Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-12-28

continued 70 stand stin on tbs stair
case. lust outside the kitchen door
Nora hurried 70 her friends side. xul
Of remorse.
There now, It amt ike you to do
that" she pointed out, pattiuG the
Scotch wumaus shaking shoulders
alsot but what I'd do L myself IS the
drop of the hat We're all on the edge
Of our nerves Why wouldn't we De,
watchin' and waitin' for the explosion
these last dayS2 And all the t1mes she
added heavily, your Mrs. Jennings
could end the trouble BY p8cEln ner
trunks and saiiin' for Europe. 4 wish
to God ksd the nerve 70 write ner
letter and ten her 10 do IL All this
situation needs, Nora Kelly ended
calmly. is q little common sinse.
Janet wiped her eyes with furious
gesture and sat up.
you keep out OF 1T" she stormed
Don't you be butting into something
that's no business OF yours.
AN right, all right Nora returned
to her dish washing with al injured
air. If you saw young Jerry droNndin !.
suppose you'd think It was none Of
your business. Wen, I differ With you
on that. He is drowndin and I'd
think 1t was my business to jump IN
an save him II / knew how. But
don't. All know is that somebody's got
to do somethin', and do It quick, or
wen all go up IN smoke.
Nora was q temperamentai worker
when she was under strong emotion.
Under the noise Of Gathering dishes
Jerry crept back upstairs. he knew
better than to appear IN the Kitchen
and be accused Of listening. but he had
listened to the fullest capacity OF his
small ears. He understood three Things.
There was serious trouble In his home.
Somebody ought to do something about
it. Il would end If Aunt Eve packed
her trunks and went to Europe.
When he got back to the living room
1t was empty. His mother, he under
stood, had gone into her own room, as
she had a habit Of doing lately. Jerry
went out into the hall, took his coat,
cap. mittens and rubbers from their
places, and put them on. His small
face was very serious as he opened
the front door and left the house. He
was going to do something. That was
exciting, and made him feel important.
But what he was going to do, he otmly
felt was something Aunt Eve wouldn't
like. That was not so good. That was
really very bad. He had missed Aunt |
Eve horribly this last year He loved !
her. He had told her ever since he was
able to speak, and almost every time |
he had seen her which was almost /
every day OF his life, that he loved her
better than onyone in the world ex-
cept his father and mother. It was true
He had repeated it by her special
request and because she was never tired /
Of hearing 1t. She liked 1t as much as
she liked some Of the fairy stories she
had told him. No one, not even moth
er, could tell stories as Aunt Eve did.
No one else could give one such thrill.
Jack, the Giant Killer, Hop o. MY
Thumb"
Jerry experienced a little thrill even
now as he thought Of them. BE thought
of other things: Of Aunt Ewes gifts,
which filled his room at home Of her
wet cheeks when she had kissed him
IN the park the day she cut off her
buttons for his snowman; of the cir
cuseS and moving pictures she had
taken him to see. He did not know
why he thought Of these things. For
some reason they made him feel worse.
But he ploughed on through the fresh
" fallen snow, kicking it TO right and
left, lettering a little deliberately be-
cause he was not anxious TO get to
Aunt Ewes house, yet with no temp
,ation to give up the expedition.
He knew his way. He had been there
many many times, but not since the
lay he was seven. He was almost
7tS1lt AfOW--6 great pAA IVY Olu cALN4&A4
% go by himself and to find his way
without trouble He stopped, tempted
70 start q new snowman, or to make
IN angel" in the snow. But after only
IN instant's hesitation he pushed on.
Those diversions would mean delay.
Suddenly he was In q hurry to reach
Aunt Ewes house. He entered the big
rate that led to It, walked along the
driveway leading to the front door,
- ~ bali
With a firm little hand
Almost Immediately the door swung
,pen and Aunt Eve herself stood ON
he threshold. She was no fairy god
mother now. She looked pale and sick
md very unhappy. She was dressed
n dark clothes With little cry. and
big gesture she swooped down and
ook him In her arms.
20 darling" she rejoiced, you've
ONE all by yourself to see your poor
aunt Evel III wager five dollars 20 five
oughnutS that no one knows you're
lere." She was on her knees beside
i'm, half laughing, half crying.
Does anyone know" she asked, her
ret cheek against his. She had never
ried when he was Hitler. 1t was
art, Jerry knew. Of the strange new
rouble that distressed them all She
ried and mother cried and even Janet
ried, and daddy looked stern all the
Ime, and Nora talked about every
Ody being blown up. he remembered
hose things while he answered Aunt
IVES question.
Il came my own self" he said, @and
obody Knows. I guess III take on nay
oat and rasbbersS
cot course, darling" Already she was
elpang him to take them off. You
anne because you knew your poor Aunf
We was just hungry for you-hungry,
mgry-@
She was htgRing him, kissing him
3 II she could not stop. Jerry disen-
aged himself when he thought there
ad been enough OF It, as he had all