Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-08-08
Afterthe Darkness Dawn
pY E1EANoR q. REESE.


you and Ted standing on the platform,
waving goodbye to me! | cannot be-
lieve that this place is going to do me
much good when l think how long the
weeks will be before will be back in
dear old Gretna, but ! shall try hard
to grow strong for your sake.
Aunt Helen is very St., very plain,
and very much a Quaker lady but
like her immensely, for she leaves me
80 much alone.
To-day | am curled up in one of
the big wicker chairs at the Casino
tramping along, or being pushed in
those queer chairs-for all the world
like colony Of ants moving to new
hill.
And then, dad, there's the sel-not
blue like the books always have it, but
an angry foaming, grey-green sea,
rolling its great waves up on the beach
where they break and thunder at our
feet. Tomorrow 1t may be calm
enough, but to-day it suits my mood.
and | love it. | saw some one pass
Just now who reminded me of-you
know whom | mean. He looked so
like him that my heart beat wildly for
moment. OF course it was only an
hallucination, he is gone and l should
not care, but OH dad, do! Sometimes
] think I must write to him and then
I remember it was | who sent him
away to marry the little girl in Italy
WHO had loved him for so long-I WON
der was her love any stronger. any
me away from you and I'm longing to
be comforted this minute. If l could
mot tell you about it, dear, I'd break
my heart, but you're always so ready
10 help me.
THE orchestra is playing the "Trau-
merei"-oh, dad, those days in Flor
ence come back and dream such dear
idle dreams!
"You will come to me, soon, dad
dear, for I'm desperately lonely with
out you. Ted can manage the ranch
for a little while.
"Give my love to Ted, and to every
body, but keep for yourself the dearest
love of your girl, Jean"
Brighton Casino, Atlantic City,
March II, 49,. My Own Dad: Thank
you for your good, breezy, loving let
ter; | could almost imagine myself
nome again. The days have gone by
somehow and shall look for you be-
fore long-don't. disappoint me!
'If only the old sorrow would bury
Atself deep down in the sand | might
promise to come home happy and
care-free again, but it won't leave me.
dad If you knew how I've tried to
be glad that sent him away!
IL sit here morning after morning
and watch the ships far out on the
horizon-line, and long to be on one Of
chem sailing away to Italy-and Ralph.
What If he is doing his duty, what II
4 did send HIM away, he is as truly
mine-no, no, dad, he isn't, I'm all
wrong! 1t is seeing so many happy
people that makes my loneliness un-
hearable BY now he is married to
that little girl in Italy-I hope she'll
love him lots.
"Aunt Helen thinks me wild, be-
cause | do not care for the shops or
the elegant leisure of those palatial
rolling-chairs. like to sit here and
think what happy time this might
have BEEN Oh, why did you take me
abroad, dad, why didn't you let me
live my narrow little life? would
have been riding Bee on the prairie,
now, with the hot wind blowing in my
face, and tn glory of the sunset
buried deep ny heart. instead of
sitting here In the fast-gathering
twilight surrounded by myriad shat
tered air-castles.
"There dear, forgive me, would
not pain you, you, who, are so patient
with me! Soon l will be home and
will try harder to be brave. Heaven
knows you need all the sunshine can
give you! Don't think me ungrateful,
but love me, dad, for you're all the
world to your own girl, JEAN"
"P. S. Kiss Ted for me, he's the
nearest sort of bfother!"
Hotel Brighton, Atlantic City,
March Is, 49,. Dad Dear: Something
has happened! After all the dark days
z am to be happy, dad, do you hear
me? Happy! was sitting in the
Casino yesterday morning with my
back turned to the crowd when
heard woman's voice say: There he
h, now, isn't he interesting looking?'
Z did not turn around but some one
drew a chair near mine and sat down
to read. | read long while, until the
place was quite deserted except for
khis stranger who had his back to me-
Suddenly, he threw down his book,
walked over to the window and began
10 speak, evidently supposing himself
quite alone. At the first sound of his
voice kept very still in my chair.
fWhat will it all come tor heard him
say. I have done all could but even
for her dear sake cannot marry an
other woman In Heavens name why
should /? 1t would all be a damnable
lie from beginning to end, there would
he no peace here nor hereafter. All,
Jean, Jean, if had never looked into
your great, soulful eyes, il my arms