The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-16
FACT NOT FICTION

Sanderson of verbena had twenty
acres out in berries. When the June
1 sun turned the fruit juicy and the per-
fume of the berries hung heavy upon
the sweltering air the field was
thronged with pickers, who rode out
from the village on great hay ricks
and back again at night, singing and
laughing and scandalizing the neigh
bors.
Among the noisy pickers was one
fellow who kept to himself and who
neither whistled Eor sang nor called
out to the others. This was Daunt
Jewlson, of the Becker road He
: walked two miles form the north ev-
cry morning to meet the hay ricks at
the village, and no one knew much
:. about him except that he had small
!, farm laid out in sweet potatoes and
peanuts.
Daunt was not particularly fast
picker, and he seemed to dream
good deal. He set the whole company
in roar of laughter one night as he
and they stood about the packing
sheds looking at the crates of luscious
fruit as it was being prepared for
shipment
Il wonder where all them berries
are goingy' said he pensively. He
looked so absurd with his watery blue
eyes and his large ears and mouth
that everybody roared.
1t was the next day that an idea
came to him--one of the first Of his
life. He took his pencil and wrote on
the inside of strawberry box: Il am
= Daunt Jewlson of the Becker, near
n South Fork. l wood like to court up
N with whoever gets these here berries"
Now, little Lena Nielsen, who had
been used all her life to wide, melan-
choly fields, to a sambre ford, to dis
tant hemlocks and to a house where
Ell logs burned on the hearth, was home
sick past words where she worked in
IN the fiat on North Erie street.
2 Lena had just set the table for
II luncheon and moaned over the raised
re biscuits which were not raised enough
III and poured the berries out of the box
when she came upon Daunts mes
II sage She was obliged to read it over
| three times before she got the full
rs meaning of it, and first she smiled a
he little contemporary and then the
In tears came into her eyes, No doubt
Tx others besides herself were lonesome
ee at times.
Tt She went to bed and dreamed a
iii dream, and it seemed to her that she
ga ran and laughed upon a shore where
nd the waves rolled in, and that a young
ale man ran and leaped beside her, and
} that when the stars came out they
ar went together to some quiet fields,
planted with goodly things, and to q
F cottage which was their home In the
I'd early dawn she awoke to know it for
70 dream. and she wept homesick tears
rti for the home that was not.
lot That is how it came about that that
ug evening Lena wrote an impossible lit
tie letter and directed it to Daunt
vitl Jewlson, of the Becker Rad, near
mi South Fork.
or Well, Daunt wrote and Lena wrote
un and Daunt wrote, and then one day he
uc took the morning boat over to the city,
lie and, it being Thursday afternoon and
ha Lena's free day. she met him at the
lot pier. They knew each other the first
'fic thing. for Daunt wore. as had been ar
hu ranged, rose in the band of his hat,
Indand she had blue ribbons and white
,njCdress. She knew where she wanted to
largo. and led him to the esplanade, and
rhethey walked there together, looking at
inethe lake and the people ON wheels and
~
Seof the city.
Thai "But like the lake best over on
Dec'tother side" said Daunt. II like to
witlrun on the sand"
mel 81 know it," remarked Lena.
thel "You do? How do you know it?'
ed 30, l have ways of knowing. I
claidream sometimes"
and Daunt gasped. Then he made con-
pecfession.
to $50 do l." he said. 81 guess you amt
the much different from what I thought
Theyou would be-"
and You're the same" the girl respond
ty-ed. I'D have known you without the
pourose"
a ' Then she told him about the fields
Doiof her childhood, and he told her
40 about his house and his peanuts and
age
abe