A WOMAN'S FARM JOURNAL - University of Illinois

WITH THE WIND IN HER FACE
"Wasn't it fun!—You really mean, you
are Philippa's Luke? Splendid! What
are you doing in these parts?"
"I came down to start you on your declining
" year. Proxy for Philippa. There's
a wedding—"
; "So 1 she ,sent you, to comfort me in my
Old age ? Nice child!—Day after tomorrow
she'll come, you say? Well, we'll
make the most of it and have a high old
timeih between! Come on—I'll drive you
home in my. car. Out here, round the
cor.nerX'
She led the way to a natty little maclri'ne.
With a whisk of dainty petticoats
she was in behind the wheel and they were
off.
"Isn't she a beauty? She's my third
and I'm going to keep her. When we get
out of sight somewhere I'll show you what
she can do. I've just paid fine enough to
be entitled to a little fun!, You may be
official honker for me if you want to.
That's one thing I'm very particular about
—honking^. William Stickney can't say
I've ever run over so much as a fuzzy
caterpillar. I'll tell you something—•" she
leaned sideways and whispered sibilantl y
above the little car's song. "I did run
oyer a high silk hat once. There wasn't a
soul under it! A child must have left it
there in the road—it's a low hat now!" and
Grandmums' pleasant laugh ra ng out.
The car was.picking up speed under Grandmiiins'
urging toe. A long clear stretch of
road opened before them.
"Wicked to waste it—look behind and
see if William Stickney's ghost is anywhere
in sight! Now see my little lady go!"
liack in the hamlet of white houses,
Grandmums drove up a curving drive and
stopped at the door of one ol them.
"Here we are. I'll let you out and then
take the car around. Won 't be but a minute."
Over her shoulder she called happily.
"It's'scrumptious to have you at
last—we don't need Philippa!"
Thcjninute she was gone was a terribly
short one for ' what Luther had to do but
he managed it. He was actually panting
a- little when Grandmums came back but
those two frightful birthday packages were
nowhere in sight. They did not even protude
tell-tale knobs and ends from under
the great lilac thicket near by. .
"Good job! ' thought Luther relievedly.
Suppose lie had not got there and discovered
'em leaning against the front door!
It had been a narrow escape. Luther's
mind congealed at the awful thought of
presenting this Grandmums with an Invalid
Table and a foot Warmer, lie had seen
no evidence of invalidism or cold feet.
Later, up in Grandmums' cozy guest room,
after a delightful evening on the porch, he
found himself suddenl y laughing. He sat
up in bed the better to do it. The surprise
that was coming to Phili ppa—Luther
fell back on Grandmums' fluffy guestpillows
and rolled for iov.
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 105)
The next day he presented Grandmums
with a nifty, little dashboard clock, two
step-mats and a rear mirror. They made
a very presentable appearance spread out
on the couch and how Grandmums did
love them! Her brjght blue eyes so much
like Philippa's eyes fairly beamed delight.
"You must have been inspired , you
two!" cried she. "You must have known
exactly what 'Grandmums' want on their
birthdays. And there I was afraid Philippa
might think I was growing old! Dear
boy—- ' suddenly her hands were on his
shoulders and she was looking up to him
with Curious earnestness. "Dear boy, I
am going to motor thru old age—motor,
with the wind in my face! No," her eyes
lighting up again with their inimitable
humor. "No , I shan't- get to the end o'
the road any sooner for I'm going a roundabout
way!"
It was a happy- birthday to Grandmums.
She fell in love with her girl's
man.
"Why didn't you ask me to marry you
instead of Philippa ? I'd have jumped at
the chance," laughed Grandmums, plying
him with cooling drinks and having a
beautiful time. She was in a queer garment
of blue jeans and a little smudge of
black ove- one eyebrow gave her a saucy
appea rance. She had been turning down
the grease cups on her little car.
"Yes, I take care of her, myself ," she
nodded in answer to the unasked question
on Luther's face. "I don't trust anybody
else. Guess you didn't hear me before
you got up. I drove down to Ephe Legget's
for gas—we'll want a lot today." Her
gaze rested joyously on her lovely gifts.
"I shalLride all over town to show off.
See if I don 't!"
The next day Philippa appeared , her
lively young face subdued to appropriate
gentleness. Grandmums met her at the
station and a petrified and speechless
Philippa rode back beside her in the natty
little car. To Luther , waiting joyously,
the picture suddenly assumed pathos.
Poor Phili ppa! Her illusions had been so
tender and sweet. She had been ruthlessly
robbed of a dear declining Grandmums.
"Don 't speak-tome," whispered Philippa
as she descended into Luther's arms.
"Take me out of sight somewhere and kiss
me. I need it. Oh , yes, of course I'll
laugh when I get my breath—of course I'll
like it, but I've got to have time."
Out of sight, between kisses, Luther remembered
something with an awful jolt;
Philippa's birthday !
"Dear," he said with anxiety tempered
with twinkles, "I'm afraid you won't like
what I've go! for your birthday but it 's
the best I can do. It 's—it's an Invalid
Table and a Pool-warm—•—•"
Phili ppa got her breath then. I hey
laughed together in each other's arms in
joyous abandon while Table and Warmer
reclined peacefull y under the lilacs.
DREAMING OF SWEETHEART
HE
AND his comrades had just been
moved back from the front line trenches.
He was wet , cold , hungry and so tired
that for the time he could not feel grateful
that lie was not dying out there in No
Man 's Land. Por six hours the soldier lay
in a stupor of utter fati gue until need for
food aroused him. After hunger was satisfied
and he was comfortable in dry clothes,
he rested and through half-closed eyes,
dreamily listened to the never-ending rumble
of artillery.
Slowly the scenes of war receded and in
their place he.seemtd to see a small white
cottage surrounded by the pleasant greens
and browns of a summer farm scene in
"the old V. S.'A.," as he and the boys fondly
phrased it.
The distant rumble of artillery seemed
transformed into the humming of the bees,
the.sing ing of the birds and the ripple of
the brook in the nearby wood lot. Who
was that standing, there on the little side
porch among I he honeysuckle vines '. Could
it be—why, yes , of course! it was Mother.
And that strapping fellow coming from the
barn with the two brimming buckets ol
milk? Why that was himself! And his
mother was saying, "Hurry up, Phil! Susa
Hell wants you to come over early ami
help her with a few last things before the
LOIS BEUN'ICE AVKRY
party tonight. \ on go on and dress and
I'll take care of the milk."
Susa Bell was the prettiest and dearest
sweetheart a man ever had. Would he
hurry ? He raced through the house, and
accompanied by cheerful bursts of whistling,
the farm laborer disappeared and an
immaculately shining young man of the
world took his place. Kissing his mother
goodby, he hurriedly cranked his little ohf
roadster and was off to see Susa Bell.
Susa Bell was in the garden gathering
some flowers. He would surprise her!
Otiietly he made his way to the garden.
The filmy white sleeves had fallen back
from slender girlish arms eagerly reaching
for the much desired pink rosebuds. The
setting sun was turning her shining curls
to glory and althoug h hpr eyes were turned
from him , he could see their heavenly blue.
"Oh , Susa Hell!" lie stammered.
She t urnetl with a ri pple of silvery Jaug liler
but -was she coming toward him?
She seemed to be receding from him—disappearing.
And her laug h—a h . the guns!
Rubbing his eyes, lie leaped to his feet and
ran to his place in the trenches.
It was only a dream but it was such
dreams as these that keept our soldiers
line and clea n and heroic while they foug ht
(or ns Over There.
t ?M
¦ £tiKmf t&SmJj ^&&&2f& %jSskm
____PT__H»%rir-rc3?^v9!_l •asar^^Ba^Bs^BsBWBsBsBUBW aV \\\\\\\\\ ^ss\\\\\\\\\\\\WWWWW\
SHARPIES
C SUCTION-PEED n
REAM SEPARATOR
With a Sharpies, it's easy to fill the kneelow
tank; easy to get all the cream in; skimming;
easy to clean the one-piece'Bowl, (rio
discs) and you turn it just as easy as you
wish. The Sharpies makes your dairy work
lighter—and your profits greater. No other
method; no other separator saves and serves
like a Sharpies.
Sometimes a woman feels tired and turns slowly—the
Sharpies skims clean, just the same. Or when turning.faster
to get through quicker , the skim is just as clean, and without
varying the thickness of the cream. Alfseparators are
turned under speed nearly all the time. All fixed-feed separators
lose cream when turned under speed but the
Sharpies never loses cream.
Over a million Sharpies in use. Send for catalog to nearest
office , addressing Dept 54.
The Sharpies Separator Co., West Chester, Pa.
Sharpies Milkers—used on half a million cows daily.
Branches: Chicago - San Francisco - Toronto I
DC 80 I
0n Practically Your Own Terms
l ' &«&S ALL CASH, Anv worthy> creditable person, anywhere
A\«3__F p A OT f A «2H ' n *ne U. S. can buy on these terms. AnyfMrL^_a«
F _ rAKI CrAJD, one can order without risk. I guarantee
M-^rSBS ,, nrWtl CASH
safe delivery to your station. All W1TTE
" ;wrTTE^^^5.
-Engines
nftWlU sold on 5-year tory
guarantee,2to30h-p.
——¦—¦a- ^^^WlfifAl My fac is the largest exclusive engine factory in
"HAW In Juris* Enoin»c." ^%^ £ he . world '
selling direct to the user, any stylewvSiSu,
^ IbtSLwZr^Sv Stationary. Portable or Saw Rig. I Ship Your
l* REE -_ rirooid know about enaino ^%s«- Engine Quick. Yon choose engine and plan of
erto- roi bur olg;.,?°] c^_^BajgmJ_^»j payment.
s- WITTE Engines are best-looking, beat