The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-12-08
A Bone Of
Contention
Il Came Between a Pair
of Lovers.
By CLARISSA MACKIE

and connected two villages. Harbor-
head folk called It "the red bridge"
while Portside people grimly referred
to 1t as "the white bridge" AS mat
ter of fact, 1t had never been painted
at all, and now, after two years ex-
posture to wind and weather. the new
wood had taken on soft gray tints that
blended with the silver tide that ebbed
and flowed between the piles.
Although Harborhead and Portside
were connected by the new bridge and
the vehicles of both villages rumbled
to and fro over the planks the inhab-
itants were widely separated by a
growing bitterness.
Parson Lane of Portside had pound
ed the pulpit vigorously over the mat
ter "Pots of paint! Pots OF paintP'
he exclaimed one memorable Sunday.
"Have my people drowned their souls
In pots of paint? The good Lord made
1t possible for these villages to be unit
ed by a beautiful bridge, and you
wrangle over the painting of 1t as II
the color mattered. Brethren, see that
your souls are as white as you would
have the bridge painted. Let not the
red smirch of anger sully Its purity!
After that sermon the bitterness was
intensified. The Harborhead people
who weekly crossed the bridge to at
tend Parson Lanes church fluttered
homeward to spread the good mans
words far and wide, with most unhap,
by results.
Noah Wade and Almira Turner were
to be married in June Three times a
week Noah crossed the bridge to Har-
borhead to see his sweetheart. They
had never discussed the bridge matter,
because they had been too happy to
talk about anything except their own
wonderful affairs.
The Tuesday after Parson Lanes
sermon Almira waited at the front
gate for Noah. She could see him
stepping quickly across the bridge.
tall, erect, with his head poised high.
All the Wades were proud. The girls
blue eyes did not soften at her lovers
approach. A new expression came
into them.
waiting for meT" smiled Noah, TAX
ing the hat from his brown hair and
covering Almira's little hand with his
own sunburned fingers.
She drew her hand quietly from be-
meath his touch. "Yes." she said grave
ly. Come with me, Noah. have
something to say to you. Let us go to
the orchard"
what Is the matter? Are you in
trouble? Has anything happened?"
demanded Noah anxiously. falling into
step beside her.
Almira shook her head. In silence
they went across the grass to the or
chard and paused In the shade or the
gnarled old apple trees.
"What is the matter. Almira?" re-
peated Noah at last.
II can't marry you. Noah" replied
Almira quietly.
"W'hy not?" Noah spoke gruffiy
He was angry at Almira's strange
manner, at the GOODNESS In her voice
and her sudden aloofness.
She looked at the distant sails with
steadfast eyes. "Father says / shan't
marry any one from over the white
bridge and I don't know that I want
to-"
PERSONALLY don't care rap what
color the bridge is" retOrted Noah
give crossed 1t for two years to see
you, Almira, and now at this late day
you suddenly drop me and say it's be-
cause live over the bridge-a fiimsy
excuse. Why don't you say outright
that you don't care for me and never
did?" His face was growing winter
and the hand pressed against the tree
trunk was clinched until the knuckles
were livid.
Suddenly Noah swung away from
the tree and without one backward
glance tramped across the grass, leap
ed the fence into a winding lane and
disappeared along the shore road.
After that 1t became known that Al
mira's wedding garments were care
fully laid away out of sight and Noah
Wade no longer crossed the bridge
three times a week
Then followed a summer unprece-
dented for its lack Of rain. Weeks
followed days. and months followed
weeks, while the sun poured relent-
lessly down on the sister towns and
burned the vegetation to crisp brown
ness. Only the salt grass that was
wet by the tides remained green.
Crops died in the baked earth.
September came, fiercely hot. One
breathless evening Almira Turner
walked istlessly along the bridge. II
was said that whatever breeze there
might be would be felt on the long
wooden structure that united the two
villages, yet in its way formed bar
rier between many hearts
Others were walking on the bridge.
but 1t was noticeable that Portside
folks walked only as far as the middle
of the bridge and then retraced their
steps. Harborhead people did the
same thing at their end, so there was
no passing over the bridge save by
those who had business to attend to-