The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-11-24

Get right down off that morse,
Sally Payson, and come have a
bite of lunch"
I'm afraid 1 can't, Ma" Sally's
brown eyes reflected the affection
ate regret of her voice. I've got
to run a bunch of steers down from
the north pasture.
But l couldn't come so close
without dropping by for glimpse
of you l was aWfully sorry to
Gear ABOUT your herd Stampedlng
OH the way to town"
Kind of bad luck" Ma admit
ted. "Clem's all cut up about 1t,
but it amt his fault. He's not as
young as he was once, but. at that,
neither am l.
He felt so bad he wanted to
quit as foreman. I gave him a
piece of my mind all right. Glen,
I says, if you try to leave me
after being my foreman for 48
years, I'll sue you!
Sally laughed with her. You're
the best sport in all Wyoming,
MAJ"
Reckon it's about time 1 was
pullin' my horns in, runnln' cat
tie" Ma said. I've been hangin'
on, kind of thinkin' maybe Bob'd
come back. but" she broke off
abruptly, with a stiffening OF her
straight little back.
Hes dom right well in New
York, Bob is" she added, proudly.
Il told you about that check he
sent me, didn't -"
OLD STORY
Sally nodded. She didn't dare
trust her voice just then. If Ma
had told her once about that check
she'd had over two years ago, she'd
told her a hundred times.
BY the way" Ma went on, you
got some good turkeys this year?
We've had bad luck with ours. I'd
like to order one for Thanksgiving.
Around fifteen, sixteen pounds"
Nov, Ma, you're not going to
cook another big Thanksgiving
elmer this year, are you?" Sally
eXpostulated.
IF you'd only come over and
have dinner with us, and let Glen
and Tom go into town! 1t would
be so much better all around"
elem and Tom can go to town,
If they've a mind to, but I'm hav-
in dinner here" Ma said. Sup
pose" She didn't go on, but
it wasn't hard for Sally to supply
the rest of the sentence in her
cwn mind.
Suppose Bob should comet"
That was Mas thought, day and
night. And Sally knew perfectly
well that Bob wasn't going to
come.
Her soft, young mouth set in a
stern line, Sally went off to the
north pasture. But her mind was
not on rounding up steer; it was
dwelling, as it had dwelt so end
lessly these last three years, On
that stormy scene of Bob'S part
ing.
If he'd only given her some
warning! But he'd come over as
matter of fact as though he was
telling her he was going to town,
and announced that he was leav-
ing next week for New York.
He had a chance to go into an
engineers office, and he'd decided
he'd rather be an engineer than
cattleman.
ANGER BREAKS
Just like that No word about
where she fitted into the picture
nothing. Speeches., she had lis
tened while he had told her that
he knew his grandmother was dis
appointed, but he'd. promised to
come back if she asked him. "She
says she'll never ask me, though"
he'd said.
1t was then that Sally's anger
broke. She never did know all she
said. She dashed out at his self
ishneSs in giving in to his dream
instead of standing by when he
had a place and was needed.
She'd said terrible things! Oh,
she admitted that she'd been un-
reasonable and unsympathetic, but
she'd been too hurt to be wise.
Even in her fury she'd seen in
Bob's face that she had fitted into
the picture, though he hadn't said
so; but once started, she couldn't
even stop her parting words, II
never want to see you or hear
from you again." Then his angry
"You never will" as he'd turned
to go.
Well, she never had. Knowing
Bob's stubborn pride, she hadn't
expected to. But she had thought
she'd hear of him through Ma.
The fear that had haunted her
this last year when there had been
no word, shot into a sudden night
mare of dread.
Something must have happened!
1t wasn't like Bob to let his grand
mother down. knowing how she
adored him.
1t might be that he'd lost his
Job, and hadn't found antoher, in
these hard times. He'd be too
proud to ever admit it, if he we're
hard up.
1t was stupid pride that had
made her send Bob away. bitter
and angry. Was she going to let
1t go on running her life?
Ma was too old to break away
from the traditions of the "Saun.
ders' pride" Shed die before
she'd ask Bob to come back, even
If she knew where he was.