Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-08-04
CHAPTER v.-(Continued.) J

Way Adn you ltll HIT
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 Zan
started forward
You are Miss Dameron," the teach
er said hesitatingly.
Yes" Zelda turned toward her in
surprise.
It's been long time since I saw
you-as many as dozen years" The
girl smiled and Zelda smiled, too.
Il wish l could remember. I'm sor-
ry, but won't you help me?"
1T was when you were little girl
so was l, but l was older-and my
mother took me to see your mother
and we played, you and l, that is in
the yard, while our mothers talked
You wore a red dress and 1 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 please don't tell me that
isn't right"
Yes; that is Just right"
I'm going to take you home. If
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 a long-lost cousin!"
Olive Merriam debated an instant,
in which she surveyed her new found
cousin doubtfully. 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 come! Zan isn't dangerous-and
neither am l."
Thank you. I'll have to come now
to show that I'm not afraid"
The boys fingered at a safe distance.
and as Zelda drove past them at the
corner, several of them snatched off
their caps and grinned and Olive Mer-
riam called goodnight to them.
AS Zelda followed the route indicat-
ed by her cousin, she was busy trying |
to find lost strand of family history |
that proved elusive. She did not at all |
remember her mothers brother Thorn
as Merriam. She had never heard her
aunt or uncle speak of the relationship,
and she surmised, now that she
thought of it, that here must be anoth-
er of those breaks in the family con-
nection that had already revealed rag
ged edges. 1t was growing late, and
she put Zan to her best PAGES, until
presently they came out upon a broad
paved thoroughfare.
That's better" Said Zelda. I'm
sure 1 should never have found the
way out alone l don't believe 1 was
ever down there before. Please let me
drive you home. 1 haven't the least
idea where that is. so if I'm going
Wrong-"
It's Harrison street" She describ-
ed the route. You're taking a lot of
trouble about me-"
NO It's the other way around. I'd
never have seen the courthouse clock
again if it hadn't been for you. And
then" they approached a cross street,
and Zelda checked the flight of Zan
and bent forward to see whether the
coast was clear-"and then"-she loos-
ened the rein and the animal sped for
ward again-'Tve been looking awful
ly hard for friend. Cousin Olive, and
1 want you!"
You are kind-but you don't under
stand-a lot of things" said Olive Mer-
riam. you and l 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 t
where the shades are up and light is :
in the window" {
Il don't care what other people say t
about anything"-and Zelda brought {
Zan to a stand at the curb in front of r
Olives door.
I'd ask you to stop" began OIL
i've
I'm going to stop" said Zelda-"to
see you quite on your threshold. Zan
stands without hitching, usually. I'll d
take my chances"
Harrison is only a street in minia-
ture poet wrote a song about it
that made it the most famous street J
in Mariona. The houses there are
chiefly one-story- -and-a-h half cottages, i
and in one Of these, which was saved j
from intrusive eyes in summer by a
double line of hollyhocks, and which t
had at it's back door at seasonable a
times a charming old-fashioned gar
den, lived Olive Merriam and her t
mother.
Olive threw open the door and Zelda g
stepped into a sitting -room-the house
had no hall-where a coal fire burned 0
eozily in a CRATE. The room ran the I
length of the house; the woodwork a
was white; the floor was pine, stained b
a dull red and covered with rugs made n
IF old carpet A student lamp with {
green shade stood on a table in the g
center of the room. There were maga- S
zines and books on the table, and h
shelves in the corners held other books f
An elderly woman looked up from the F
paper she had been reading as the door n
opened. A cane lay on the floor beside s
ler and told the story of the lines of n
sain in her face. n
Mother, this is Zelda Dameron She X
las brought me home" said Olive a
~She didn't want me to at all, but 1 le
made her let me-" said Zelda, crossing a
he room and taking Mrs. Merriams p
land. Il
The woman bent her eyes-they were a
,lue like Olive's-upon the girl with 81
rave questioning. o.
You are Margarets daughter-you h
re Ezra Dameron's daughter" she T
aid. Il
Yes; and didn't know about you
[ all until I found Olive to-day. And
didn't know that any Merriams any "
-here lived in a house like this. Why, W