The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-11-25
THE N r
IN sH1NBoNE ALLEY.
Copyright. 1913. By ". wer.s.,.

Annie orne stood in the doorway of
her house early o II a summer morn
ing and looked out toward the sea.
where fishermen were hauling UP
their nets heavy with Holsters. y beau
tiful day was coming. but Annie felt
no joy in ii. She knew that il would
be as dreary as all the other days
OF her life.
She had had too many days of that
kind lo longer believe that any could
be different. Long she had fel,
hope. The whole keynote OF her life
calm as the sea itself. Her eyes. in
deed. were its true color. her hair
was gray and heavy, her oval face
lightly tanned BY sea wind and sun.
She had a figure which had never
got orer its sirlishness. She a
BLU cotton frock: with white rufles
at her throat and wrists and a little
white ruft!ed apron Her small brown
hands were clasped before her. They
had a look OF icy having beer
much used.
The house behind Annie was beaten
sray by the storms and suns of more
than TWO centuries. 1t had three
hooks and phioN that grew on the hi,
OF land before it We're offsprings of
the same flowers which had beer
planted by the hands of her great.
sreat-grandmother. From this house
her father had gone forth To sea and
had not returned. following in the
way Of his father and fathers father.
Here she had been born and had lived
all her days: here she expected to
die: She knew nothing outside Of it.
Those old fishermen. those old cap.
tains Of fleets. had left her an inheri-
lance which was more than ample
for all her needs; They had left her
too. Il strain Of blood that lifted her
he i'eighoors. Annie Orne was
the ~aristecrat of Shinbone Alley. and
all the people who lived in the other
old houses respected her as such.
IheS' did not expect her to mingle
with them. She did not desire closer
fellowship with them than she had.
sometimes that loneliness pressed toe
! heavily.
Il shall water my flowers" she
thought this morning. and buy my
few vegetables. perhaps a fish from,
some fisherman. I shall cook my
food and eat it. shall read a little
n sew q little and sit a good deal
dong nothing. And after a very long
time it will be time to put IL the
and dream till another day."
to the room within. 1t held a few
chairs. a thin, shining table, rag rugs,
and on the wall was a great oil paint
ing OF an oval faced mar whose chin
was held up Try a tightly wound
stock. The eyes Of the paintins
seemed to observe Annie closely as
sue crossed the room. She was con-
scious but unafraid of that regard.
She had Just taken up a bit of work
from the shining table when she heard
an unusua sound in the narrow
sandy street outside. She knew. OF
course what it was. for automobiles
portion of the town. 1t stopped
abruptly. there was a silence, then q
knock beside tho door.
surprised, but not startled, Annie
vent back to the door. Her glance
went first to the dusty automobile
matted beyond her hollyhocks then tc
the nearer object-a distinctly boyish
looking young fellow who had 10
smile far down OF her from his Joy
Gus gray Eyes.
Good morning!" he cried. care
you the lady Of this house"
Annie smiled back instinctively, 81
"vsryold house. isn't it?" II.
danced up attthe ancient caves. All
the houses in this town look old j
IKE old houses. I am looking for one
IN particular. Maybe YOU could tell
me ne way to it. I'm not exactly
iost. nut when / saw your door was
open thought l might as we'll in.
cure. I've turned ninety.seven cor.
ners SO far and l haven't found shin.
bone Alley on any street sign vet"
And you won't" Annie said. sill,
smiling. This is Shinbone Alley. II
is properly called Orne street :, "