Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-06-12
THE WALL THAT
WAS NOT.
A Story Of a Girls Treachery to
Her Sister.
BY HELEN RAMspELL.

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.
"Tm 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 RIA.
chel. "or perhaps we can afford to build
six foot fence on our side Of this
one and grow It over with vines. Any
way. not one OF these seeds is going to
fall on their side"
Miss Emily rose and walked over to
the fence, speaking very softly.
II don't want them to 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 to like Steve
once. aud his wife Is a pleasant, sweet
spoken woman"
Sweet spoken-yes! should say
that's how she got him."
Miss Emily sighed wistfully.
~ 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 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 for
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 sunfowers 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.
eth be six foot fence next year II
have to live on dry bread"
"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 her
room. Here she went straight to an
old fashioned writing desk and. open
ing It. placed the package Of seeds in
one Of its many compartments.
Once II was out Of her sight the hard
lines in her comely face relaxed, and
gradually as they faded her natural
expression returned. revealing tears Of
suffering and Of genuine kindness as
well.
For long time she sat there alb
sorDed in her reverie, and as the sun
light died without new light touched
Miss Rachel's face from within, and,
led by some touch Of previous men,
DRY. she opened small locked drawer
and took out quaint old box Of faint
ly fragrant sandalwood.
1t had grown too dark to see its con.
tents plainly. but Miss Rachel did not
need to see them. She knew every
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 notice
Of death that lay beneath them, while
every feature Of the photograph that
lay on top was craven deeper in her
heart.
Tonight she went over It all once
again-her Joy. her passionate, silent
grief. then her awakening from her
own bitter sorrow to find that her sis
ter was suffering also. Then she had
opened her eyes. SO long blinded to all
save her own bitter grief. and looked
for the cause Of her sisters to find
that Emily's lover. Stephen Loring
came to see her sister no more.
Questioned. Miss Emily had replied
proudly. with swift flushing cheeks,
that she did not wish him to come,
and Miss Rachel probed no further.
Scarcely a year later Stephen married
a girl Of a nelghboring village. and
Emily. growing paler and gentler day
by day. gave an the love left in her
heart to Rachel, which Miss Rachel
silently but deeply reciprocated, all
the more tenderly that Miss Emily so
often seemed inwardly shrinking be.
fore her. as II In shame at her fate.
With true New England reticence.
mingled with Unborn delicacy. neither
ever spoke Of the others love and
loss, but when Stephen Loring some
twenty years later had come to live
beside them Miss Rachel's wrath rose
high against this destroyer Of her gen.
tie sisters happiness In life.
"Rachelr
Miss Emily stood at the door peer
ing into the now dark room.
"Old Mrs. Clayton Is dying. and