Montgomery County sentinel., 1939-02-09
HOPTOADS IN
: WORKBASKETS
g
By LILLIAN LEONARD
g Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service.

II Fragrance of lilacs on the
- hot air. The midday sun beat
ing down on the dusty road;
the hard-packed earth side
walk giving out a hollow sound at
each football as he walked slowly
along. At intervals he removed his
hat and mopped his forehead with
large, very white handkerchief.
The first sign of animated life was
a huge, perky bow of lavender rib
bon, submerging a blue-gray An
CORA kitten, blithely fuffing up
pile of lavender understanding on
its hind legs and batting a strand
back and forth, rolling, tangling-
there must be almost a skein of
yarn wound and twisted about the
kitten and the lower part of the
massed lilac bushes. Lavender wool,
lavender bow, and great clusters of
lavender blooms.
The kitten, suddenly losing inter-
est in its lawless pursuit and mirac-
ulously disentangling itself, ap-
preached the man, with a plaintive
'Mew!" Sleek, well-fed little ami
NAL, plunny tail waving. A sudden
smile Lit the mans face, tender
deprecating smile, as he stopped
and picked up the bow with the ball
of fur attached.
''Just like mother!" he muir
INJURED, and with the kitten perched
on his shoulder he went around the
clump of ilacs, where three steps
led up to small veranda of a neat
white cottage. On this veranda
sat tiny bit of old lady in rock
ing chair. She was dressed in a
sprigged lilac gown, with white
fichu, delicately f1uted, crossed at
her breast. A piece of lavender knit.
ting had slid half off her lap, con-
nected with strand of wool, which
led along the veranda downward,
and lost itself beneath the foliage of
the lilacs; an incriminating proof of
the little rascals escapade.
The little lady's hands were fold
ed in her lap and her head lay gen.
tly back on her chair. Her eyes
were closed. The man, still smil-
ing, tip-toed up the steps, and bend
ing near - froze! The smile re-
manned, but it lost its tenderness
and became just stretching of the
mouth; the eyes lost their light and
were shadowed with a sudden
dread, fear, an agony. He drew
slightly back and the smile turned
to one of incredulity; he stretched
his hand and touched one of the
frail little hands resting so quietly
in her lap, but drew away quickly.
The incredulity gave way to an
guish. The smile had entirely gone.
Mother! Mother!"
Tiny, fragile hands like milk
glass, all but transparent and as
cold. One would think that even if
pressed in the clasp of friendship
they would be crushed.
Then the lips moved, and, all but
shouting for joy, the man bent over
again.
"Oh, Jerry, Jerry, why did you
put that hop-toad in Mothers work
basket? Oh! Obi" She aroused her
self, opening and blinking her eyes.
Il just dreamed Jerry came backi
He put hop-toad-big man as he
is-Jerry! Jerry!" as she was en-
folded in strong arms.
IL thought you might be dead.
Jerry, you never wrote. But then /
reasoned that if you were, GER
tainly would have heard. And mar
ried? Oh, Jerry! And three chill
dren? My grandchildren And you
named the first girl Janet, for me?
You didn't forget, then! And the
boy Jerry, Jr., and the baby Frank,
for your father?"
And you're going back with me,
Mother, to be loved and cared for
and to be our very own!"
How dear of you, Jerry. I'd lust
love to go for visiti" wistfully.
"Visit nothing! You are to come
to us, to be our loved one for all
time!"
"An time, Jerry? All my time will
not be long!"
1T will be long, now, dearl You
| S~N~~OAAS " AANC LUZ ana love.
Wen get rid Of the old place and
make a getaway as soon as possi-
BILE. How long will it take YOU to,
get ready, Mother?"
"Oh, ! can get ready at once for
a visit. jerry, that would be all I
would consent to-"
But, Mother" in an exasperated
tone, show can you endure this dead
place all the time? should think
you'd go crazy with lonelinessl"
Il haven't gone crazy vet. Jer-
ry, and I've lived here alone for 20
years, ever since you left, Won
know" There was gentle reb,,ke
in this, and the man whose con-
science had awakened felt it acute
ly.
IL know, Mother. promised
to return when I'd made good h,,t
so much interviewed. All this he
came dream-like, as though ~ hos