The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-01-28
T HE: TURN OF
TIE ROAD

Ey Piorro Duconbo.

/ ne walk from the town WAS lOlG,
longer than she had thought, and
above her head a brazen sun glared
from an arc Of tempered steel She
was very unhappy, and very much
alone The river sparhlcd through the
| willows oa her right Ike sunshine
N on passing lanccs There led a lit
/ tie path through the intervening mead.
Jws to the waters edge, ami further
/ on rose an old red house in a walled
garden, deep in trees, cozily, guitily.
| Her house, then.
| The people that wear patent-leather
1 shoes may walk through grass follow
Ing tramp along dusty road to the
| bettermen Of their condition
Those vomen 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.
ins Il had Been a freak, whim, I'M
Like her usual eonyentionality, 20 be
vague at luncheon time as to how she
was going o 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 10 walk
from Y5tf ~ -
village, where lived the woman she
had not seen. -..t =.
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 sister
snake beside TIE solemn stream. 1t
was dusty bat not so dusty as the
high road. The iyied porch OF the
red house gave upon the towing-path,
She wanted to 80 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 iryesoltely at her
dusty feet
a gold thing glittered on the path
a heart, with a quaint old embossed
and enameled wreath attached to a
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
her own into Georges keeping.
And he had given it away! And she /
had lost him. Was there any
thing left her-anythng in the world? !
The iron gates swung apart. and
somebody came out OF the garden. F..
Their, was the rustic of a print gown 1
lbut such a print gown,), and light /
laugh sounded, that of d woman who /
has laughed 10 please men all her |
life. Heavy black hair in masses !
above an oval face, hair half a shade |
less black than the velvet lashcs. half I
a shade blackor than the velvet eyes.
They two looked At each other. Il .
beg pardon" said the woman who F.
owned the heart TO the woman who F.
had owned It. you have found my .
locket mink. Oh. thank sou so
much' ! missed 80, and came out 10
see II st had fallen anywhere about
here"
She took it from lie other with
apologize grace
I'm awfulIy obliged to you. 1t is
much too pretty to lose. isn't it?"
She looked again at the good plaia
face, with its steady eyes. and thought:
Poor dear soul don't suppose she 1
ever had a locket in her life,"s
1t Is charming" answered the first
woman. Il had one exactly like it
once. and lost it,
PITY" said the other careiessly.
This was rivcn me BY a man. and
don't want TO lose &C.. because / am
going 10 send it back - him" She
smiled delightfully."-. lie IS he only
Interesting friend my husband has.
always say But now he has made /
up his mind 20 be married. This is
all very amusing for YOU"
The Hulas took the laughter and
echoed i' Idly.
Married, TO a woman whose name
Is on Tire heart. scratched very fine /
aud rather badly he never noticed
.t Ea Cid Jane Saints, Fancy
q wife named Janet And now he's go
.ne 90 have one. Wherefore. this goes
back
was there anything now ia The
world I.fr 10 a f0r7 Only that
George had Dr. been a cad. bIt that !
1erer occurred 20 her because she
Ers Z good woman
-1-ay Z take lte- said Georges future
Hfs. softly. y alI give it % him.
rs name Is I4-e.-
sly sigrs.
Wttth-f clear or cloudy. ROSY
.uns-t presagas enc weather. s sick
s IosAiuz. gTeenish Lrss qiad az.5