Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-09-20

again..
$50 you thought my mother was
dead, hay? No, sir, my little moth-
er is very much alive. She's got
chickens, she's got a garden, sne
drives an old Ford"
"How long since you've seen
herr" the girl asked politely.
"How long since I've seen my
mother? Four years."
ooh" Sheila said, widening her
ewes into their surprised babyish
look. That's too long"
without seeing your mother,
hay? Well, that" Ken said, with
his patronizing, complacent air,
"that's what it is"
maybe mothers are different"
Sheila suggested. but my mother
is crazy about us. She was left a
widow, you know; she had to take
state help, for a while. But she
never would give one of us up, she
Just raised the roof when they want
ed to take Angela and keep her in
a hospital. No matter what you
do, my mother'n make excuses
for you. Once was terribly saucy
to Sister Regilus-"
She fell silent. For a few min
utes Ken was silent, too.
Then he said, in a nettled tone:
"And what makes you think my
mothers any different from yours?"
Sheila considered this.
well, I hope she isl" she said
finally, with a little laugh.
"Why do you hope she ISL"
Because if she isn't-she's wor-
ried."
ITO show you how crazy she is
my mother, I mean," Ken said. II
had an old hound-listen, he didn't
amount to a hill of beans. He was
just naturally an old ringer. You
wouldn't have fed him."
He stopped to laugh and to re-
member, and seemed to forget her
for minute.
This old wreck" he began again
with relish, would sorter hang
around, and finally l got to calling
him Cap and he stayed with US;
he was my dog. Well, after left
home, darned if my mother didn't
keep that old dog and take care Of
him, and every time she wrote to
me it'd be how old Cap was coming
on, and how he missed me, and ev-
erything. 1t was riot!"
well, I can tell you something
about your mother, them" Sheila
said, briskly, after a pause. II
don't care whether it means any,
thing to you or not, but I know how
it is, because I know how we are,
with Ma.
my mother goes into Joe Cars
cadden's room every night, and
kisses him, after he's gone to bed,
and tuckS things in around his neck.
And she'll say, Did you say your
prayers, Joe?' and DO you love
Ma, Joe?' as if he was two years
old"
Sure" Ken began. He cleared
his throat again. "Sure, they're all
like that!" he said with bravado.
"Your mother" Sheila continued
inexorably, never goes into church
but what she prays for you, that
you'll be good and that you'll come
home some day. You can bet on
that! Every time she meets the
neighbors she tells them how well
you're doing. Every time she cooks
something you used to like, she
thinks, This is the way I did it for
him!'
81 know, tell you," Sheila said,
warming, because I know how Ma
IS! She wants us with her; she
doesn't care about anything else as
long as we're all home"
at would be a swell thing" Ken
said, in a guarded, careful tone,
Ito go home to your mother without
your stake, and without job! You
told me yesterday" he said, that
I'd never make my stake at this
kind of thing. Well, maybe I never
will. was thinking last night that
even some of the old fellers, even
when they keep out of trouble,
haven't got anything to show for it.
There's too many in the business,
and there's too many down and
out that come to find you and make
a touch," he said. eve not got
anything. If could put my hand
on five thousand dollars, it's all
could clean up in a hurry"
Five thousand dollars!" Sheila
echoed.
What the hell kind of a business
could you go into with that!" he
said irritably.
"That seems to me a lot of
money. I wish my brother Joe had
it," Sheila added, as Ken did not
speak. when my brother had pneu-
monia last year." she went on, "the
doctor at Lincoln told him to get
into some business that he had to