The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-06-23

Oh" SAID JOANNA Imply. IT'S your
or food. Joanna also took long walks.
sometimes with the other guests at
the hotel. more often alone. Doubt
less In the opportunities for reflection
thus afforded her she was reaching
conclusions concerning her future.
A few weeks later Joanna was walk
ing with quick. nervous. determined
steps through the wood behind the
hotel. AS she swung into the path
toward the camp of the man Friday
she flushed to her temples. She kept
repeating TO herself what woman on
the piazza had said last night-"the
sort Of young person who picks up ac
quaintances in haphaZard style"
She walked on bravely and directly.
She had never gone unaccompanied
beyond the crossroads since the first
day. He had always met her, by a
happy chance. somewhere on the hills.
He looked up at the sound Of her ap-
prOach and sprang to his feet. to come
hastily and happily toward her.
You said yesterday that you would
not come out with me today" he cried.
"or should have been lurking about
In the woods
81 know. But I've come"
She spoke heavily and paused. Then
she hurried on quickly.
i've just come to my senses" she
said. Twelve been crazy-this last
month-crazy with freedom and OBJ
stinacy.
you've been the most
mo, no. Don't stop me. want to
say 1t all and go away. I've acted
the way l have. I've picnicked with
you. fished with you. tramped with
you. a stranger, out of bravado and
WAS 1t nothing but bravado?" ask
ed the man Friday. very pale himself
now.
'Oh, yes! The sweetness of 1t. the
beauty Of i'll can't say what l mean.
but it was like dewy mornings. Oh.
I've liked it. I've liked 1t very much.
and it never seemed to me for min
ute horrid and common and vulgar.
But last night began to see how you
must think Of 1t. Of me-
Have | done anything to make you
believe. that | thought anything I'M
worthy of"-he hesitated and looked
at her, then looked around him-"of
this?"
mo. no. But you might some time
come to think Of me as
What l think of you now shall
think Of you always. And that Is this
oh. child. don't you know! That you
<w. the one woman for me-the one
w man? If you reproach yourself for
~-ir meetings am TO blame. ! should
have told you who / was. should have
gone to that gossiping old hostelry Of
VOWS and met you with all the rites
no. hang II. should not have done
anything of the sort! Why should |
have spoiled an idyl? | didn't want
YOU to know who I was at first IL
makes an immediate difference In peo-
pies attitudes to learn that one is
clergyman. wanted to be just fell
low human for awhile-5ust man.
What is the matter. child, my dearT
For Joanna, after one wild look at
him, had burst into hysterical laugh
Ii ended i'm a sob. smothered on his
shoulder.
"Ycs"-tbe Rev. Elijah spoke to a
rongratulatory caller with a certain
pompous placidity-"yes. Joanna is to
leave us. or course you have heard OF
DR.. Graham's work In New York?
They tell me that his city missionary
program is the finest one there. He Is
young to be rector of so important n
church as St Jude's OH the avenue.
OF course"-and the Rev. Elijah sigh
ed--"we could have wished that he
was of our own denomination, but the
affections cannot be coerced, you
know And Joanna's life work as his
wife will he very earnest one. None
of our children. we are humbly proud
to say. has failed to find a useful, Sc
rious mission I'm the world"