The Bismarck tribune., 1933-05-15
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hack the earth.
And when it was decentiy over,
and they were driving back to the
house, the women's voices becom-
ing more natural again, not 80
whispery and solemn.
The children, becoming less good.
The soft fleshy smack Of Bess'
hand cutting Regina, who was ask
ing if there would be ice cream
and lemonade, both, Eat the party"
And then everyone coming in to
the house for COFFEE" Bess hos
pitably urging everyone, even RIfe
Fletcher's wife whom she hated.
The heat Of the kitchen. The
sweaty, shiny face Of the Schultz
girl $50 called because she had
never married, though she was
nearly as old IS mother had been)
bending over the five gallon coffee
pot Bess had borrowed from the
Ladies' Aid.
Bess bringing in the baked ham
from the cooler, whispering to the
Schultz girl to see that everybody
had potato salad and q hot biscuit.
The minister's wife crooking her
little finger elegantly, as she lifted
her coffee cup, balancing her loaded
plate on one bony knee.
After . while Lily Lou went and
slipped her hand inside dads horny
one, the way she used to when she
WAS . little girl. He hastily looked
around, stretching his red, deeply
wrinkled neck inside the unaecus-
toned white collar. When he saw
that no one was looking their way
he patted her dark head awkwardly,
mussing her hair.
"The Others" he said, "were like
her. I always said you were more
my side Of the family, Dolly"
She said nothing, rejecting, be-
cause he had called her Dolly"
It was years since he had. He had
called her that often, when she was
little, and she could still remember
her mothers displeasure - because
Of Aunt Dolly, Of course.
"Your mother was . good wom-
IN. She hadn't ought to have mar
ried me-" he said. "It would have
been better If she'd took Sam Her
vey, like she set out to do"
Sam Hervey! The towns boss
If . town the size Of Woodlake can
be said to have . boss-Sam Her
vey, making the gradua tion
speeches at the school, being toast
master 1t church suppers and
mother /. long ago, when she was
young, thinking of marrying him.
Lily Lou squeezed dads hand
tighter.
And somehow that memory of
dad, calling her Dolly, stayed with
her, to comfort her, long after the
other memories were faded and
sweetened with time.
It had been dad that she had been
most afraid of. His talk about
= shotgun, how he'd just as lief
take shot at this one or that one
who had done some dastardly thing.
!. ;. For months she had dreamed
Of dad finding out how the Sar.
gents had treated her, and going
out to shoot somebody.
And now he was the only one who
asked no questions. Just held her
hand, said, II always thought You
were more my side Of the family,
Delly-"
They-Raymond, May and She
stayed 1t Bess' that night. Dad
guessed he'd 60 on up to Uncle
Eph's cabin for . spell. Some
things he had to take care Of. AZ
ter that, he might take up q fel.
lows proposition, and go away.
What proposition - what FL.
low?" Nay asked sharply.
"Oh. just . proposition . fellow
made me-"
"Umph!" said May.
So dad limped out to the back
yard, where Uncle Eph's mare Was
tied to the picket fence. Lily Lon
wanted to run after him.
Mother gone, Uncle Eph, even
old Shep dead, and now dad on his
way up to Lone Mountain.
TO Be Continued)
Copyright b. King Features Syndie.A,. l..