The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-25
THE TURN OF
THE ROAD
tCopyrIEht. by Fora Pub. -
by Pierre Duoombe.

Inc dust lay In thick wreaths In the
roadway; the womans tired fee
dragged through them. filling the hot
air with = fine. penetrating powder.
The walk from the town was long
longer than she had thought, and
above her head q brazen sun glared
from an arc OF tempered steel. She
was very unhappy, and very much
alone. The river sparkled through the
willows on her right like sunshine
upon passing lances. There led lit
tie path through the intervening mead.
ows TO the waters edge, and further
on rose an old red house in a walled
garden, deep in trees, cozily, guilty.
Her house, then.
The people that wear patent-leather
shoes may walk through grass follow
Ing tramp along a dusty road to the
bettermen Of their condition.
. Those women who are sensible, -
and wear "blaeking leather" boots, are
suddenly apt to feel fools on such a
day. She looked at her feet and was
dissatisfied.
She was quite plain. Her drab hair
was the only part Of her person that
did not show the dust. Her short fig
ure was bowed unnecessarily, and she
could not afford to lose the inch
which she was now carelessly relax.
Ing. 1t had been a freak, a within. un
ike her usual conventionality, to be
vague at luncheon time as to how she
was going to spend one OF her brief
holiday afternoons, to start in the
blazing sun at two o'clock so as to
be back In time for tea. and to walk
eat from the river town to the river
village, where lived the woman she
had not seen.
But George loved the woman
George, who had once said he loved
her-and that was enough, because
she loved George.
She knew. How do women know
She loved George.
The towing-path ran like a sister
snake beside the solemn stream. II
was dusty, but not so dusty as the
Aish road. The ivied porch of the
RED house gave upon the towing-path
She wanted to go up and hold on to
the quaint iron gate with both hands
and press her simple face between the
Dars, and look, and look. and look into
the garden OF the other woman.
Being neither a town nor a country
child, she could not do this. She
paused and glanced irresolutely at her
dusty feet.
A gold thing glittered on the path
a heart, with = quaint old embossed
Aaa enameled wreath attached to a
broken chaiR. She picked 1t up.
All her childhood it had been her
dearest possession; then had come
George, and the heart had passed with
hSr owA into Georges keeping.
And he had given it away And she
had lost him. Was there any
thing left her-anything in the world
The iron gates swung apart, and
somebody came out OF the garden
There was the rustic OF a print gown
(but such a print gownD, and light
laugh sounded, that OF woman who
has laughed to please men all her
life. Heavy black hair in masses
aosVe an oval face, hair half a shade
less black thaA the velvet lashes, hal
shade blacker than the velvet eyes
They two looked at each other. -
beg pardon" said the woman who
owned the heart to the woman who
had owned II, you have found my
locket, l think. Oh. thank you sc
much! missed 1t. and came out tC
soc II It had fallen anywhere about
here"
She took 1t from the other with
apologize grace.
I'm awfully obliged to you. 1t is
much too pretty to lose, isn't it,"
She looked again at the good plain
face, with Its steady eyes, and thought
! Poor dear soul, don't suppose she
ever had locket In her life!"
1T is charming" answered the first
woman. Il had one exactly like II
once. aud lost It."
Pity" said the other carelessly
This was given me by man, and
don't want to lose it. because l an
going to send 1t back to him" She
smiled delightfully."-. He is the only
interesting friend my husband has,
always say. But now he has made
up his mind to be married This 1.
all very amusing for you!"
The ripples took the laughter ant
echoed 1t idly.
Married! to a woman whose name
is on the heart, scratched very fine
and rather badly. He never noticed
1t, bat | did. Jane Saints Fancy
n wife named janet And now mes 20
Ing to have one. Wherefore. this goe.
back"
WAS there anything now in the
world left to wish for? Only tha
George had not been a cad; but tina
never occurred TO her, because she
was n good woman.)
May take it?" said Georges future
| wife. softly. II will give II IN him