Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-03-23

The watch touch might not really
work.
expected the winner would be
In the next number. for I did not
know that monthly magazine had
problems our weekly didn't have to
contend with. One day I would be
sure I would win; the next I would
be sure wouldn't, that being the ma
ture of hope.
One day Pa went to town alone,
and when saw him coming I rushed
out to get the mail, as I always
did. There, among the advertising
matter, was an envelope addressed
to me on typewriting machine, the
first l ever received. The big mail,
concerns wrote my name in lead
pencil, except now and then when
seemed promising enough to have
my name printed on slip of paper
and pasted on. When this happened
was sure to get mail from them for
quite while. But after time they
would get discouraged and I'd have
to make new contacts.
But there it wasl I opened it
Dear Mr.. Croy: We take pleas
ure in telling you that you have won
first place in Our National True
Dream Contest, and we are herewith
enclosing check for first prize"
opened the check and there it
was-a check for dollar. It was a
thrilling moment.
I went around to the side where
Pa was unhitching and said with a
tremendous effort at casualness,
well, I got check"
He stopped with tug in his hand
and looked at me incredulously. "A
check?"
Here it is" Auttered the docu-
ment.
'How much is it for?"
told him.
"How did you get it,"
told him.
Take it in and show it to your
mother" he said and led the horses
down across the lot to the water
tank.
Ma thought it was wonderful.
1t wasn't long till Pa came up
from the barn walking faster than
usual, took off his overshoes, and
sat down in his rocker.
"Well, Susan, it seems the boys
got check" 1t was supreme mo-
ment for me. "How long did it take
you, Homer"
1.-TWO hours"
Two hours he repeated, and
I could see he was doing mathe-
mates. II guess you'd better read
his piece aloud, Susan"
tried to look as modest as I
could.
AS Ma read, the expression on
Pas face changed. He quit rock
ing and sat there, puzzled and dis
appointed. The piece about learnin'
the calf to drink was fine; helpful;
anybody could put it to use. But a
dream I'd made up out of my head!
He praised it little, but only a
little, for he wasn't man to say
something he didn't mean. Finally,
choring time came and he put on
his overShoes and started back to the
barn lot.
But Ma wasn't disappointed. It
was fine piece.
One day, shortly after this, as
was going down the street in town
I saw in the window of the racket
store picture l knew, the instant
l saw it, that l wanted. 1t was a
panel containing pictures and cap
ton which said, six Famous Amer
lean Authors" Under each was
printed the name: Henry Wads-
worth Longfellow, John Greenleaf
Whittier, Nathaniel Hawthorne,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Rus
sell Lowell, Edgar Allan Poe.
looked at them and thought what
great men they were and wished
that l, myself, sometime could do
something worth while.
l was able, some way or other,
to raise the money and bought the
panel. When I got home my moth
er wanted to know what had.
was suddenly self-conscious and did
not show it to her because my secret
was so precious. She came up, aft
er had gone to my room, and there
was the panel, unwrapped. She
looked at me for moment, seemed
to understand my hesitation in show
ing it, and said: "I'I help you put
it up" And she did, but neither of
US mentioned the significance of the
picture.
In July my father would say to my
mother, "I've just been through the
watermelon patch and some good
melons are coming on. think we
might have a swimming party"
Then he'd say to me in his sly hui
morous way, Homer, would you
mind telling the neighbors?"
Of course wouldn't, because moth
ing was more fun than swimming
party.
The evening of the party we'd get
the chores done early and eat an
early supper, then get the plates