The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-07-10

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
would they put her in the asy-
1um," she wondered, "if they caught
herr"
Folks would surely think she was
crazy.
She stopped at the stone wall 70
rest, and looked back timorousiy ~
the old familiar scene. N !.
/; Far behind her stretched the mead
ows, symphony of olive and green
in the late Fall. Here and there the
sunken boulder stood soldiery golden
rod, or berry bushes clothed now IN
scarlet and gold. At intervals IN the
long slope stood solitary trees, wnere
fluttering, brittle leaves fell In the
gentle chill air. In Summer time shea
remembered well the haymakers rest
ed in the shade, and the jug Win
ginger water she made for the men
was kept there to be cool.
She seemed, as she sat there, to re-
member everything. The house was
all right, she was sure of that, the
key was under the kitchen door mat,
the fire was out in the stove, and the
cat. locked in the barn.
She held her work-hardened hand
to her side, painting little, for 1t
was a good bit of walk across the
meadow, and she was eighty years old
on her last birthday. The COWS feed
ing looked homelike and pleasant.
Goodbye, critters" she said,
aloud; "menys the time I've druv' ye
home an MIXED We, an I allus let ye
eat by the way, nor never hurried We
as the boys DONE"
With farewell glance she went
on again, smoothing as she walked
the scattered locks of gray hair fall
ing under the hood, and keeping her
scant black gown out of the reach OF
,briars. Across another field, then
through a leafy lane where the wood
was hauled in Winter, then out
through a gap in stump fence, with
its great branching arms like a petri-
fed octopus, to the dusty high road.
Not soul in sight in the coming
twilight John, the children and the
rscolding wife, who made her so I'M
happy. would not be home for an hour
yet, for East Mills was a long drive.
Down the steep hill went the brave
little figure, followed by an odd shad-
ow of itself in the waning light, and
by the tiny stones that rolled SO
swiftly they passed her often and
made her look behind with start to
see if a pursuer we're coming.
They'd put me in the asylum
sure" she muttered, wildly, as She
trudged along. At the foot of the hill
she sat down upon an old log and
waited for the train.
Across the road, guarded by big
sign, Lookout for the engine" ran
two parallel iron rails, which were to
be her road when the big monster
should come painting around the
curve.
AT last the dull rumble sounded, a
shrill whistle, and she hurried to the
track, waving her shawl to signal.
This in the conductors vernacu-
lar was a crossroads station, where
he was used to watch for people wav
ing articles frantically. The train stop
ped, and the passenger was taken
aboard. He noticed she was a
bright-eyed old lady, very neat and
precise
How fur?"
Boston"
cit there in the morning" he said,
kindly, waiting for the money, as
she opened a queer little reticuie,
where. under her knitting, wrapped in
a clean cotton handkerchief, was her
nurse with her savings Of long years
the little sums Sam had sent her
when he first began to- prosper in the
West and some money she had earn
ed herself by knitting and berry-pick-
ing. @
At cross road, as they went
swiftly on, she saw the old sorrel
horse. the rafting wagon, and John
with his family, driving homeward.
She drew, back with little cry, fear
ing he might see her and stop the
train, but they went on SO fast that
could not be. and the old horse jog