The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-05-09
A Choice Between
Two Roads
Bv F. a. Mitchell

going over the route proposed to take
and when offered him good pay 10
take me with him he accepted the prop
osition
We hadn't got far on our route wlei.
we came to house standing beside
the road. and girl carrying a carpet.
bag-it was an old timer, really made
of carpet-came out of the house. evi'
IDENTITY to meet the wagon. She was
dressed up"-that Is. she had on hel
best clothes instead Of the calico dress
and sunbonnet of the typical southeril
country girl.
JOSH" she said. II reckon I'll go with
yo'"
"All right. Sairy. Climb up we're"
There was room for three on the seat.
but since my driver-Saunders was his
name-and the girl seemed inclined to
be spoony removed myself to soft
bale of some kind Of goods In the wag
on behind them, saying that ! would
have Il smoke.
Josh and Sairy. as they called each
other. were evidently enjoying the trip
together. Neither gave me any infor.
nation as to their relationship or how
the girl knew that he would pass the
house where she joined us at that day
and hour
Having nothing to do, amused my.
self trying TO work out the relation
ship between them. While they said
nothing directly to indicate it. they
said orraat daol ;pdirartlu nna
time the girl would chat about Ger
tain farm. mentioning all sorts Of de.
vices for making the house on it attrac-
tive She would put up some curtains
she had that would fit very nearly
and paper several of the rooms her
self-she had done papering before
and line the porch with flowers. and
make lot of improvements besides.
Josh assented to all this every time she
stopped long enough to give him an OPP
portunity, saying: Just So That
would look mighty fine-beautiful." But
It seemed to ME that he was listening
to II story rather than facts. If she
were picturing future home in which
he was to participate he gave me the
idea that he considered the girl to be
q rainbow chaser
Striking Il crossroad. we found man
sitting OH II fence whiting "A stick He
took no notice of us till we came op
posite: then he said:
"Howdy. Josh! Howdy. Saily?"
"Howdy. Mart?" said Josh. pull.
ing up.
"Whar yo' goin'?" asked Mart.
Were goin' TO Jasper
what yo goin' to do thar-get mar
ried?"
Josh looked ut the girl. but since she
did not seem inclined to make a reply
he did so himself. 1--WE allowed we
might get married II we can find pa.
son to marry u.s."
II reckoned so. That's the reason
fist thought I'd wait TO yo' yere."
changed my position SO that ! could
see the girls face. All the light heart
edness had gone out of her. inferred
that the man sitting on the fence was
a claimant for her himself. but he was
red headed. freckled. loose jointed.
disagreeable looking fellow. and
didn't see how he could have any
chance with Josh. who was quite good
looking and otherwise attractive. Mel.
Their Josh nor Sairy made any COM
ment on Mart's last statement. and
presently he drawled:
"See here, Sairy. this has been goin'
on long enough. Yo' see the sign
h<>a dc IT, kA rhn
you're goin' leads to Jasper. t'other
one to Chattanoogy. Air yo' goin' to
Jasper with Josh or air 20 goin' to
Chattanoogy with me?'
There being no immediate reply to
this, there was dead silence. 1t was
evident that the two men were wait.
ing for the girl to decide between
them. Presently Mart added:
This ends the foolin'. 'YO' 80 to
Jasper or to Chattanooga, and which
ever way yo' go you stay. There's
no go back"
Half minute elapsed before the de-
cision came and then not in words
Josh must have seen II in the girls
face. for | saw him reach down under
the seat, take out Sairy'S carpetbag
and hand IL to her AT the same time
Mart approached and handed her
down on to the road. Then Josh drove
on. Looking back. | saw Mart and
Sairy trudging along on the road to
Chattanooga.
Taking the seat had vacated In ia
vor Of the girl. handed Josh cigar.
Smoker
Reckon will"
what does all this mean?" ! asked
when he had lighted up.
'Waal. there's some wimmen hes a
powerful influence over some men and
some men over some wimmen. That
gal hes been wantin to marry me 70
a long spell, but that Teller wouldn't
let her. Did yo' hear her talkin' about
the house we was to live in arter we
was married? Id heerd all that afore.
| knowed IL didn't mean nothin.
knowed Mart was a.watchin' her and
mad his spies out on her and she
wouldn't get far afore he'd stop her."
Does she fear him?".
mo. II he'd "a tried to force her
I'd put bullet inter him."
asked Josh II Mart noticed tho
girl explained to him what hypnotic.