The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-04-13
THE RETURN
OF THE NATIVE.

The whole town of Little Britain
was talking about Mrs Clarence Ritchie
on street corners, at literary society
meetings, over the billiard table, in the
long, dingy clubroom above the gro
Gerry store. until the air was full of her
name.
The teacher of the school Elizabeth
Ritchie had attended in her youth said
that she had fOrseen something like
this when Elizabeth took that trip to
Europe with her aunt, but still, she
must add, Elizabeth had gone further
than she had supposed she could, and
it gave her pain to see one of her girls
come back the wife of q divorced man.
Mrs. Burdette lifted her fine, white
crowned head:
"You're like me, Miss Percival. l
suppose Elizabeth had too much char
acter to 60 against all the principles
she was raised by. But this is what
comes of living in big city"
In the low ceicd, carpetless club
room, where the youth of the town
gathered Ms R','.i.'S namn flashed
two and fro like Il 'iiiard tall.
James Ingrames, a man ofthe world,
having just returned from his yearly
cotton tour through the Georgia towns,
observed:
"That aunt of LIS did a COOL trick
by her. lrottiny her over the world and
showing her on to the New York mar
ket." When he had chalked his cue
carefully, he added: 81 didn't suppose
our little, everyday Liz had it in her
to get to be swell, for all she used to
be such sharp little piece. l see her
name in the New York papers,"
A short, square youth who was seated
by the window leaned forward
"Did you know, Jimmy, that her
husband is a divorced MANI
"Listen to Rufus!" jeered the other.
"Why, yes, Rufus; Clarence Ritchie's
a great man; his life's common proper
ty. Don't you read mani" Presently
Jimmy, skirmishing the balls over the
billiard table, added:
''Pooh! That's nothing, woman
marrying a divorced man. What's the
matter with that, ell? But this towns
dead slow"
The youth by the window shifted
his feet, where they were propped upon
the SILL
"It's to be expected Of you, Jimmy,
that you would pick up everybody's
notions as you go travelling about, but
| expected better of Elizabeth
YES" said Jimmy, pleased by this
allusion to himself, ''she's a sensible
woman, a very sensible woman. adj
mire people who get on in the world.
married him after he got a good, legal
divorce, and now she's a great big
swell. And yet understand" added
Jimmy, patronizingly, "the good peo-
pie around here don't hardly want to
speak to her.
Rufus turned round and dropped his
feet in their heavy heeled shoes to tho
| floor.
"She's not the woman l thought she
was If she has the whole world at her
heels, she's severed herself with me-"
Jimmy grinned across the table at
the square figure in its suit of checks.
The next day, when Rufus chanced
to observe Elizabeth Ritchie coming
toward him ON the opposite sidewalk,
he looked at the fence pailngs. Hear
ing her feet patter on the hard clay and
the swish of her skirts, he carried his
cane consciously. 1t was a stout
! orange wood cane, with small ALI ga
tor on the handle, which his uncle had
brought him from Florida. She could
see it from where she walked and re-
mcmbered it. She had love for odd
little things and had always admired
the alligator. Suddenly the patting
and the swishing ceased. She called
his first name familiarity, stepping off
the sidewalk and holding out her hand.
He went across slowly and took it.
She looked him up and down and
smiled at his face.
"Old friends are rare to meet said
the airly dressed woman.
Rufus showed a tendency to move
| on, but she held his hand until she
brought him to a standstill; then she
stood away from him, fitting her para
sol about. Its lace ruilles rippled be-
hind her pink and white face; her dark
blue eyes shone through her fine veil;
| the ribbons on her dress and the silk
! fionnces of her skirt were lifted and
rusted 10y the breeze; her French shoes
and silk stockings showed themselves
and were gone with the movement OF
the flounce. The whole costume seemed
to emit with every breath the faint
scent of cedar or sandalwoOd.
"Well,' he said, looking her all over
with slow laugh, $50 this is you?
You always were ambitious for s"ch
things"
She stood tilting and smiling.
Now you've got them, | suppose
YOU re satisfied