The daily Alaskan., 1913-03-21
AChoice Between
 Two Roads
By F. A mTdEL

going over the route proposed 10 take' and when l offered him good pay to tnke me with him he accepted the prop Osltion.
 We hadn't got far on our route when we came to a house standing beside the road, and a girl carrying Q carpet bug-It was an old timer, really made of carpet-came out of the house, evi- dpntly to meet the wagon. She wns dressed up"-that is, she had on her best clothes Instead Of the calico dress and sunbonnCt of the typical southern country girl
 Josh" she said. "I reckon rll go with yo,"
 "AlI right, Salry. Climb up yere."
 There was room for three on the seat but since my driver Saunders wus his name-aud the girl seemed inclined 10 be sDoony removed myself to soft bale of some kind Of goods In the wag- on behind them, saying that would have a smoke
 Josh and Sairy. as they called each other, were evidently enjoying tbe trip together. Neither gave me any intor. nation as Co their relationship or how the girl knew that he would pass the house where sue joined us at that day and hour.
 Having nothing to do, ! amused my self trying Co work out tbe relation ship between them. While they said nothing directly to Indicate 1t, they said a great deal indirectly. At one time the girl would chat about a cer thin farm, mentioning all sorts of de vices for making the house on !t attrac- tive She would put up some curtains she had that would ft very nearly and paper several Of the rooms her sclf-she had done papering before and line the porch with flowers, and make a lot of improvements besides Josh asseuted Co an this every time she stopped long enough to give him an op- portunIty. saying: Just SO That would look mighty fne-beautiful' But it seemed to me that be was listening to a story rather than facts. If she were pirturiug future home in which he was to participate be gave me the idea that he considered the girl to be a rainbow chaser.
 Striking a crossroad. we found a man sitting ou fence whittIing a stick. He took no notice Of us dlI we came op  poslte, then he said:
 "Uowdy. Josh? Howdy, SairyT
 "Howdy. Marty said Josh, pull. ing up.
 "Whar yo' goln'T' asked Mart
 We're goin' to Jasper"
 What yo' goIn' to do thar-get mar HedT
 Josh looked at the girl. but since she did not seem Inclined to make reply he did so himself. We allowed we might get married 1T we can nud a pa. SOD to marry us.'
 'I reckoned so. That's the reason I fist thought I'd walt fO' 70 yere' l changed my position SO that [ could see the girls face. All the light heart edness had gone out of her. l inferred that the man sitting on the fence was claimant for her himself, but he was red headed, freCkled, loose jointed, disagreeable looking fellow. aud ! didn't see how he could have any chance with Josh, who was quite good looking and otherwise attractive Nei ther Josh nor Salry made any com ment on Mart's last statement and presently he drawled:
 See here, Salry, this has been goin on long enough. To see the sign boards poinuu' the way7 The road you're goln' leads to Jasper, tother one to Cbattanoogy. Air yo' goin' to Jasper with Josh or air 70 goin' to Chattanoogy with meT
 There being DO immediate reply to this. there was a dead silence. lt was evident that the two men were wait ing for the girl to decide between them. Presently Mart a6ded:
 This ends the foolin' To 90 to Jasper or to Chattanooga, and which ever way yo' go you stay. There's DO go back"
 Halt a minute elapged before the de- cision came aud then not in words. Josh must have seen It in the girls face. for | saw him reach down under the seat, take out Sairy'0 carPetbag and hand lt to hef At the same time Mart approached and handed her down on to the road. Then Josh drove on. Looking back, saw Mart and Sairy rrudging along on the road to Chattanooga.
 Taking the seat had vacated In ia vor of the girl, banded Josh a cigar
 Smoker
 Reckon ! will"
 What does all this meanT' asked when be had lighted up.
 "WaaL there's some wimmen hes powerful influence over some men and some men over some wimmen. That gal hes been wantin' to marry me fo a long spell. but that feller wouldn't let her Did yo' hear her taIkin' about the house we was to live in Rrter we was married? I'd heerd all that afore knowed lt didn't mean nothin'. ] knowed Mart was a-watchin' Der and had hs spies out on her and she wouldn't get far afore he'd stop her"
 Does she fear himI"