The Washington times., 1938-09-03

" -
HE WAS carried unconsci
later they were married. But
to Packard.
put up diving boards and concrett
retaining walls, and arranged 6
system of daily drainage.
Then he set aside enough none!
to provide for the pools mainten
ance permanently. Very fortun
ately, this money was invested II
reliable bonds, and the pool :
maintained to this day.
Then suddenly, Mrs. Carter died
She had been Lefty Packard, anc
had gone to school with Billy. Sht
was kind of blondiSh, slim, with
curly hail that was always blowing
round her head in little ringlets
Like Billy, she was prone of few
words, but she was known every
where for constant thoughtfulnesS
and kindlineSs.
FAMILY" OF THREE
Her house was bright and sunny
and cheerful. and she could make
beautiful patchwork quilts and
heavenly cake. Billy frequently
dropped in to the Packards' of an
evening, and it is impossible that
Lefty never noticed how many
times he looked at her hair. But,
then, he did it when she kind Of
wasn't looking.
Packard and he were close
friends. Indeed. the three of them
were almost one family, so much
alike they were. Packard was the
biggest farmer thereabouts. You
don't have very big farms, though,
in mountain country. There's not
enough level land to plough.
Billy was 38 when Lefty died.
He thought he'd never get the
sound of her voice out of his mem
ory. Her saying, as he got up to
go, of an evening: Come again,
Billy!" She said it to everybody
who came to the farm. But some
how he always took it to mean
that he was to come back; that
he would be expected back.
A queer thing happened to him
the week of the funeral. When
people mention it nowadays they
always remember that it happened
the week Lefty Carter died, though
they don't go further and make a
connection, for some reason.
His hair turned snow white. He
seemed to become old. Well, that
happens to all of us. There comes
a turning point. It just came
about that his occurred the week
Of L'etty's death. There couldn't
be any connection, because he and
Packard and Lefty had all been
such friends, and, after Lefty was
gone, the two men went on meet
ing just the same.
Week after week they'd get to
gether and sit through the entire
evening in Packard's kitchen-iu
winter by the fire; in summer by
the big, screened window. They'd
smoke, and say little. Billy per
suaded Packard to let him pay fol
; a marble angel to put over Letty's
grave. It was the most expensive
, angel in all the graveyard.
} Everybody in Shipton knew thu
; monument, and when visitor:
, would come in from the outside
they would be taken to the grave
yard to see Letty'S angel It was
right after the angel had beer
paid for that the undertaken
Simon came out with the news
, that the bank would have to close
!. Luck held for a little while yet
! for Billy.
: Someone bought the remains o.
, the brewery from him, wrecked
: the place, and carried the bricks
away for some new construction
work. So he had a few hundred
! dollars ahead. He was in thu
= neighborhood of 40, and he sup
;, posed he had better 60 some placl
and start in to make a living.
/. LIFE BEGINS AT 40
d But when he went UP to Pack
ards to sit, for the last time, ant
stared through the kitchen win
:, dow at the lines of the mountain
n against the sky, he couldn't brinI
j. himself to it.
l. He couldn't bring himself to tel
it Packard that he was leaving il
v Nor could he comprehend hov
e other men had found the courage
once having lived in the lap o
1t the mountains, to go away from
Is them. Everything that meant any
% thing to him, too, was in that fol,
se Of these hills. Every one he knew
u everything that had given hi
ID growth and life.
a. And a part of him was burie
ID near Letty's angel. So he put OF
making his decision, and tn
y months rolled by until April got
le came round. and that was the fir.
g anniversary Of Letty's death.
10 he meant to go up and Se