Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-12-21
.JERRY'S FAIRY
GODMOTHER

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V allowed 10 look at two presents befor
he ate and he could take his choice
The rest must wait TN after breakfast
This was the usual Christmas routine
and IN his choice Jerry followed tx
= same routine. He chose first his Elf
= from his father and mother, which to
DAY happened 20 be q superb tricycle.
Next he selected one OF the gifts "a
his fairy g0dm0taer. It was an amaxins
mechanical trains-the kind that hnl
q real track running al around tire
room and that goes when L Is wound
up with q dlzzying speed and 3 soul
satisfying chatter Of machinery. It had
a whistle. too-shrku and piercing cut
ting into the atmosphere as Il rounded
curves
Take care. old man." Donald De-
war advised his son, ~or your ewes viii
pop out Of your head. If they do that
you won't see the train so well"
Children are amazingly intuitfve.
Dewars tone was light. but odd. It
made Jerry look at him quickly and
\ then at his mother, and as he looked
his brilliant little face sobered. Neves
! before, on Christmas morning, had he
! seen those two faces 50 serious. Never
before had he heard the sharp edge
on his mothers voice which Il held
now.
TITS the same old story" she said,
between tight lips. Il pinch and save
20 give Jerry something he wants Then
when Christmas comes Eve sends him
something so expensive and breath
taking that he hasn't the slightest In
tereSt IN his other gifts She's very
foolish. Shes done Il every Christmas
since he was born. She seems to think
Jerry belongs to her and that its her
privilege TO spoil him. And he isn't the !
only thing she thinks belongs to her.
told her so yesterday"
You seem to have told her a good
many unpleasant things during that
row you and she had" DeWar said. i
still In that new voice
Jerry pricked up his ears. Row. He
knew that word and what it meant
AS an only and rather precocious child
ne had always given close attention to
the conversation Of his elders. At seven
ne understood much more Of IL than
they realized What he didn't under
stand ne tucked away IN his memory
and reflected ON It at leisure Quite
often something was said later that
made It clear. He was down on the floor
now apparently absorbed in his new
engine, but his small ears were alert
and his mind was busy. What was It he
mad heard Nora, the cook, saying to
He remembered it quite wen.
The pair Of them had a devil Of a
row in the hb'ry this afternoon. Her
self laid out her fine friend good and !
cold and Mistress Jennings left the J
house with flea in her ear. High time. !
too, If you ask me. She's been here !
zoo much for anybody's goodl" !
Janet, the Scotch waitress Mrs. De-
war had employed ever since her mar
rage, was passionately loyal to her :
'If you're limiting that there's any :
hing wrong between Mr.. Dewar and r
Mrs Jennings" Janet began with
old fury .
I'm not" Nora said pIacidIy. "ex- :
ept that it's wrong to be letting them =
elves drift into trouble, which is ex- 3
Icsly what the two Of thin is doing" 4
Jerry, IN the cooks pantry looking II
or piece Of string from the supply =
ne always kept on hook there, watt 4
d I'LL Janet had gone and then fol-
owed her upstairs. Nora's eyes widened II
S she saw him cross the kitchen. q
The kid got an earfuI that time. " h
ne told herself, and added comfort %
bly,, but devil bit Of it hen take =
AZ"
He didn't take it an in-only enough =, =.
make him uncomfortable. Put with =,
sveraI other things 1t formed q haunt ),
~ pattern. his mothers and his god :.
lother'S red eyes when they parted
he fierce and hurried hug the latter q
ad given him In the han Her wet
heck pressed against his face. And
us talk at the breakfast table and
le strange seriousness and silence tin
had begun.
Eve needs to come to her senses"
8 mother was saying. She added, and
er voice still held that new sharp
0te. And so, my dear, do you'll"
Donald Dewar pushed back his chair
Id half rose.
IF you're iusinuating-" ne began.
My dear, I never fnsinuate. i ten
W exactly what think I think it's
me Tor you and Eve to come to your
nses. I've told her 30, and now I'm
ling you
JerTy's attention returned to his
ain. He realized that he had been
rgotten. The words above him flowed
: He caught and understood q phrase
re and there.
I'm blaming myself, too" his moth
continued. Il should have pulled
2 up before an this gossip started.
blame myself for another thing. I
ew perfectly wen the danger OF hay
an attractive widow around the
use 50 much. The trouble is" her
Ice shook, 81 trusted you both"
mat brought ehoked protest from
r husband.
1o,s s1o, GOd ,,,I Peggy, you don't think
OF course / don't" Jerrys little
ryes relaxed. His mothers voice was
tural again. It was a cajoling voice,
2 voice in which she so often spoke
him when he had been crying. Her
rds had meant little to him but
rus. Her tone brought him out from
der the table. Even yet she did not
W#