The Hattiesburg news., 1915-11-09
THE CLOSED ROAD
BY KEITH KENYON.


t'nct idea OF where to go, but as he
passed to the elevator and looked at
the door of the Office that used to be
Jane Tenny's he decided on a trip to
Ptney Roads Jane Tenny had been
a public stenographer, but when
things had grown dull in Wall street
she had given up her business ven.
ture and moved Off to Piney Roads
to seek her fortune in chickens and
fruit farming.
1t was a six o'clock Saturday eve.
ming and Bert decided that his first
stop would be at the Piney Roads ho-
tel.
IT'S neatly kept little place."
thought Bert, as he surveyed the SYM
metrical rows of hollyhocks on either
side of the path, although it doesn't
seem very large"
Then he sounded his horn for some
one to come and take his car, but no
one seemed to be stirring and there
was no sign of garage. He sounded
long and impatiently until at last
from behind the house appeared an
old man in overalls. t-i3
There amt any garage round
here" drawled the man. You'll have
to take your machine down to the
crossing
Where is the proprietor" Bert
was getting impatient and, as the old
man seemed not to understand, he
added, "the man who keeps the place,
I mean."
"Oh, now understand" drawled
the old man, chuckling. 1T amt a
man-it's a lady. She was back in
the orchard picking cherries, and she
said she had just stepped in to tidy
up bit and would be out soon. Here
she is"
When Bert caught sight of a pink
dress and then he recognized Jane
Jane, whose interesting, pale face had
grown positively pretty since her so
Journ in the country.
And how unembarrassed and cordial
she was! She really seemed to be
glad to see him
From the garden could see 1t was
you," she said, "and Just had to take
on my sunbonnet. I don't want you
to make fun of my farming"
There followed few explanations
mo, I am not the proprietor Of
the hotel" Jane assured him. There
must be some mistake in the road
book. In fact, you are the third
tourist today who has come here with
that idea. And you really came al
the way up here to see me? WHY
didn't you let me know?"
Just then another car pulled int
that driveway, a car or French built
that made Bert's modest roadster lool
insignificant.
| Il say" called one of it's two occu
pants to the farmer, who was jus
making his way back to the orchard
where is the garage of this estab
lishment? Well drive right in ant
you have the proprietor ready to Sc,
us when we get back here. We'v,
only twenty minutes for dinner"
That's the way it's been all tn,
afternoon" said Jane, when she hat
explained to the distinguished-lo -lookin,
tourists that her modest little hous,
made no pretentions at being hos
telry.
That's a great disappointment
said one Of the men. ut promised tt
be something out of the ordinary il
the way of inns. When l saw 1t
felt certain you'd give us dinner
worth eating. What? Back one road
Thank you.''
When Bert returned to the verand;
from his room, Jane had solved tn,
mystery.
I've been looking at your road bcol
and 1t says that the way to get t,
the inn is to turn at the second roat
after you leave the pike. Well, tn,
county has just closed up the frs
road and put a row of poplars acros
1t. That accounts for the confusion
1t was not until after James de
lightful little supper, served on tn,
open veranda, that she showed he
guest over the place, the orchards an,
the berry patches, the poultry var,
and the neatly kept truck garden.
But the worst of 1t all is," sh
SohiSoSCu utiCtuliy, IL uOtSll
pay any better than Wall street"
Jane, I've Just had an inspiration,
he said, very solemnly. You say tina
you want to make some money. Why
this very afternoon you have had
chance to make more money thai
we've been making in Wall street 70
a week, or that you can get from you
farm fer many day. The inn dow
the road is no good, am told, an,
the owner doesn't care whether b
has any patrons or not. There ar
dozens of motorists along here ever
day who would stop for dinner o
luncheon if they knew you had geo
things to eat This road catches Al
unusually high-class traffic. Thin
about it, and in the meantime don
write to the road book people t
change the directions"
> IT'S tco much of an undertaken
, for a woman alone. II had man t