The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-05-10
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fonmers.& Years earlier Madeline
ran away from her grandfather's
home &s.,As ~ y. y; t$Sf. e.is'. !, !.
When Donna is injured in .
fall from the trapeze Madeline ar
ranges for her to be taken TO
Grandfather SiddaPs farm. To
please her partner Donna pre-
tends to be Madeline. Donna falls
in love- WithSBilf Siddal, Made
lines cousin3f She is ashamed of
.deeeiving Grandfather and Bill
but continues to pretend to be the
other girl. s';..<,, = a.
Meanwhile Con David, circus
animal trainer, believing Donna
is lost to him, asks Madeline to
marry him. sThe marriage takes
place irf@the circus arena. Nub
Planter. son of the @housekeeper
at the Siddal farm, sends hand
bill describing the wedding to his
mothers
Ned sTrafford, boss canvasman
with whom Madeline had flirted
leaves the CIRCUS. &C.
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
?. .'. CHAPTER XIII
l., Whether it was because Mrs.
Planter complained of the amount
Of work she had to do or whether
Bill wanted to avoid being alone
with Donna>the girl did not know,
but the following day a sturdy.
frackled-faced yOungster from. a
neighboring farm walked, unan-
npunced, into DOnna's room.
"I'm Minnie Jones" the new
conner. said. "Bill Siddal says as
how you can't lift yourself out
of your bed and that | was to
help YOU"
Remembering Bills arms as he
had carried her from the bed to
the chair AND the caress he had
repulsed, Donna's cheeks famed.
She tried valiantly to smile at the
country girl. and murmured that
she hoped she would not be too
/ heavy. . H.. -, ...,.
"Shucks, I'm strong as an oxn'
Minnie informed her. "You don't
look any heaYier than churn of
butter. reckon l can manage all
! right
Minnie was strong and, in spite
of her awkwardt appearance, very
capable. Donna could find but one
fault with the girl and that was
Minnie's incessant chattering,
From the time Donna was en-
sconced in the wheel chair until
she returned to her bed she was
obliged to listen to a flow of con,
versation that ranged from the
number of eggs Pa Jones's buff
cochins produced to the sale OF
the lard rendered from hogs Min
ME had raised herself. Motion pic.
ture stars. the time Minnie visited
Chicago, Mrs. Ramsey's twins
Nub Planters shiftlessness, Ber'
tina Cranes long engagement, the
newest fashion in hats, the wealth
err and the crops were all topic!
for Minnie's wagging tongue.
Sometimes Grandpa Siddal, sun
ming himself on the front porch
would interrupt good-naturedly
my land, Minnie! Don't youl
tongue ever get tired?"
But the girl was so tireless ant
always ready. to push the heavy
chair along country lanes, over
ruts and rocks, always anxious tt
do anything to break the monot
ony of Donna's inactivity thai
Donna would have become genu
inely fond of7her if Minnie's pres
ence had not practically banishet
Bill
| He disappeared before Donna
breakfasted. Oftener than not ne
ate his midday meal in the fields
In the evening. though they al
sat together at the table, Bill rare
ly Joined in the conversation. He
would sit eating in silence with a
brooding look in his dark eyes
that made the girl who loved him
wretchedly unhappy. \
Several evenings after the COM
ing of Minnie he strobe off down
the road with no explanation fol
his departure and Donna felt
with sinking of her spirits, that
he was going to Matte Blake. ;
The third time he left before
evening prayer Grandfather Sid,
dial commented upon it. "Bilps moi
himself these days. Wonder il
| anything is troubling him."
4 "He seems cheerful" Donna
said.
'Not to me he doesn't! l can't
see. but God shas given me anoth'
er kind Of eIesight and | always
know when those l love are in
trouble. Maybe everything isn't
Just right with the live stock"
"Perhaps," Donna laughed trem.
ulously, she has had a quarrel
with his sweetheart"
Sweetheart? Bill hasn't got q
sweetheart"
"There you're wrong, Grandpa
He has"
GLOW do you know so much
about it? Has he been telling you
secrets he's kept from me?"
She smiled at the twinge of
jealousy in his old voice. "What
about Matte Blake?"
"My land! You gave me a turn
Why, Bill and Matte haven't been
| counting for months. Not since"
His withered lips closed suddenly
! Don't you like her, Grandpa?'