Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-03-28
Friends
By JOE BEAVERS
ASSOCIATED Newspapers.)
WNU Service.
A DA LUSH had great gift with

trlved an artists paradise. Accord
ingly, when the South Moulton Hor-
ticultural society held its show
Ada was persuaded to show some
of her pets. She did not like it
very much, for Ada belonged to a
past generation and hated publicity
Her father, sometime rector of St.
Thomas, had declared that ''no
gentlewoman should get her name
in the papers," Ada secretly con-
sidered herself very much of a
gentlewoman, and she saw little diff
ference in a scandal and a flower
show.
But she allowed herself to be per-
suaded. Six fine pots of varied bios
SONS were entered. Ada herself in
vested in a new dress-lavender.
The day dawned in beauty. The
great tents looked like giant mush-
rooms as Ada timidly approached
the exhibitors entrance. She would
have liked to tremble little, only
she was not the trembling kind.
Therefore, she smiled, showing such
pretty, sound, white teeth that a
man standing by superb orchid
exhibit lifted his hat and asked her
the nature of her own competitors.
"Just geraniums," she said shyly
81 think they must be in this tent
somewhere.
eyes, l guess they are" smiled
the stranger. 81 don't believe even
South Moulton would place gerani-
ums among the vegetables"
Ada allowed herself a slight
laugh. She laughed charmingly,
like young girl of about the Jane
Austen period.
my name is Jack Durham"
said the stranger. 81 belong here by
birth, but I have been away, in the
tropics, for some years, and"
81 am afraid South Moulton will
seem very quiet to you," ventured
Ada. AS native of South Moulton
surely it would be correct for the
late rector's daughter to extend
some kind of welcome. Besides, his
eyes were her favorite shade of
brown.
'Been getting orchids. Dye like
them?" rather eagerly.
81 think they're perfectly lovely.
Only I am not familiar with them. I"
'They grow on one. At first they
seemed uncanny to me. Now look
on them as you do on geraniums, I
believe. Friends" He smiled
again, more with the brown eyes
than the lips. Ada was glad to note
his hair was as white as her own.
How foolish to be glad. Ada
blushed.
"You may recall my dear father,
the Reverend DR.. Lush?"
''He was my fathers closest
friend. Say, you're not by any
chance little Ada-no, no! I guess
she married years ago."
81 have never married. But am
Ada Lush. And remember you
used to pull my pigtails."
81 must have been a loathsome
little pest" he said, "but, you see,
l had no parents. Father and
mother drowned together on their
yacht when I was only two. Never
have had many advantages. Living
in South America now for two
years; done a little exploring.
Botanical stuff. May I call on you
Ada? Or must it be Miss Lush?"
81 suppose you may call me Ada
-er-Jack, since we have been
friends, though distant, for so many
years, and since we are no longer
young, and everything"
81 confess I felt pretty old man
when I entered these plants. So
many changes in South Moulton.
But now, seeing you, still such a
young lady you'll pardon me
for saying you are the first person
I have seen blush for ten years. 2"
They're painted so much, the
poor, silly dears, they just can't, "
said Ada, "and also I have a silly
way of blushing all the time-for
nothing at all, you know" Her
cheeks were like the roses they were
scrutinizing on their slow passage
to the geranium exhibit.
"First prize!" cried Ada (she
hoped she wasn't being unlike a
gentlewomanD. ooh, I have tend
ed them so! You know" timidly,
"you said they seemed like friends.
Well, that is how plants seem to me.
I have very few friends here now.
So many dead, and so many gone
away. This is no place to bring up
a family. Even our schools are said
to be old-fashioned."
81 like it," said Jack firmly. 'It
suits me. Now I've found a friend
Il hope I may count on you to
second that intend to settle here.
I'm getting too old man to con-
tinue fighting malaria indefinitely in
the South American forests. I had
intended this last trip to be my
last. Now I have finally made up
my mind to remain in South Moul-
ton. That is, if one plan I've made
comes through"
81 hope you do stay. And that
your, er, plan is successful"
''It rests with you, Ada. AS you
said, we aren't as young as we once
were, although we are what horse
doctors call sound in wind and
limb If you are willing to forget
the pain of those pulled pigtails and