Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-01-14
THE TURN OF
THE ROAD
Copyright. by Ford Pub. Coz
BY Pierre Ducombe.

dragged through them filling the hot
air with fine, penetrating powder.
The walk from theo town was long,
longer than she had thought, and
above her head brazen sun glared
from an arc of tempered steel. She
was very unhappy, and very much
alone. The river sparllled 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 dusty road to the
'bettermen of their condition.
Those women who are Sensible"
and wear "blaching 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 freak, a whim, I'M
like 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 80 as to
be back in time for tea," and to walk
out 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. 1t
was dusty, but not so dusty as the
high road. The ivied porch of the
red house gave upon the towng-path.
She wanted to go up and hold on to
the quaint iron gate with both hands,
and press her simple face between the
bars, 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,
heart, with a quaint old embossed
and enameled wreath attached to
broken chain. She picked it up.
All her childhood it had been her
dearest possession; then had come
George, and the heart had passed with
4 her own into Georges keeping.
And he had given it away And she
had lost him. Was there any,
thing left her-anything in the world?
il The iron gates swung apart, and
somebody came out of the garden.
There was the rustic of print gown
lbut such print gownD, and light
laugh sounded, that of a woman who
has laughed to please men all her
life. Heavy black hair in masses
above an oval face, hair half a shade
less black than the velvet lashes. half
shade blacker than the velvet eyes
They two looked at each other. Il
beg pardon" said the woman who
owned the heart to the woman who
j had owned it, you have found my
locket, think Oh, thank you so
!, much! | missed it, and came out to
see ii it had fallen anywhere about
4 here"
She took it from the other with
4 apologize grace.
4 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!"
l. 1T is charming" answered the first
: woman. Il had one exactly like it
J, once, and | lost it."
n Pity" said the other carelessly.
u This was given me by man, and |
don't want to lose it, because l am
going to send it back to him" She
smiled delightfully."- He is the only
interestingsf friend mya.husband has, i
always say, But saow he lhas made
up his mind to be married. This is
: all very amusing for you."
The ripples took the laughter and
echoed it idly.
! Married. to woman whose name
is on the heart, scratched very fine,
| and rather badly. He never noticed
it, but | did. Jane. Saints! Fancy
, wife named Jane! And now he's go
ing to have one. Wherefore, this goes
back"
(Was there anything now in the
world left to wish for? Only that
George had not been cad; but that
: never occurred to her, because she
was a good woman.)
May l take it?" said Georges future
wife, softly. Il will give it to him.
Ny name is Jane"