Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-07-09
The Road TO
1 Happiness.
By TEMPLE BAILEY.
Copyrighted, ise, by Associated
Literary Press
By TEMPLE BAILEY.


She stopped and turned to Meredith
with an impuislve gesture
This Is the end" she said,
His somher eyes met hers.
II can't see IT." he stormed- we
love each other. Why shouldn't we be
happy"
"Ah but there is the other girl she
reminded him
Yes. the other girl" he said, and
for long time after that they were
silent
in front Of them stretched the hong
brown road The goldenrc2 famed 90
both sides 81 Il Dow, but when these
two had first met there had been sweet
hrier and other delicate towers az the
early sumner
MArExret hSd worn bunch 81 wlld
pink roses that first morning when she
had come 70 tae b3g gate to set her
mai. and % Meredith. there on the
same e--and. she had seemed SIS fresh
and perfect SIS the flowers she wore
Since then they had waited every
morning on the old rustic bench under
The oaks. and life in that tine had tax
sa on new meaning
Think q IT. Margaret said ST last
--to1so-row tina ETfle postEl&n VIII come
here and there VIII be no one 10 see
him and nothing VII be changed, but
you and VIII he far sway-you In the
west and ] IN The east
After smother silence he asked.
What are you going 10 do with your
Gsey"
~ she hesftsted. ~oh. 20 in for
something. ] suppoSe-settlement work
CO society or literature. Perhaps III
write q novel"
And you think that any Of those
things viii make you happyY-
She stretched out her hands to him.
All happiness she began. and her
voice broke
Come with me-" he whispered as
he bent over her. 1T must be you and
] for al the future, Margaret"
She drew away from him. mo, no."
she told him: Il shall get along. A
woman can find so many interests in
these days, and In using my brain /
shall forget that have heart. And
you-you viii marry the other girl,
and this summer, this little time that
we have had together, win seem to
you Ike dream or a strain of music
that heard once you can never forget"
His eyes followed her as she rose
and walked to the gate. She wore a
loose tan coat and tan shoes, and her
brown hair was waved and pulled into
q shining couture.
"Oh, you beauty" he whispered.
you beautyr'
"Hush!' she warned, and they heard
the beat Of horses hoofs.
The mail wagon OF the rural deliv-
cry carrier was protected from sun
and rain by white umbrella, under
which the little man sat like frog
under toadstool.
"You all goin' tomorrow he asked
as Meredith gave him directions for
forwarding the mail. Then he gave
chuckling laugh. III reckon IL you
all come next summer your mail win
come 10 the same name.
Margaret had a half dozen letters
and paper. Merediths mail was all
business matter except one square
white envelope addressed In delicate
feminine script
look here" the little postman said
to Margaret facetiously as he hand
ed the letter to Meredith; "pd be jeaI-
Gus OF that letter IL were you. He
gets one every day&
A wave Of scarlet swept over the
girls face. "Jealousv' she stammered.
"Oh, no."
But when the little man had gone
she broke down and sobbed.
II am Jealous" she told Meredith.
IT am dreadfully. dreadfully jealous"
"And yet you won't marry me-"
"No."
"You want me to marry a woman
don't care for. to whom am engaged
simply because I had known her all
my life and had drifted into 1t, and
you want to make me miserable and
to make her miserable just because
you are afraid 1t will be dishonorable
for me to go back on my wordY"
"But she loves you, and she isn't
strong"
His face softened.
"No; she isn't strong. and she has
sweet nature n had never met you
] should have logged along with her
and there would have been no heights
Of happiness. should have dwelt al
ways In the plain.
He stopped abruptly. but what Is
tho use Of thinking about that? It's
our last day together. Margaret. Let
rs forget everything but that we are
together"
''rhen Wen vide." she said. I'm goA
back to the house and get my habit,
and we will 60 over the hills and far
away"
He stuffed his letters into his pocket
S51 haven't read-hers." Margaret n
minded him.
N ~Another time." he said briefly. ana
they went to go ready.
Their ride that day was q thing "a
i've "a mans memory. The hiIlrldea
were glowing b russet and ORANGE
and green. The lake as they passed Il
was as blue - z sapphire. and tn
olackbirds were docking In tho sosden
nolds. {.
They talked I,tfle hnt th.v ,,~.x a.