The Press., 1915-03-17
MARTHENA'S DUTY Ii Did Not Prove to Be a
 Sacrifice
By cLARissA MAcKIR

Marthena Judd locked the school house door with little sigh of relic
 and walked slowly down the villag'
 street toward home.
 There came a chatter of hoofs on thu
 road. and Lionel Forbes rode gallantl!
 around the bend and pulled his biz
 black horse to a standstill beside Mar
 thena.
 "How do you do, Miss Judd?' h' asked. smiling down at her from hi:
 brown eyes.
 Marthena's eyes were dazzled b!
 Lionel Forbes and his too eviden
 beauty. The sudden interest of Shar
 on's richest young man in the humble
 schoolteacher was flattering. Marthens
 Judd was pretty in pale. delicate 1 way, but one always thought that sh'
 gave promise of greater beauty whel
 she could have rest from teaching
 the robust youngsters of the villag' | school.
 1 While Marthena smiled and blushet l under the bold glance of Lione
 Forbes. Miss Myra Finney, who kept
 the postoffice. peered from an unob
 structed corner of the window and
 made comments to her sister Susan.
 If I had child in Marthena Judd'i school I would put my foot down about one thing!" said Myra after slowly on.
 What's that?' asked Susan lazily.
 "I'd put a stop to her Irritation with Lionel Forbes. It sets very bad ex- ample to the children. Why. Susan. she's all took up with him sos she's forgotten to come for her mail. and here's a letter from her brother Henry way out in Wyoming. He don't write very often. I wonder If there Is any thing the matter"
 "Marthena writes to him every Sun day" remarked Susan. Let me see Henry lost his wife. didn't he?''
 
 Marthena blushed and then paled when she read her brothers letter.
 Dear Marthena-I am wondering if you can't take pity on me and come out here and keep house for me. You needn't do any real hard work; Lee Sing, the China man, does that, but 1t does need wo- mans hand out here. and I'm plain lone some for you. It was different when Ida was alive. but you know how 1t fig. I'll pay you what you get for teaching the Sharon kids. and you'll have a horse to ride and anything else in reason that you want. Do come. Send me a telegram and I'll meet you at Bitter Tree whenever you say. Your loving brother, HENRY.
 Marthena's face paled as she read the letter. It was so plainly her duty to go to poor Henry, but her dawnlng love for Lionef Forbes held her back. If she went away now his too fickle heart would seek another. Yet. know ing this. she yearned after him. He had opened the rosy doors of romance to Marthena Judd. He would forget her if she went. And yet it was her duty to go to her brother.
 She would let Aunt Hepsey decide. Aunt Hepsey was large, capable wO- man who ruled her family of grown sons and daughters with an iron hand. She had spared a small gabled room for Marthena Judd, her orphaned niece. and Marthena's board money paid for music lessons for the three girls.
 Aunt Hepsey read the letter and then settled her gold framed spectacles on her nose.
 "Marthena. it's your plain duty to go to Henry" she said. He's doing splendidly out there on the ranch. He's getting rich, so Larry Barnes wrote to George. You know Larry went out there, and Henry gave him work on the ranch. Seems Larrys a foreman or something out there. s'pose you've forgotten all about Larry Barnes now that Lionel Forbes is sweet on you; but, Marthena, you can't place any de Dendence on Lionel. He's a butterfly. always running after some pretty girl. lnd-now, don't get mad-you asked my advice and'-
 Aunt Hepsey looked after Marthe na's flying form with disapproval in Ter eyes.
 Don't it beat all," she asked of the rice and then fly all to pieces if it lon't suit their idees?"
 It was a heavy hearted Marthena who packed her trunks and bade fare we'll to the little Maine village where he had lived all her days.
 The train left Sharon and the old fife far behind. While the ache of parting was still in Marthena's throat he novelty of travel interested and 'omforted her. Five days later Mar hena entered upon the rolling prairie and that to her eastern eyes seemed ike a dust colored sea bounded by he purple hills rising and melting way against the horizon as they ped on. At Bitter Tree her trunks were Jumped out on the platform. and the rain went on into the golden glory of | he sunset, while Marthena stood there | ceiling strangely small and forlorn | lntil Henry's big voice and Henry's | trong arms greeted her.
 She looked at him with wondering | yes. Henry Judd had gone forth | rom Sharon village a tall. lanky New Inglander dressed in i'll fitting store | lothes. The man before her was big | nd stout. and his cowboy hat and , hirt and his corduroy trousers tucked nto high heeled boots gave him the ,ok of stranger. But the old merry ,ok was in his eyes as he put his lit e sister into the blackboard and took is seat beside her.
 Hold on to your hair, sis," he ad- ised. "These bronchos are walking n their hind legs today"
 Marthena Judd never forgot that 7ild ride across the prairie. The po- ies actually paved the air as they tarted forth, and then in 8 spirit of ecklessness they galloped madly for niles and miles, while Marthena held CT breath and Henry laughed as he ut one arm around her and drove the onies with the other hand.
 "Homew cried Henry as he turned T between two rall posts and with
 last chatter of hoofs and scatter lg of sand and gravel the ponies tOpnod af tha broad roroh cF o vloao i