Henderson daily dispatch., 1945-03-05
aGAEl G0lES GlO4)3}!
by Watkins E. Wright
by Watkins E. Wrioht

What of it?" said Helen. I'VE
won't lose the war, even if you do
miss one evening of riveting."
Maybe not" Aggie retorted, but
| want to get through my six-week
training course with no black
marks against me. Defense plant
owners are coming in every day
now and ~plucking workers for Jobs.
Who knows but that one day soon
Little Aggie will be spotted and
plucked by a man with"
with touches of gray at his
temples" said Helen. And deep
brown eyes"
How ever did you guess it ?"
said Aggie, laughing.
You talk III your sleep" said
Helen, and went on into the living
room.
Moving about in a housewifely
sort of way, she Strengthened a rug,
patted a pillow, and r%earranged a
stack of books. Then she found her
self gazing at a picture of her aunt
that stood upon a small table. Aunt
Minerva was posing in front of the
Miller Mills, an axe handle in one
hand and a blueprint in the other.
AXE handles and the Miller fam
lily are Synonymous" she had once
said. 1.-The Millers eat IKE handles,
sleep axe handles and dream axe
handles. And Jour Uncle Ike Miller
got so he actually looked like an
axe handle Come to think about
va had been holding an axe handle
the day when she walked in to show
her the note from Paul, saying that
he and Zoe Norris had eloped. She
had even waved it like an over
sized baton to emphasize her
words. Good radiance to bad rub
bish.' she had said. Il never did
think Paul Wentworth had any
gumption, and now l know it-run-
nlng off with q little nitWit!"
Helen turned away from the pic
ture and walked over to the win
dow. She pulled back the draperies
and looked out into the quiet of the
dimmed-out street. But she was not
seeing the grayness, the air raid
warden with the white helmet, nor
the group gathered about the man
who was giving a demonstration of
how to operate a stirrup pump. In
stead, she was seeing the musty old
office of the Miller Mills, seeing
herself there with her aunt.
ives, Aunt Minerva. I hope you
won't mind"
She had just announced her in
to-tion of leaving Lakeville, Aggic
having written to say there was a
job awaiting her in New York.
Il hate to have you 60" Aunt
Minerva said. But since you've
made up your mind, | reckon there
is nothing I can do about it."
mo, Aunt Minerva, there isn't"
she had replied. I've simply got
to get away. L-akeville is impossible
for me now"
you'll come home for your va
cations, won't your"
She had shaken her head. you
can come up to New York to visit
me-" she'd said. "Aggie and I will
put a cot in the living oom for
you, and you an"
IF you expect a woman as large
as I am to sleep on a cot" her aunt
retorted, you're crazy! Don't for
get I still like to sleep on two
feather beds, and in a four-poster.
I like plenty of room. Pm a rough
sleeper, I am-and I snore."
But Aunt Minerva had come up
to New York. 1t was a year later,
when she couldn't stand the lone
illness of the big old Miller home
stead any longer. Helen remem-
bered with a smile the day her aunt
had come barging in, after a stay
in Washington.
I'm not as bull-headed as you
are" she had announced. 80 here
I am. You take after your mothers
side of the family, Helen. The Bur
netts always were as stubborn as
mules"
Put, Aunt Minerva" she had re-
piled. what on earth took you to