Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1930-01-23

lullCUeOu SeTNeu ny TIE RuluedHS. Anu
when the proper moment came, Helen
slipped away from the Others and
went into the small room beside the
pulpit where she changed quickly
from her bridal robes 10 trim black
and white, for travelling. And then.
just a very little later, there was
cab at the curb, and the guests from
within f1Ocked OUT to mingle fra
ternally with those eq'lally interested
outside.
Horace took Helen's hand in his.
and in shower of flowers and rice.
they ran down the walk. With her
foot on the running board of the car.
she paused. Her eyes swept the
small sweet sea of loved and loving
faces. She found the bright eyes of
Marjory and Miriam, found her father
standing II little away by himself.
Then she found Ginger, a. small, sol.
emn figure, with lips forced to a
grim smile. And Helen tossed her
great bouquet, lilies of the valley. for.
get-me- nOts and tiny rOsebudS.
Ginger had not thought of this,
must have been sheer instinct which
shot her 1.-THE young arms high over
others to catch the precious trophy.
Helen smiled at her.
"My Ginger" Her lips merely
formed the words, but Ginger, staring,
read the syllables distinctly.
The cab rolled away.
A shout of laughter, chorus of
the captured bridal bouquet in her
hand But she heard none of it. She
was going home. She answered no
smiling thrusts, called no responsive
greetings, to the merry throng about
her. She just set her small face
toward the old brown door, and her
obedient little feet carried her lead
emily toward it.
Up the stairs, heavily, heavily, and
down the hall to the bedroom she had
shared with Helen. The room looked
strange-big and rOOmy. She marveled
at it's bigness, for she and Helen had
often complained iaughingly of its
slight dimensions. Suddenly she real
lied. One of the little twin beds was
gone. and The other, her own, was in
the center of the space the two had
occupied. Ginger's eyes burned sud-
denly. But she was glad that other
bed was gone. She had not realized
how it would have been, lying there
and gazing across ut that empty pill
low where Helen'S brown hair, Helen's
gentle face, Helen's friendly eyes, had
been before.
"She thought of that" she said
aloud
Conscious Of the weight of the flow
ers, she crossed duly to the desk by
the window. There she found a fat
blue vase, filled with fresh water.
waiting to receive them.
'She did that. She meant all the
time that l should have her flowers"
Carefully, with fingers that seemed
unfamiliar and strange to her, she
lOOsened the white ribbons, folded
them carefully, and placed the flowers
in the blue bowl
Then she sat down. on the solitary
little twin bed, and stared at them
stared all about the room.
"That's what she was doing all
morning." she thought, fixing this
room for me-. Putting my things where
her things had been, Strengthening the
drawers, and tidying the closet. so
everything would he full of me. and
wouldn't show so much emptiness of
her."
She got up suddenly, and turned
down the hall. The ladder was against
the wall. She climbed dismally, pull
ing herself, great weight, through
the trapdoOr, and crossed the beams
to the dOrmer window From force
of habit. she drew the small stool up
to the table, and reached for her
pad. And then she saw white en-
velope
only Ginger"
She picked up the letter. It was
then she saw the velvet box She
opened 1t curiously-a small diamond.
in an old-fashioned setting-her moth.
ers engagement ring that Helen had
worn for sixteen years. Ginger held
it in her hand long time, and stared
into the dim recesses of the dusty old
room with grave, glad. wondering
eyes. This was to her symbol of
Helen's trust.
''If I'm not whole lot better after
this, I'm a whole lot worse than I
think | am" she decided finally. 81
know Helen expects me to keep a
motherly eye on father and the twins.
and shall not disappoint her Oh.
how pleased she'll be when she hears
about my home for the blind"
There was certain confidence in
her manner as she slipped the small
gold band upon her finger. After all.
already, she had taken the family
affairs in charge. The first links of
her chain were firmly forced