The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-02-08

the ugnls VAIN WAlu blowing the
skirt of her white organdie dress
/ into a billow about her. AS she ap-
preached the cottage, three children
rose from the tall field of white dai-
sizes that grew in the hollow be-
tween the Castle and the foreman's
lodge. The Willmar brood-Dickie,
Sinnv and Laura-started toward
her with excited cries, their hands
full of the white daisies they had
been gathering. Trotting behind
them came the ubiquitous Mono,
still possessed of his woolly tail, and
bearing himself with considerably
more dignity than when he had gone
wandering with Simmy in the early
Spring.
Autumn stopped and gathered the
children into her arms, then turned
and stretched her. hand to rub Mo-
mos velvety nose.
Laura, the ten-year-old, pressed
her blonde head close against Au-
tumn's cheek and wound her arm
tightly about her neck.
"I don't want you to go way, Au-
turnn," she said, her voice full of
pleading. Mamma says we'll have
to 60 away, too, if you go. We don't
want to CO."
Autumn's eyes darkened with the
anxiety she had been feeling for
the past week. Nonsense, dear!"
she protested. "You will stay here
no matter where I go.''
Dickie and Simmy broke into a
duet of lament. ''We can't have
Mono any more. The man says
he's goin' to take Mo-mo."
"Oh, you dear silliesl" Autumn
scoIded them. mo man is going to
take Mono. Come along, let's go
in and see mother" !"
With a warm httle-boy hand in
each of hers, and with Laura walk
ing sedately ahead of her and Mo-
mo following closely behind, Autumn
proceeded to the Willmar cottage.
1t was baking day for Mrs. Will
mar. AS Autumn entered the kitch-
en- with the children, the woman
turned from the table where she
had been rolling out cookie pastry.
The troubled look in her eyes
changed swiftly to resolute smile
as she busted the -four from her
hands.
"Good morning, Miss Autumn"
she said, brushing loose strand of
pale hair back from her warm brow.
my goodness, you young ones
shouldn't hang on Miss Autumn's 8
dress that wayl Don't let them do it.
Come away, Dickie-your hands are
q sight" - ,,4.,s...,l .y.s.,s
| Autumn laughed and rumpled
Dickie's hair. Hands and dresses
can be washed, can't they, Dickie?"
she said.
Mo-mo's hoofs clattered across the
kitchen floor to a basket of vegeta-
bles that stood in one corner.
'Sirnmy-1ook after Mono" Mrs.
Willmar sighed wearily, and wiped
her face with her apron. "If you
children can't mind that lamb he'll
have to be kept outside. He's get
ting too big to be in the house, any
how"
When the children had lugged the
sheep out of the house and had gone
romping into the yard, Autumn seat
ed herself beside the kitchen table
and Mrs. Willmar went on cutting
out the cookies with the cover of q
baking-powder can.
"Tom says you'll be leaving US
soon again, Miss Autumn" she said
quietly.
mot for another two weeks oil
So" Autumn told her. There Is
lot to do with Strengthening every
thing up in place like this"
"Ah, dearl / don't know what
we're going to dol"
Autumn glanced quickly at her
and saddened. Tom Willmar's wife
was a wistful-eyed little woman who
had won her way back to health
when she had come to live here ter
years ago. The Dean ranch hac
meant life itself to her. And now
the fear of being ousted from hel
contentment and her modest secur
ity haunted her eyes.
1--WE been wanting to talk to vol
about that, Mrs. Willmar," Autumn
said gently.
The woman turned her face to
ward her in an utter hopelessnes:
that wrung Autunn's heart.
Talking about it won't change
anything, I'm afraid, Miss Autumn,
she replied resignedly. "Snyder wa:
talking to Tom last night in town
He's hard man, that Snyder" :"
"What was he saying, Mrs. VIII
MARI" Autumn asked.
"Tom told him he'd like to stay
! on here-it's been home to us fol
over ten years now. But Snyder
says his clients, as he calls them
have plans of their own and there
won't be any more place for u
here"
Autumn clasped her hands in he!
lap. For days, ever since the eve
ming of her last conference witt
Snyder and the men who were con
sidering the purchase of the rancl
with all its stock and equipment
her mind had dwelt almost constant
ly upon the Willmars, and Hannah
and poor old Absolom Peek, and th'
others who had given their years o
faithful service to Jarvis Dean. A
the outset of her negotiations wit
Snyder, Autumn had supposed tha
her fathers old dependents woul'
remain where they were and g
about their work as they had Away