Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-06-04
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Wall That Was Not-By Helen Ramsden.
Copyrighted, 1905, Associated Literary Press.

In the rosy light of the setting sun
Miss Rachel. the elder of the two Bel
den sisters, was gathering her sun
flower seed. Miss Emily. the younger.
sat on the porch watching her sisters
movements, her sewing lying idle on
her lap. Presently she ventured to
demonstrate.
I'm quite sure. Rachel. that the
seeds are not nearly ripe enough to
gather and that you are only spelling
your next years crop"
Every well. In that case I'll buy
some new ones" answered Miss Ra-
chel. "or perhaps we can afford to build
a six foot fence on cur side of this
one and grow it over with vines. Any
way, not one of these seeds is going TO
fall on their side P.
Miss Emily rose and walked over to
the fence, speaking very softly.
Il don't want them 10 hear us, Ra-
chel. It's like trying to quarrel with
them, and they've always tried to be
friendly. l really can't see why you
hate them so. You used 10 like Steve
once. aud his wife is pleasant sweet
spoken woman"
Sweet spoken-ycs, 1 should say
that's how she got him"
Miss Emily sighed wistfully.
II don't see why you hate them So
she repeated.
"You don't? Humph! Well. you
| just once try being nice and polite to
them. and-you needn't be my sister
| any longerr'
At that moment n girl some twelve
years of age came out of the house
| hold thus condemned by. Miss Rachel,
and both the sisters grew silent. They
| had been speaking much too low fox
their neighbors to hear what they
said, and in innocent ignorance the
| girl called over. though timidly. as il
| half expecting one of the snubs she
so completely failed to understand.
| aren't you gathering your seeds
awful early, Miss Belden? It's better
to let them get ripe. They're the
finest sunflowers we've ever seen
We're sorry they've quit blooming"
To the girl Miss Rachel was silence
itself. To her sister she replied in
tones of unuttered Indignation too low
| for the girl to hear.
It'll be six foot fence next year il
l have to live on dry bread"
Il "Oh, Rachel, how it would lookv'
1--WE can cover our side with vines"
''But in winter the vines would be
dead, just the same as the flowers
Without reply Miss Rachel gathered
up her apronful of great staring seed
cups and assembled the stairs to hel
room. Here she went straight to al
old fashioned writing desk and, open
ing 1t. placed the package of seeds il
one of its many compartments.
II Once it was out of her sight the hare
lines in her comely face relaxed. an,
gradually as they faded her natura
expression returned, revealing tears o.
suffering and of genuine kindness a:
well.
For a long time she sat there alb
sorbed in her reverie, and as the sun
light died without new light touched
Miss RachePs face from within. and
led by some touch of previous mem
ory, she opened small locked drawe
and took out quaint old box of faint
~ fragrant sandalwood.
n 1t had grown t0otdark to see it's con
tents plainly, but Miss Rachel did no
need to SEE them. She knew ever,
line of the faded letters that lay there
every detail of the girlish forgetme
not ring in its tiny box beside them
every word of the newspaper motto
Of death that lay beneath them. Will
every feature of the photograph tina
lay on top was craven deeper in he
heart
Tonight she went over it all ono
again-her joy, her passionate, silen
grief, then her awakening from he