The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1916-09-29

y
you don't happen to fancy him"
"No, he isn't monster at all, Sis:
he's merely an easy-going line-Of-
least-resistance sort, and his program
for life could be filled out twenty years
in advance. But, look at the clockg
It's time to pack the tools with which
I'm to hew out my own little deS-
tiny" And Nell took the nearest
route up gtairs by way OF the back
stairway.
When she came down all ready for
the train, a maid handed her Perry
Morton's card, with this message
written on it: "Good-by, Nell. Luck
70 you. II bob up now and then
Please try to regard me as a good
omen"
When she arrived that night at her
tiny one-room-and-k -kitchenette apart
ment She found a huge box OF pink
and white roses A few moments
later, telegram was delivered to her.
1t contained this message: Omen
number one May the rose,colored
days outnumber the colorless ones two
to one. Perry
Nell worked hard During her first
months she had occasional notes from
Perry Morton, but since he had gone
out to western ranch he had sent
her but one note and it contained lit
tie more than his address. One day,
s6cR after she had taken contract
for furnishing some apartments she
was exploring about in a furniture
shop when she was effusively greeted
by a young bride from her home city
"Oh, Nell! What lovely surprise!"
exclaimed the bride. mo one would
suspect you were involved in a mys-
terry"
Mystery? Why, adelaide, what
can you mean?" asked Nell.
"tust this" said the bride, with
teasiiig smile, everybody at home
wonders about the mystery of your
going off to work and Perry Morton's
subsequent affair with Mrs. Mapes.
widow of his college pal and, lastly,
about Perry's sudden departure for
the wild west We can't figure out
where you got peeved at Perry's fond
! hess for the widow or whether he
weiit to the wilds to forget you or to
forget the widow"
"I see nothing mysterious. II
sounds Just plain silly 20 nae" laughed
Ngil. She noticed on her table a
magazine addressed to her. II was
mailed at the publishers in New
York, and. looking through it, she
found a blue pencil mark in the index
at this item Subsequent Changes OF
Program, A Story, by P. M. Ortcn."
1t was the story of young mans
awakening to his own unimportance
by hearing the girl he loved speak
lightly of him. While II told Of no
remarkable achievements attained by
the man. II showed how his mental
attitude toward life had undergone
such a change that life must hence
forth mean something deep to him.
All the next day Nell had that
story in her mind, and hundred
times she wondered whether the name
"P. NJ. Orton" was a contraction of
! Perry Morton's name, or merely a CO.
! Incidence, but as often she put the
thought from her and tried to be in
different about it, When she reached
home that evening she found tele-
gram from Perry with only this SEN
tence: "The last omen but one, and
it will follow shortly.
Half an hour later, Perry appeared
at her door
Nell, dear" he began recklessly, as
soon as their first greeting was over,
have / bungled things? But ! want
ed to know, and / couldn't tell you
that day l overheard you tell your
sister was all easy-going, line-of-least-
resistance product of my environment,
whose life program had all been
printed in advance, and so on"
"Oh, Perry, please don't" began
Nell.
"Oh, yes, Nell that was the making
of me- Right that minute l saw my
self in new light that fairly hurt
my eyes with its clearness, and set
about face to mend my ways and
change my program. OF course,
didn't write that story, but told Mrs
Mapes about it-you know she makes
her living writing stories-and / had
her rewrite it five times before it car
ried the message l wanted it to. And,
Nell" he continued, with less sure
ness of tone, "the plans for my re-
modelled country house are in my
pocket Is there any message in your
heart that corresponds to the one !
tried to get to you through that con-
founded magazine story?"
She did not speak, but he read Sur
render" in her telltale face.