St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1910-08-05
CuAprrR v.-fContinned. !

CHATTER N.-NOOntinueusl
Pardon me-" Zelda brought her
horse TO the curb-'but I've lost my
way Can you tell me-"
The girl stepped to the curb and de-
scribed the easiest way across town.
She was small and trim OF figure and
had very blue eyes.
Thank YOU" said Zelda. and Zen
started forward.
"You are Miss Cameron" the teach
er said. hesitatingly.
Yes" Zelda turned toward her In
surprise.
ITS been a long time since saw
you--as many as a dozen years" The
girl smiled and Zelda smiled, too.
Il wish l could remember. I'm sor-
~. but won't you help me7"
ut was when you were a little girl
so was I. but I was older-and my
mother took me to see your mother,
and we played. you and I, that Is. In
the yard. while our mothers talked.
You wore a red dress and I thought
you were very grand"
The blue eyes were looking into the
dark ones. There was a moment OF
hesitation and scrutiny. Then Zelda
put out her hand.
''You are my cousin. olive-is it
Merriam 7-please don't tell me that
isn't right"
Yes; that IL just right"
I'm going TO take you home, II
you're ready TO go, Cousin Olive. I'm
badly lost and don't remember the way
YOU told me TO go. It's so exciting
meeting long-lost couslni"
olive Merriam debated an instant,
In which she surveyed her new.found
cousin doubtfuily. She had started
home when the battle at the school
house door gave her pause. There was
no excuse for refusing. Zelda had gath
cred up the reins, and waited.
DO oomei Zan isn't dangefous-and
neither am l."
THANK you. I'll have 60 come now
to show that I'm not afraid"
The boys fingered at n safe distance,
and as Zelda drove past them at the
corner several OF them Hnatched on
their caps and grlnncd. and Olive Mer-
! riam called good d-night TO them.
As Zelda followed the route indlcat-
ed by her cousin. she was busy trying
to nnd n lost strand Of family history
that proved elusive. She dld not at all
remember her mothers brother Thom-
as Merriam. She had never heard her
I aunt or uncle speak OF the relationship
and she aurmlacd. now that she
thought OF a. that here must be anoth-
er OF those breaks IN the family con-
neotlon that had already revealed rag
gcd edges IL was growing late. ana
she put Zan 10 her best PAGES. until
presently they came out upon u broad
paved thoroughfare.
That's better" srd Zelda. I'm
sure l should never have found the
way out alone I don't believe l was
ever down there before. Please let me
drive you home. l haven't the least
idea whore that IL. no u I'm going
wrong"
ITS Harrison street" She deserib-
ed the route. You're taking a lot OF
trouble about me-"
mo It's the other way around. ia
never have seen the court house clock
again II Il hadn't been for you. Ana
then" they approached a cross street.
and Zelda checked the night OF zan
and bent forward 20 see whether the
coast was eiear-'and then"-she loos-
ened the rein and the animal sped for
ward again-'Tve been looking awful
ly hard for a friend. Cousin Olive, and
want youl"
You are kind-but you don't under
stand-a lot OF things" said Olive Mer'
rlam. "You and I can't be friends
There are reasons
Il don't care for any reasons" said
Zelda.
but they're not my reasons-they're
other peoples. That's our house there,
where the shades are up and light is
In the window"
Il don't care what other people zay
about anything''-and Zelda brought
Zan 10 a stand az the curb In front ot
olives door
"Pd ask you to stop" began OIL
i've.
I'm going 20 stop" said zeida-"io
see YOU quite on your threshold. Tan
stands without hitehing, usually. III
take my chances"
Harrison Is only a street In minia-
ture A poet wrote a song about II
that made Il the most famous street
in Mariona. The houses there are
chiefly one-story -and "a half cottages
and in one OF these. which was saved
from Intrusive eyes In summer by a
double line OF hOllyhocks, and which
had az its back door at seasonable
times a charming old-fashioned gar
den. lived Olive Merriam and heI
mother,
olive threw open the door and Zelda
stepped into a slttlng-room-the house
had no hall-where coal are burned
oozlly in CRATE, The room ran the
Length OF the house; the woodwork
was white; the fioor was pine, stained
a Aull red and covered with rugs made
HaaF n
green shade stood on a table in the
center OF the room. There were maga-
zines and books on the table, and
shelves in the corners held other books
An elderly woman looked up from the
paper she had been reading as the door
opened. A cane lay on the floor beside
her and told the story of the lines OF
pain in her face.
"Mother, this Is Zelda Dameron. She
has brought me home" said Olive.
"She didn't want me to at all, but
made her let me-" said Zelda. crossing
the room and taking Mrs, Merriam's
hand.
The woman bent her eyes-they were
blue like Oliye's-upon the girl with q
grave questioning.
You are Margarets daughter-you
; are Ezra Dameron's daughter" she
said.
Yes, and didn't know about you
at an until / found Olive to-day. An
1 didn't know that any Merriams any
where lived in house like this. Why
it's a home I'm going-but tell me
that / may come back again"
There was something so sincere ane
| wistful in Zelda's tone as she spoke
standing between the firelight and th'
lamplight; something. too In the glance
81 ANIMAL she gave the little room. thai