The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-11-25
II Broke an Engagement
By cLARIssA MAcKIE.

head folk called II ''the red bridge
while Portside people grimly referred
to IL as ''the white bridge" AS a mat
ter Of fact, II had never been painted
at all. and now. after two years ex-
posture TO wind and weather. the new
wood bad taken on soft gray tints that
blended with the silver tide that ebbed
and flowed between the piles.
Although Harborhead and Portside
were connected by the new bridge
and the vehicles of both villages rum
bled to and fro over the planks. the
inhabitants were widely separated by
growing bitterness
ParsOn Lane of Portside had pound
ed the pulpit vigorously over the mat
ter. POTS of paint! Pots Of paintp
he exclaimed one memorable Sunday;
Have my people drowned their souls
In pots of paint? The good Lord made
1t possible for these villages to be unit
ed by a beautiful bridge. and you
wrangle over the painting of It as If |
the color mattered. Brethren. see that |
your souls are as white as you would |
have the bridge painted. Let not the
red smirch Of anger sully its purity
After that sermon the bitterness was
intensified. The Harborhead people
who weekly crossed the bridge to at
tend Parson Lanes church huttered /
homeward to spread the good mans
words fer end wide with most unhap-
py results.
Noah Wade and Almirs Turner were
to be married In June. Three times a
week Noah crossed the bridge to Har-
borhead - see his sweetheart. They
had never discussed the bridge matter
because they had been too happy to
talk about anything except their own
wonderful affairs.
The Tuesday after Parson Lanes
sermon Almira waited at the front
gate for Noah. She could see him
stepping quickly across the bridge,
tall, erect, with his head poised high
All the Wades were proud. The girls
blue eyes did not soften at her lovers
approach. A new expression came
INTO them.
Waiting for meY smiled Noah, TAX
ng the hat from his brown hair and =
covering Almira's little hand with his
'wn sunburned fingers.
She drew her hand quietly from be- :
heath his touch. Yes" she said grave
y. Come with me. Noah; have z
something TO say to you. Let us go to
he orchard"
what is the matter? Are you in s.
rouble? Has anything happened" g
demanded Noah anxiously, falling into tp
tep beside her. b.
Almira shook her head. In silence
hey went across the grass to the or ID
hard and paused In the shade of the Ell
narled old apple trees. II
what is the matter, Almira 2" re- 81
Gated Noah at last. to
II can't marry you. Noah" replied OF
.lmira quietly. ct
"Why not?" Noah spoke gruffly. til
lie was angry at Almira's strange ov
tanner, at the GOODNESS In her voice tn
nd her sudden aloofness.
She looked at the distant sails with ly
eadfast eyes. Father says l shan't tn
AIRY any one from over the white VII
ridge and don't know that | want Sc
!" siC
PERSONALLY / don't care q rap what by
'lor the bridge is" retorted Noah.
we crossed it for two years to see to,
~. Almira. and now at this late day 70,
u suddenly drop me and say It's be- s,d
use live over the bridges fiimsy on
cuse. Why don't you say outright =
at you don't care for me and never :,
az His face was growing whittier. ~
d tho hand pressed against the tree
INK was clinched until the knuckles
.re liyid.
E tree and without one backward .et
lnce tramped across the grass. leap MT
the fence into a winding lane and -
along the shore road. az.
after that 1t became known that Al me-
ra's wedding garments were care
ly laid away out of sight and Noah Tor
,de NO longer GRO sed the bridge ing
zee times week. er
hen followed a summer unprec- PIN
,nted for It's lack Of rain. Weeks gial
lowed days. and months followed II
eks. while the sun poured relentless the!
down on the sister town and burned gen
vegetation to crisp provinces. loot
ly the salt grass that was wet by rna'
tides remained green. Crops died u
the baked earth. NOR
eptember came fiercely hot. One said
athless evermg Almira Turner walk u
listlessly along the bridge. II was Ito
] that whatever breeze there might get
would be felt on the long wooden you
lcture that united the two villages. now
in ITS way formed barrier be- Nc
en- many hearts care
theirs were walking on the bridge. tel
II was noticeable that Portside wev
q xvalkn "a only AZ FOR ma tho mid w