Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1904-12-16

r EAI = tiful isle of anywhere. He
N ~ IL K lines were cast in places
1c~ that admitted Of an almos
total exemption from the sordid af
fairs of domesticity. When, as it oc
casionally CHANGED, plain, practical Mr.
Pontif requested from her some serv
ice demanding action, the look of gen
tie, surprised reproach she turned up
on him, made him feel that he was {
thing Of clay. Her eyes, like old folks
memories, excelled in sights at long
range. With ears, eyes and thoughts
for away she was a combination OF
amiability, absent mindedness and Wis
ionary abstraction.
One morning Mr.. Pontiff received 6
telegram from an en- route sister.
"She will have to be met, Helen" hi
said, impressively.
"We will meet but we will miss her,
murmured Sonny Pontiff.
"Her train arrives at 1880, don't for
get, Helen"
"She can remember that, because it'll
be ten to one if she catches it," argued
Sonny.
''I'll telephone up to you when it is
time to start" said the head of the
family, ignoring the interpretations OF
his offspring.
ITS such a beautiful day, think
will walk to the station" said Mrs
Pontiff sweetly.
II fear you will forget your destina-
tion," said her husband anxiously.
"Oh, Henry, 1 am not quite as bad
as that!' family protested Mrs. Pom.
tiff. "You really exaggerate my fail
Ing"
Helen" replied Mr.. Pontiff earnest
~, 81 couldn't do that. When I recall
the time you alighted from the street
car and left little Sonny to take five
round trips before you remembered
his existence, 1 do not feel as if there
was anything you could fasten in your
memory"
Mrs. Pontiff sighed. "That was some
years ago. There are times now when
[ wish I could forget Sonny for that
length of time"
''Her forgetting me wasn't half so
remarkable as her squandering eight
,old dollars on a pair Of slippers to
wear to the charity ball and then for
getting to take off her rubbers,' -
,himed in Sonny.
''Now, who is it, Helen, you are go.
ng to meet?" asked Mr.. Pontiff warn
ngly. as he started for the office.
"Your sister," she replied trium-
phantly.
"And what time does her train ar
:ive?"
"One-ten," she said, hesitatingly,
while Sonny laughed in his delight.
ooh. Helen, $780," prompted Mr..
Pontiff.
snow, Sonny surely said one-ten."
"Never pay the slightest attention
to what Sonny says"
"She had better this time, if she is
going to walk to the station. Now,
mother, don't try to swim across the
river or look for a ferry. You know
they tore up the bridge six months age
to build a new one, and people are u.s.
ing a little foot bridge"
"Why, didn't know they were build.
ing a new bridge" exclaimed Mrs
Pontiff in surprise, ''but then,
haven't been on the street in a year."
"Why, mother! It's the widest
bridge in the United Statesr'
"How perfectly foolish to build the
widest bridge in the country across the
narrowest river in the worldr'
'Well, then, don't you see," laughed
Sonny, shat it is then the shortest
bridge in the world, so it is as broad
as it is long"
"You are getting into deep waters
Sonny" interposed Mr.. Pontiff. "You
remind me of man who was Presi
dent of a street car line that was only
a mile long. He was posing at ma
donal meeting of the Street Car AS
ISOLATION as magnate. He made 6
speech, and in one of his most impress
sive pauses some one sneered: SIT
down! Your roads only a mile long!
True he said, true, my road is only 6
mile long, but it is just as wide as any
road in the world.''
The day was one of those indescrib
able links between late spring and ear
~ summer. There were delightful
promises in the air of coming beauties
and Mrs. Pontiff, as she made her way
stationward, felt at peace with all man
kind, even unto her coming sister-in
law.
She walked on in dreamy forgetfuI
ness of all about her save the liuui(
sky. the soft air and the delicat,
breeze until she came to the river
Must she cross on that single narrow
beam extending from shore to shore
She looked helplessly about her. 1
was the noon hour and no one was ii
speaking distance save a solitary la
borer on the opposite bank. She coult
never get her courage to walk tina
plank. Then she recalled what Som,
had said about people using this TEN
porary foot bridge.
L ought to be ashamed" she rea
soned, ito be afraid to do what prob
ably thousands of people do daily.
suppose every man, woman and chilli
in Elktown have tripped across thi
river on this plank. | am always TIL
last one in town to do anything"
Encouraged by these self-sugges
tons, she put one slender, INSTEAD,
foot on the beam. Then another trem
ulous step and she poised on the brink
ooh, can'tr' she walled.
Then she remembered Henry's tale
of how his pioneer mother, in her ear
" days. went to a Western wilderness
to live and used to cross the river OF
stringers.
Reinforced by this colonial recollec
ton. she took q few steps. Then tb