Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-12-21
BY
ELIZABETH
JORDAN

remember him. She had risen, had
crossed to her husbands side, had bent
@no lightly kissed his cheek.
Buck up. old dear" she said gently
forget IT,"
After that his father and mother
Mere pretty much what they had al
NAyS been-gay, amusing, devoted to
sneE eve lamb. But 70 Jerry there
was one great lack IN the family life
anQ he could not ignore t. His fairy
Roumother came 70 the house no more.
Inc TACT was incredible beWildering
Jerry could not understand It. Nor
could he understand the spirit with
which his Investigations into her alb
sence were met. A sudden warning
s0ok rom his father-and silence. With
DIS mother, q queer impression that
sLe vas going away from him. though
sne stayed right there In the room
and silence.
Doesn't Aunt Eve love us any more2"I
ne once asked her. This time she an
swered.
4 hope not. darling" she said.
But the fairy godmother did love
MIN Just the same. She told him SO
one October day IN the park. almost
year later, when Jerry and his father
met her Unexpectedly The three Of
them sat down on a bench and talked
9 long time. At least the two grownups
ciio. Jerry had 70 tell Aunt Eve many
times that he stin loved her. she asked
MIN the question again and again and
again as II she could not quite be-
neve him. Then she said to hts father,
Il miss you an so terribly, but I think 1
I miss Jerry the most I couldn't love
nm more II he belonged to me. o. Don.
Jerrys Just the son / would select II
could have son made to orderf"
Dewar didn't answer. He merely
looked very serious. She went on:
I know we were fools, as Peggy
says, But haven't we been punished
enough? Is she going to keep mt in
deserve that"
NO" Dewar said slowly, you don't.
q there's any blame it's all mine. I
old her so, again and again"
she looked &C him q long time and
hen spoke in a different tone.
How snug and contented you look,
Don. don't believe you care. You're
" right You're back in Peggy's good
races. You're happy. But what about
ne? haven't done anything, either.
nut I've lost you an. And I'm going
through purgatory. You've only 70 look
{ me TO see that" Il
For several days after that his faith =
T was very quiet. He also seemed a
it anxious when Jerry was talking atl
ne table or elsewhere But In a week
r two they met Aunt Eve in the park
gain at the same bench--a pleasant
ench near a fountain, With a pool on
'hich boats sailed very nicely. Only
rev sentences Of their long tank ling
red in JerryIS memory"
i know shouldn't be here" Aunt
We said. But I couldn't resist the 4
nance Of seeing you both again. In
Ict, I've been haunting this fountain
y days. You don't mind, do you, Don?"l
It's very unWiSe,T Jerry heard his
Ither say. IF Peggy hears Of it thereTl
the devil to pay. You know we both
-omised-but think Of it, Eve. this
ION Of mine hasn't mentioned our
her encounter He seems to realize
lat 1t wouldn't do"
Jerry wasn't sure what scion OF en-
unter meant-but he made a guess
He continued to hold his small
ngue when another meeting took
ace. That was in December. He 4
ought the avoidance Of the bench
IS because the fountain was frozen.
1t this day, a week before Christ
as and on the opposite side Of the
TX, he and his father again met Aunt 4
e. They stood and talked for q mo-
mt, then found a new bench and -