Hutchinson gazette., 1900-09-06
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3 MYSTERY OF rHOEEG HEEKs, ]

W NHNs
win death clear up the mystery oi
love and disappointment that has
> shrouded her life2 Or will the grave
complete the task OF silence and Sc.
chslon which this lonely woman set
herself 10 fulhll?
SiNty'fve years ago, In the summer
OF 'S5, helles and bcNuX In the village
of lirOolVllle bowed before the slime
shrine, snys the New York World
There was but one lender IN village
soclety, She was Phoebe Meeks gold
en haired, buecyed, rcd.llpped, laugh
ing, rolIicklng, No girl IN BrookMlle
nsplrcd to eclipse or equal her, and
while every mHn loved her none dared
aspire TO her hand,
The Mecks family had always been
known Ns wcll'todO, and there had
been wedto do MecNscs ever since
DrookWlle was founded, phoebos
gthcr owned land That were covered
with prosperous farms as far as the
eye could see. and phoehe'S gardens
were famous, filled with rare plants
and blossoms imported from foreign
chmes and reared In dollhouse beds.
There garden parties were held which
were wonderful rcutUrc IN the So
clcty annals Of llrook,lllc, and phoe.
be rcigned Hike q queen among her
guests, In winter the evenings at the
McckS' were redlcttpr nights and
there were corn pops and tnny pu,,s
md dances, with ihc country tlddlcrs
playing, who did not make half the
music with their ilddlcs that Phoebe
made with her happy laughter, So,
with numbers Of halfnwcd hut wholly
ardent admirers IN her train nndrvery
happiness and luNNry nrnrnd her that
lowing hands could surNy Phoebe
pissed from gjrlhood g. %nmobhood,
and at 10 was as yIyld'.y, Gclicotcly
and cNQuISIlely pretty as fresh'
blown poppy
"And fools rush in whcre nngelsf fear
DO tread"
A very fine line In the abstract, but
not bit nice to have applied 10 one
self, Those who applied 1t TO Hhdley
johnson were actuoted by purely self
ish motives Without n superAhund.
anrc Of anything except love and the
determination Of youth without mon.
cy or lands or family traditions, but
with the proper conception that the
best Is none too good for any Of MS,
lIodley Johnson stepped up and won
lhe prize which the youth OF thcwhole
village coveted So suddenly and un.
rXpectcdly was It that the announce.
mcnt created hush In the village.
Iladiey Johnson was one of the few
who had received no favor, po" hHl
he seemed to seek Il In kissing
games they had never sought each
Others; he had never ilken her home
from church, had never brought seeds
FOR her garden which he had heard
wns rare, norsppnt hoursm broiling hot
sun angling. for trout FOR her supper.
Least Of any i'm the whole court had
he seemed TO cater But such is the
pcrvcrslty Of womankind. and such
the un0ccomlablc whim of woman's
love. In the spring Of '35 n blue.
white solitaire glittered on the slender
white hand Which Phoebe had relin.
guishcd for life, and ench flash from
che dainty setting seemed to reflect
the unrestrained happiness Of her
heart.
The engagement of Phoebe Meeks
md Ilndley johnson gave newimpetus
10 Brookville society. Never wns M |
engagement spent In such n round OF |
blissf,l pleasure. 1t started with the
quilting and dance at the home Of the
Meekses. which lasted from luncheon
served in the garden to refreshments
served In the wee small hours of the
morning, and quilting bees that won
fill the chests of the bride in every
home. Hadley's devotion was sin.
core and undivided. and the love OF
Phoebe was as candid and wholesome
and entire as a maiden's love should
"e' ,v rsagArse
The crowning event Of the (fsF01iyif 4
ville season Sns the Sunday St'fi0ota
picnic, No work was done in 7
Brookvllle that day, and young and
old alike packed their baskets with
and went to the picnic
grounds.
lIadlcy johnson and Phoebe Meelss
walked home together. They left in
advance of the rest, according to the
custom of lovers, found n sequestcred
nook where the gurgle of the brook
and the sw0ying of the trees invited
rest. There they SAT and chatted and
made plans for the future. The
sound Of their voices reached the pic
nickers MS they approached, Sudden.
ly Phoebe Meeks left the side of her
lover and they saw the white-cad fig.
nre fit down the road ahead of them.
Ut was the last time Phoebe Mecks
was ever seen.
v.
SiNty-tivc years have elapsed, but
fhoebe Meeks has kept to the seclu.
sion Of her room. What strange freak
of her nature, or of her lovers. parted
them? What hasty word may have
wounded her, or what sudden insight
nt'o his character may have checked
The course Of her love will probably
lever be known, lladley johnson
was bewldercd by her behavior. Day
lfter day he called, only to metwith
.he same message-that Phoebe could