The Fort Peck press., 1936-04-09

Ike to listen now. She could tell from
MS whistle that everything wasn't al
right with him. He was whistling JUS
to make her think everything was al
right, and he wa telling her as plair
as words that everything wasn't.
She got up and went inside where
ne couldn't see her. She tried to foo.
herSelt into thinking she didn't know
he'd made it up about Johnny Slocum
and the Salvation Army, but she
couldn't. She knew from his whistle
that he was turning owe in his mind
now what they'd say if he really did
ask them to help them out, and that
ne wasn't very hopeful.
she was a careful Woman and she
dld what she planned to do usually no
more and no less. She heard Joe
Henry's whistle flag and die. His work
cone, she heard his steps pass around
to the front porch where he had left
her. Heard them slacken and then
pick up. AS he started off she heard
him begin to whistle again.
She went out and called him back
to give him some cookies. She hadn't
the faintest intention in the world of
saying what she did say until it came
out as it were of its own accord.
I'm getting set in my ways, and it's
not good for me-. There's nobody else
| could ask, and I ought to do my share.
You bring 'em here, and o come with
EN-, and We'll show them a time like
what was it you said?-like nopody's
buSineSS!"
But a man cannot by taking thought
q a cubit to his stature, nor an old
woman change her nature, that she's
been building up for all those years.
Joe Henry didn't have both feet on
the ground at the same time from then
until the house party and it pleased her
to see how happy he was. but the
mouse party, when it came, didn't please
of them.
When, at long, long last, it was over,
and Martha Bixler sat weary and sore
alone again, thank God!
her front porch, and Joe Henry
was Jouncing along back to the sta
ton with his departing guests in the
truck Johnny Slocum had obligingly
supplied, failure and disappointment
were written plainly on both of them:
Joe Henry'S one-time friends had
descended upon the place like Indians
upon a captured stockade. Either they
aad changed since he saw them last
or he had forgotten what they were
Ike; Joe Henry was in the habit of
teallng with men, or boys out in the
world playing mems parts. He didn't
now what to, do. He strove %valiantly
against the tide of them, but without
fleet. He seemed to get smaller and
mailer.
And she, old Martha thought, had
roWn a little shrill and shrewish with
hose boys; and then ashamed, and
lad shown it. Sitting there turning it
yer in her mind, she wasn't proud of
ither of them. They had seemed, she
hought now, unattractive to each other
Or the first time, and she sighed heav-
y: for before that there had been an
variable pleasantness about her re-
et1onShip with Joe Henry.
She had had few dealings with
hildren and none with children like
These reformatory boys were as
range as if they had really been the
savages whose code they lived
She reprimanded, but not with au-
lority, suspecting some lack in her
If, pied, but Intellectually, knowing she
as using the wrong words, hopeless
catching a tone that would seem
lid to these small, alien tribesmen
no when threatened turned her way
l at once like wild animals in a forest