Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-08-19


such acres of greenhouses that l will
not be ashamed to ask you TO give Ut
your splendid home on the hill"
OF course Lucy's heart prompted her
to tell him to remain with her. What
cared she for the promised wealth OF
the golden west when the. solid reality
of Ansers thrifty little flower business
was ready and waiting for them both?
But Ansei looked so downhearted and
disappointed at her answer that Lucy
ayailed herself of the feminine priv.
lege and changed her mind.
You'd better go, Ansel," she urged
him Il will wait for you if you should
be gone a hundred years" she added
recklessly.
So it was arranged as Ansels pride
prompted him, and Lucy stayed in her
fathers comfortable home on the hill
top and watched the black smoke from
Ansers train dissolve in the May sun
shine even as her hopes and happiness
dissolved in a burst of grief.
A hundred days went by, and AnseVs
letters were full Of inconsistencies and
enthusiasm. A hundred weeks passed,
and the letters contained less hope
fitness and the same strain Of longing
for home. Lucy wrote and urged him
to come home. Let the old fortune
CO." she wrote hastily. There is
plenty to do in Little River, and Ste
phen futile will be glad to sell the
greenhouses back to you"
But Ansel was obstinate as well as
proud, and he did not come home in
answer to Lucy's appeal. A hundred
months went by-eight long years and
four months-and Lucy's Aunt Rebec-
ca Prentice repeated the words she
had dinned into her niece's pretty ears:
Hes never coming back again,
Lucy. You might as well have mar
ried Leonard Deane or the minister
and had a family growing up around
you instead of wasting your life wait
ing for man who has forgotten YOU
Il don't believe Ansel has forgotten
me, Aunt Rebecca," Lucy said patient
| ly. 1T has taken longer for him t
make a fortune than he expected
that's all"
One April morning Lucy Mellel
found herself quite alone in the world
Her parents had died shortly after An
sci went away, and now Aunt Rebec
ca had succumbed to pneumonia. anC
the big empty house on the hill seem
ed bigger and emptier than ever. A
the end of a year Lucy had managed
to almost beggar herself by severa
foolish investments, and there came {
day when the red flag swung to thu
| breeze above the Mellen place.
What are you going to do now
Lucy Mellen" demanded her mex
door neighbor, Mrs. Hall. Her
you've got all your furniture Grated VI
as if you was going away, and yo1
amt said a word to nobody
I'm going to California" said Luc
calmly, though her pale cheeks flushed
"Ansel has sent for me- to come GU
there and be married. You see, he's s.
busy he can't get away just now"
well, of all things|' cried Mrs. Hal
excitedly. You don't mean that you
single woman, are going away GU
there all alone to get married?"
I'm thirty five" said Lucy obsti
nately, aud Ansers folks are GU
there, you know"
Mrs. Hall said no more, but twistet
the shawl tighter around her thin fac
and fairly flew down the street to b
the first one to transmit the startlin
news to Little River.
Lucy's friends were at the station {
bid her goodby when she started o.
her long journey. Her household good
had gone on a week before, and whe
the last moment came there wer
many tears and good wishes and lot
of rice and old shoes flying after bel
Lucy looked strangely pale and silen
for a bride to be, but she had been tina
{ way for so many years now that be
J friends quite forgot what a merry. ligh
hearted girl she had been when Anse
first wooed her
Then the train Numbered away to
ward New York, and Lucy leaned he
pale face against the window ant
closed her frightened eyes. She hat
never taken such a long journey, ant
she was quite unused to travelling, bu
that was not the worst of it Sh
had told a number of downright lies
AnSel PeeveT had not sent for her; b
did not know she was coming GU
\ there, and she had not heard from hin
for two months
1t was this knowledge that mad
= Lucy MeIler 80 miserable as her trail
flew westward Every mile tina
brought her nearer to AnseI also mad
her heart beat faster until at las
when she reached San Francisco an,
changed cars for the little town II
Santa Barbara county she was almoS
sick with remorse and shame at he
4 own daring.
At last it was time for her to ge
off. She saw her trunks dumped Of
the station platform at Redcliff, an,
then the train rolled away among tn
% vineyards and orange groves. Will
she was loft in tho soft ha Inv otvps