La Junta tribune., 1914-02-28
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CALLED ON 4 MAN
~ y. N. EoseRr.

80 N"N~N
Lillian looked up gravely Il
heard II too" she said
IL must be ~ years since he vas
In Port Smith" continued Miss Simp-
son And he hasn't showed bis face
among the neiGhbors yet Weren I
you and he sort Of"
Engaged" asked Lillian. conscious
OF her heightened color "Yes---once.
Dear me. Who would ever think Of
you as having been engaged. my
dear'" soiiloquized the visitor. That
isl mean. OF course. you and l seem
TO be- such settled creatures
That ~as = bitter word but II vas
home in the little New England town
had Just half the opportunity OF being
married that those had who went
away. That Was q matter OF statistics
There were twice as many women as
men In Port Smith. And Lillian had
stayed at home.
Her sister Anna had gone to the
city to be a stenoKrApher and had
married a rich lumber merchant She
wrote from time to time. but never
came back Her other sister. Marian.
had become = hospital nurse and mar.
ried rising young doctor Lillian
vas thirty-three. She had stayed at
home becaus. she vas the eldest. and
somebody had TO car. for her mother.
Caleb Trevethan had been the only
son OF old Hiram Tr.vethan. who own
ed he homestead at the top of Maple
had Jeff Port Smith. AS all the young
men did. and. like all. had left his
sweetheart behind. promising to re
turn.
Lillian could remember that last
night as vi,idly as II IL had been yes
terdAy
4 shall come back for you. dear. &c
he had said. And | shall write 10
YOU every week. or oftener. Promise
me that you will Wal, for me till then. ="
TIL when7" asked the girl. feeling
utterly lonely and desolate
Three years" said Caleb. clenchinE
his fists TO emphasize his words. In
three years time | shall come back
and tax. you away with me. Promise
me, dear"
Lillian promised. Then she did some
thing that sh. had never done before !.
she raised her lips to his And the
night air became suddenly fragrant.
and her heart sweiled with happiness
50 Caleb went away. and for two
whole moaths bis letters came. He
VAS doing veil he said: he had . 20.
s!tion with . big mill II might be
less than three years
Then the letterx came less often and
grew morn formal And At last they
ceased
Lillian lived on with her sick moth.
sr. until her death. = year before Her
ststafS len. one after the other. aaj
married Lillian heard OF Caleb q
umes. He had become . partner st
the age Of thirty. Thee the big COO.
solidatioo had come and be vas q
power Ia Wall ssreet bsfore be yla
thirty Thea. only siI noaths
before. she had read the news OF his
sasasemeaI She vas amazed to asl
herself 20 little moved
The past had become obscure. and
half forsotten. The girl Who had
loved 20 psssioaafeiy ~as no, she but
somebody Of whom she thought With
. sistfui. kindly smile
And Caleb had bees three days II
the old homestead he vss alone. - "
for the o,e hoasstsspss He haA ses
brought Ais car. but had valks1 W
froa the ststioa at sisht. like aay
traveller. Ne osss have passsA hss
hovss
Lillian. what DO you think. e.
claimed Niss 6inpsoa Oh the folio siaG
day. Have you seen iodt " papess
No: Well. Caleb Trsvsthas 10 q
bankrupt. Hs hAA to rus away frea
Sew York They're talking OF prose
cutting him. And he's hidias 10 BIZ
house because bs dossat care face
The people wAo useA TO knov him
"And-snd his Wife" asked Lillian.
timidly.
I guess she's not the kind that
would stand by him When bee io tros.
bic. answered Miss Simpsos. Though
nov | come TO think Of II. whom did
he marry"
Lillian did not know ~hat she An.
s~ered. Caleb returning. 70 resisi,
his home. ~as one thins but Caleb 10
trousle' That vas quit~ dia-FsaI TO
her smassmeat she found that all the
old feelings had cone rushing back -
II the thirteen years had never
elapsed.
She put on her hat and stsrssd up
the street On every porch women
were roekins In the cool Of the aftss.
noon. watching the passsssby. Oss
hailed her.
"Coos u. Miss Darrell" shs sasl.
"You look - u yos we're o. a. o..
rand. though"
Yea" answered Lillian. In sosas