The Detroit times., 1913-02-17
i LIE MELTING or MOLL4 @HaKaa 5%%ss~

her crepe veil is over yard long
( yet. Men are the dust under her
feet. but she likes for Doctor john
TO come over and sit on the porch
with us because she can consult with
him about the sad state OF poor Mr..
Carriers liver for year before he
died ! just 60 on rocking Billy and
singing hymns 10 him in such way
that | can't hear the conversation.
Mr. Carriers liver got on my nerves
alive. and dead II does worse, But
"A hurts when the doctor has 10 take
+ the little sleep-boy out OF my arms
10 carry him home: though ! like II
when he says under his breath,
Thank you. Molly
And as | sat and thought how near
! he and | had been to each other in
all our troubles excused myself for
running 10 him with that letter and
/ ! acknowledged 10 myself that had
} no right TO get mad when he leased
me. for he had been kind and inter
ested about helping me get thin by
the time Alfred came back to see
7 me couldn't tell which was
blushing all TO myself about. the "lus-
cious' peach" he had called me or the
lovely lily Alfred had reminded me
In his letter that | had been when
he left me.
Why don't people realize that a
seyenteen-y ear-old girls heart is
sensitive wind-flower that may be
shattered by breath? Mine shat
tered when Alfred went away 10 find
something he could do 10 make a liv-
Ing. and Aunt Adeline gave the hard
green stem TO Mr.. Carter when she
married me 10 him. Poor Mr.. Car
ter,
No, / wasn't twenty, and this town
was full OF women who were aunts
and cousins and law-kin 10 me, and
nobody did anything for me. They
all said with sigh OF relief, 1T will
be such nice safe thing for you.
Molly" And they really didn't mean
anything by tying up a gay. dancing.
frolicking, prancing colt OF a girl with
terribly ponderous bride. But God
didn't want to see me always trot-
ting along slow and tired and not
caring what happened 20 me. even
pounds and pounds OF plumpness. so
he found use for Mr. Carter in some
u
that He Is going TO see me through
whatever happens. n some OF the
women In my missionary society
knew how friendly | feel with God
they would put me out for contempt
OF court.
No. the town didn't mean anything
by Christening my spirit with Mr.. Car.
ter and they didn't consider him in
the matter at all poor man. or that
] feel sure. Hillsboro is like that.
IL settled itself here in a Tennessee
valley few hundreds OF years ago
and has been Matching and clucking
lover It's own small affairs ever since.
All the houses set hack from the
street with their wings spread out
over their gardens, and mothers here
go on lowering even 10 the third and
fourth generation. Lots of times
young, long-legged, frying.size boys
scramble out OF the nests and go of
TO college and decide 10 grow up
where their crow will be heard by
the world. Alfred was one Of them.
And. too. occasionally some man
comes along from the big world and
marries plump little broiler and
takes her away with him, but mostly
they stay and go TO lowering life on
a corner OF the family estate. That's
what | did.
was a poor. little, lost chick with
frivolous tendencies and they all
CLICKED me over into this emptr Car.
ter nest which they considered we'll
feathered for me. II gave them all
sensation when they found ont from
the will just how we'll II was feath-
cred. And II gave me one, too All
that money would make me nervous
n Mr. Garter hadn't made Doctor
John its guardian, though some
times feel that the responsibility OF
me makes him treat me as IL he we're
my step grandfather-in-iaw But all In
all though stiff in its knees with
aristocracy. Hillsboro IS lovely and
loving; and couldn't inquisitheness
be called Just real affection with
kind OF squint in its eye
And there | sat Oh my front steps.
being embraced in perfume of
,everybody's lilacs and peachblow and
sweet syringa and affectionate in
terest and moonlight. with letter
. In my hand from the man whose two
photographs and many letters I had
KEPT locked M IN the garrett FOR years.
Is II any wonder | tingled when ne
told me that he had never come back
because he couldn't have me and that
now the minute he landed in America
he was going 10 La his heart at my
feet? ! added his honors 10 his pros
. trate heart myself and my own beat
az the prospect All the eight years
faded away and I was again back in
the old garden down At Aunt Ado
lines cottage saying good-by, folded
up in his arms. That's the way my
memory put the scene 10 me, but the
word folded made me remember