as he unwrapped
the heavy papers. Yes, there 1t was.
! remote, frail, with dancing figures In
white. You could hear that queer
harp thing culver with music. Jas
per knew bands. Didn't the Wood
mems band play every Fourth of
July? But he felt this music was diff
ferent. For one thing the girl with
the lovely nose held 1t on her knee.
And around and around the vase her
sisters danced. Once he'd seen
mlsts at dawn, all plnked with the
. / that rannfnHnA Of thfc danninrr
e.. Strange.
Jasper! Jasper" A rising in
Election of arrogant impatience.
Coming, NIilly. Had to see to old
Ruth"
"Ruth's all right. You're just moon
Ing in that barn all the time. You'll
end in State hospital If you go on that
way" The State hospital was the
local refuge for the insane.
Jasper sighed. He was glad to
think his treasure was securely
wrapped. He had become deft In
wrapping quickly. He wondered II
criminals were like that, working al
ways with great fear of detection.
Was he wrongIng Mildred by
keeping this one thing secret? Yet
II he did not she would insist on his
selling it. And 1t was all he had
He took to noticing the sky. Not
quite the same blue as his vase. ex-
cepting sometimes in the fall. Kind
Of greenish, generally.
Jasper" remarked Mllly, I've got
boarder. Seems dumb, but paid In
advance for two weeks. An artist, he
says. He's gone out into the east
pasture. Bull amt there, Is he?"
Jasper shook his head.
THAT'S all right, then. Goodness
knows what he sees In anything
around here, but he says we have
wonderful country. | said we were
open to any offer, reasonable, If he
wanted to buy"
II don't know as I'm so anxious to
sell, Milly," replied her husband;
might 60 further and fare worse"
"Never knew such man. No en-
terprise. Maybe you'd better get out
and meet thls-oh, yes, he's called
Springer. Mr.. Springer. wouldn't
take his check, for artists aren't to
be trusted, ! guess, not being regular
work, as you might say. Go see what
he's doing"
Jasper found q pleasant little man
sitting on his stool by the hedge.
always liked that view myself"
said Jasper, noting with delight that
Springer was painting the colors as
he saw them.
The artist glanced up. Eyes, It's
a nice place you have here. These
trees. Pretty old, aren't they?"
ayes. EverythIng's old My wife'd
like to sell AS the soil Is not up to
much, but don't know. like to see
plenty Of sky" He stopped, redden.
ing. What If this man agreed with
his wife and wanted to send him to
the State hospital?
That's just It. There's more scope
for sky study than any place here
abouts. It's ideal. You palntr"
Jasper REDEEMED some more. "I'm
farmer. Inherited this from my
dad. But things don't grow for me,
guess"
He wasn't used to expressing him.
self Hadn't talked 30 much In years
Yet this was the beginning Of
strange friendship. Surreptltlous, un.
fortunately. since Mllly did not take
to" the painter. "Such u waste of
time" she said. "What like to see
Is good smart business man." 1t
was a bitter blow to her that they'd
never been able to have car
Jasper learned about colors,
vague technical study that delighted
him. The artist was Interested This
was no common man. At last, one
day when Mllly had gone to market,
Jasper showed the vase, explaining
that, while probably It had little
value, he feared his wife might wish
to sell 1t II 1t had.
most exquisite" was Sprlnger's
comment, zone Of the loyellest things
I've seen In long time. A museum
piece. How did you come to possess
such treasurer"
jasper told him.
Springer regarded him once more
out Of his narrowed painters eyes
that saw so much. He could recon.
struct the past. A kindly old woman
who knew many things and her do.
DR.. u. ERNEYHOUGH,
VFTFRINAPV cIIpcEnN