The suburban citizen., 1902-07-12
TYHE girls eyes followed the
film of smoke was left hang


film of smoke was left hang
ing in the air. Then she
turned and faced the desolate little
station.
II believe I'm maroonedr' she
groaned. "There isn't a soul in-yes
there's a boy. Have l got to ask him
for help?"
The boy was brown-very brown
His trousers were crammed carelessly
into big top boots, and the boots were
muddy. The boy was big and awk-
ward and bashful. He sided away
down the deserted platform, as If to
escape as soon as possible. He did
not look up once.
"Oh, wait! Please wait a moment"'
the girl cried, hastily. There's nobody
else to ask. Won't you please tell me
If this is Cutler? I'm afraid 1 got off
at the wrong place"
The boys abrupt stop and the girls
impetuous chase had brought them
close together-too close for the dainty
summer skirts. The girl involuntarlly
twitched them away from contact with
the big, muddy boots. She did not see
the blood rush to the boys tanned
face, staining it a rich mahogany hue.
"Have 1 made a mistake? Oh, hope
1 have-no, l guess 1 don't mean that,
but it's $3.50 dreadful here"
"This is Cutlerw the boy muttered
stifiy, But it's not the village That's
over there four miles" lie pointed
with his thumb.
-Four miles! Then there must be a
stage. don't see any. Oh, it hasn't
gone, has itT'
"There isn't any stage that meets
this train. There's one in the morn
ing"
g OF any stagev'
The girls voice showed distress A
trail Of muddy roadway stretched away
before her, and her eyes followed it
despairingly.
Terry Qulnn's heart melted. "How
far are you calculating to go? I don't
know but 1 could take you a piece"
he said, suddenly. 81 live this side of
the village little way"
Il am going to the Parsons place.
Do you know where it is?"
The Parsons place! A picture of it,
abandoned and forlorn, rose before the
boy and he cOntrasted it mentally
with the beautiful, delicate girl before
him.
"Yes, know where 1t is" he said.
"You can go along with me If you
want to- l have got a load of grain, so
l shall have to go slow"
"Oh, l don't mind going slowr' the
girl cried, gratefully. You are very
kind"
An old farm wagon, loaded with
grain bags, stood near. She had hard
work to Chamber up to its high seat.
They ratified away down the muddy
road, lurching into ruts and swaying
over stones. The girls eyes grew
wide with alarm.
Terry Quinn sat on the edge Of his
seat, and gazed straight ahead in an
agony of bashfulness. At intervals
he slipped little farther away from
the dainty figure beside him. until
the vacant space on the seat had wild
ened absurdly.
He was sure the girl was laughing
at 1t. He was sure she was afraid of
his muddy boots and coarse clothes.
Suppose he spilled her out! Suppose
she got her skirts all houry from the
bags! Suppose she wanted to talk!
The girl sat looking down the road.
Her sweet face grew more sober every
minute. She was thinking of her
mother and Molly and the unknown
Parsons place. At last she could bear
it no longer.
rs it-nice" she asked, suddenly,
startling the color into the boys brown
face The Parsons place mean?"
Terry had the dismal picture still
in his mind. The Parsons place was
unrepaired, uninhabited. He remem-
bered the tall weeds and grass in the
dooryard, and the broken windows and
the gate that sagged on its hinges. For
ten years the Parsons place had been |
abandoned.
'Is it painted white, with green
blinds?" the girl persisted. Are there
beautiful trees? And rosebushes? Is |
there a view? shall be so glad if |
there's a piazza! We could wheel
mothers couch out on 1t, and she
could lie there all the pleasant days |
and get well. That's what we're |
coming here for. The doctors said she
could not be any better in the city |
Acs awful in the city in summer"
Inc boy made no answer, and at |
trlouting his silence to bashfulness, she
continued:
This place-the Parsons place-was
left to us year ago in a will. Now
that mother is sick, we are very glad
OF 1t, because the doctors say she must
be IN the country. I've come to see
about getting the house opened and
aired. Then I'm going back for them
ALL"