Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-02-09
Ticket to. Sparta
- III
BY EMILY ". SPEARS
@ by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service

by McClure Newspaper synoica'e'
xXyHEN Peggy Burleson's mother
w found her shameleSsly crying
over a bunch of dead viOlets, she de-
cided something must be done.
But" protested Peggy. when her
mother had explained her plan, II
don't want to go to see Aunt Helen.
| want to stay right here in Longhope.
where Dick is"
In the end Mrs. Burleson won her
point. And two weeks later Peggy
was comfortably established in her
aunt's luxurious New York apart
ment. leading gay life.
And of course Peggy had good
time.
Then suddenly, early in the after
noon Of her birthday. a week after her
visit began. Peggy suddenly decided
she couldn't spend another hour in
New York. She must get home. The
memory of shiny white box. layers
of cleaning. transparent green paper
that she had pulled aside year ago
w uSSiVSC q VI siViCtS tio"
Dick. came to her so vividly. so
pOignantly. that she felt almost faint
from their nearness.
She was going home She couldn't
go back even for an explanation to
her aunt's apartment. Her aunt
wouldn't understand.
She hailed a taxi and hurried to the
station. 1t wasn't until she opened
her purse to pay the taxi man that she
saw she had only two or three dollars.
She paid him. Then she stopped to
consider what to do next. She'd tele-
phone her aunt-leave word with a
maid that she'd gone home for the
night. She couldn't make explana-
tions. 1t was too incOnsiderate Of her
to do it, of course
She'd buy a ticket that would take
her as far as possible on her way.
Then. if the conductor remembered
he might forget and let her ride few
stations extra. perhaps the whole way
shed get off the train. wherever he
put her off. and perhaps she could
walk the rest of the way.
crazy plan. Of course. but to Peggy
at the moment it seemed beautiful.
Fortunately maids voice answered
her telephone call. There was little
surprise in the well-trained. Eyes.
Miss" but that was ALL Peggy had
banked on that Aunt Helen had high
class servants that never batted an
eyelid. no matter what happened
Peggy's eyes blurred as she worked
her way to the head of the line for
her ticket. She pushed two dollars
and quarter through the grating.
"HOw far will that go toward Long
hope" she asked the ticket salesman.
"To Sparta" he answered. "All right.
ticket please" said Peggy. And he
gave 1t to her, with fourteen cents
change.
She had to wait half an hour for
her train. But that was all right. The
maid had told her that her aunt
was away at a card party and wouldn't
be home till five-thirty
Snow was falling as the train
emerged from the tunnel just beyond
the station. Small. busness-like fakes
But what was snow to Peggy? She
saw viOlets floating through the air.
Sparta was a long way from Long
hope. But if she couldn't walk the dis
lance in the flaky snow-oh. well.
something would happen.
The warmth and regular motion Of
tho trofn l,,llaS Doupy <o cloon
firm hut gentle tap on the shout
der awakened her an hour or so later.
She looked up to find the conductor
leaning over her
Excuse me. Miss he said where
was your ticket to-"
Silently, Peggy produced 1t.
We've passed Sparta. Miss. Tom
kins is the next STOP"
"Oh yes" said Peggy. glad that she
had been asleep when the station was
called "Tm sorry. ri just get off at
the next station"
"Twenty-one cents" said the con-
ductor.
"But-" demanded Peggy
"Can't help it. called the sta
ton. You'll have to pay"
pardon me-" said a voice behind
her. to the conductor "The Young
lady wants to go to IonghOpe We
are together. have her fare from
Sparta the rest of the way"
The conductor grunted a dissatis-
fed sound as he accepted a ticket
from Dick. and looked at him a bit
askance as he slid into the seat be-
side Peggy.
Rut that didn't matter to Peggy and
Dick.
"You see." he explained. as his hand
sought and clasped hers. "it's your
birthday. remembered. And I
wanted to be with you'll wanted to
tell you. to ask you to marry me.
got to your aunt's apartment just after
you'd telephoned. and that nice wooden
image of maid was all excited. She
told me what you'd said over the tele-
phOne-she'd just been thinking of
calling a taxi and going to the station
to see what was the matter. Seems
she knew-well. she knew you and I
knew each other. Your old Annie and
she are friends-they've correspondent
cir 70