The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-11-06
The Blight.
By Elizabeth Mason


times, and yet this was different. He
stood in the open doorway Of down
town restaurant, and within, the sill
yer on the tables shone almost more
alluringly than the sight of the food
appealed TO his scantily fed stomach.
After all 1t was not so hard to be
hungry or cold IL You could bear 1t
alone
He had been waiting until some
chance should slide him past the
watchful man at the door and pres
entity 1t came in the form OF group
OF late diners who crowded together
in at the entrance. He went In with
them unnoticed, confident Of finding
darkened corner in which he might
await his opportunity. He must be
very careful He must not add to her
burden the one thing that as yet ne
had never brought upon herds
grace. He was not mistaken; the
corner was there, and into 1t he crept,
behind potted towering tree. Con-
cealed there he looked out and saw
everything and everyone. Eagerly ne
estimated to himself the value OF the
himself that they were not worth
table things and cried out within
more.
After that he began to take note OF
the merry group with whom he had
come in, and who now occupied a
round table before him. There were
an elderly couple, smiling good ma
tured twain, dressed handsomely and
cOntented Of aspect. He looked at
them wistfully, wondering If they had
ever known trouble There was an
other lady who with her husband fur
nished fun for the party, but the
mans attention was arrested by a
girl at the end Of the table, because
somehow she made him think of her
as she used to be. The young fellow
beside her might almost have been
himself at that age, and as he bent
over the girl, anticipating her small
est wish, the watching man could
have pushed them crying out warn
ing from that bitter experience of his,
not to entangle that innocent life with
uncertainty.
Its astonishing how people hang
on that sort of thing the vivacious
lady said. only last week when we
were at the Graham's | merely men
toned that Fred had done little of
1t, and he was the most popular man
in the room directly"
DO you really know anything
about palmistry?" asked the elder
gentleman, "or are you merely smart
enough to make people think you
d0?"
He told me- said the younger, for
getting to take his eyes from the girl
at his side, "he told me once whom
was to marry-actually describing
her--told her age and when we should
meet. That was three years ago."
And did you meet her?"
s'Yes."
And shall you marry her?" banter
ed the old gentleman.
The boy did not smile. 81 shall-if
she thinks I'm good enough he said
very softly. The man behind the
towering tree passed his hand across
his eyes. So might that other young
fellow a few years have looked and
spoken. What had been the matter
that everything had gone wrong? He
had worked hard He had been hon
est and earnest. But there had been
winters of sickness for both of them.
There had been the little children to
clothe and care for. and then had
come the hard times; He had NOT
worked all winter because there was
no place for him. She had worked,
though, and every time he saw the
hands which had once been so delicate
pricked with sewing and Redeemed
with washing, he blamed himself for
bringing her to it. Why was it that
he had not been able to take care Of
her when other men whose wives
were not so dear to them could do so
much.
The palmist had consented to read
the hand of the elder lady and he now
had ut in his, mumbling over it amid
the laughter of the rest. Curiously
the man bent forward listening, ana
as the reading finished, concealment
forgotten, the shabby figure stepped
out of the Swallowed corner.
Read mine he said simply. 1t
was an oddly compelling request and
the palmist looked him over keenly
and then took the scanned thin hand.
"A long life, he said. He looked up
seriously into the attentive face. but
as he bent his head again he cast a
mischevious glance towards his
friends.