Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-08-13
A Case Of Perseverance
By ELIZABETH GAINES wILcoxsoN

Crown mine and owner Of the little
sawmill up the creek, was stalwart
| person of easy manners and the scars
of fair fights.
Every day at the same hour he came
sauntering in and straddled the bench
not far from the sandwich board where
Mrs. Taylor was always busy slicing
bread and butter.
Her long, oddly slanting, light gray,
wise eyes gave him look of imper-
sonal friendliness as she nodded good
morning and briskly lifted two thick
sandwiches to a crockery plate and
without losing motion poured a cup
of coffee. These she placed before him.
He breakfasted leisurely. AS he ate
he talked with the cook
"D'you- know what day this is7'' he
asked one morning.
She flicked an inquiring glance at
him, drove her knife through the loaf
and repeated:
"Do.I know what day it is? Sure
It's Friday" And she smiled. She
had battling, secretive smile.
The man smiled, too, watching her
face.
"D'you know why call you Mona
Lisa" he drawled banteringly.
Friend of yours / remind you OFF,
she offered, another smile lurking in
the corners of her mouth.
you've guessed it. She had smile
like yours. 1t was ticklish PROPOSE
ton, that smile Of Mona's. You could
never tell whether it was with you or
on you. But what particular Friday is
thisT
'The day of the month? The 10th"
Correct" said the man. (Which
1Oth?"
She caught up big wooden bowl
and began piling up the sandwiches
into it with the automatic speed Of
machinery.
She shook her head at his question.
(which 10th would you say?"
1.-TWO months ago today you arrived
to open up this haven for the hungry.
That's what happened to turn the
10th into a special red letter day." he
explained
80 did"
"And 1 was your first customer" he
reminded.
$50 you were."
"And I've never learned what your
name is" he pursued.
"Now She favored him with tail
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motion of closing two slices of bread
and butter over one slice Of meat.
AFTER my saying 1t to you so often
Mrs. Harry Lane Taylor-just like
thatp'
She threw out her hands in jaunty,
spread eagle gesture and whisked
around to the stove to replenish the
fire and readjust the jars Of baking
beans.
The man smiled after her. He had
said the same thing sixty times-once
every day for sixty days.
In a minute she was back at the
sandwich board, her naturally pale
face fire flushed.
"And am going to ask you some
thing else"
Something new?" she queried and
laughed. She had frank, clear laugh
at variance with her yelled expression
and secretive smile.
"Are you a widow"
Seems to me remember you asked
me that once"
Thirty times" he corrected. tive
| reason for wanting to know"
Her long. slanting gray eyes rested
upon him for a moment while she
answered with mock seriousness:
"Have you? Well, I'll tell you how
to get out of telling If anybody asks
you if I'm widow. You just say you
don't know"
He grinned
"All right for you! I'm going to keep
on asking till you answer. I'm coming
once an hour and ask till you answer"
Nov, / call that downright perse-
cution," she protested, turning to hang
up the sandwich board.
McGehee slipped coin, the price OF
his breakfast. under his cup, swung
his feet over the bench and stood up.
"Tn be back in an hour" he prom
| ised.
| More than half an hour after he was
gone stranger entered, letting the
door blow backward and charging the
room with an icy wind.
He was ragged and dirty and gave
evidence not only Of poverty, but Of
dissipation. His hair was mixed witt
gray, and he wore a sandy mustachs
and stubble beard. If ever there was
disreputable character it was he
And yet there was about him some
thing that gave evidence of a better
past
He seemed rigid with cold and stop
ped a minute as If he needed to relax
to breathe, then slipped over the bench
hugging his hands together.
Turning with her customary alert
ness, Mrs. Taylor mechanically picked
up cup. As her eyes fell upon the
newcomer her face whitened. and shs
went taut from head to foot. She
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