The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-04-21

| sleep. For while the little mission
| AIRY girl held his thoughts. He was
| filled with wonder, not at her, but at
| himself. For once in his life he had
not been flippant before grave things.
| From the girl his thoughts turned to
| AliX. He could have cabled to her
about Gerry from Pernambuco, but he
| had not done so. The note that he was
| carrying for Gerry was light-only a
half-sheet, probably. The lightness of
| it told Alan that the things Gerry had
to say TO his wife could not be put on
paper. Alan had almost cabled Now
| he was glad he had not done so.
| ''Alix," he said to himself, 'isn't wait
| ing, she's trusting. A cable would
| have heightened waiting by a month"
Then. without volition, his mind
wandered from Alix and raced ahead
| to the, goal of his journey. What was
the goal of his journey? Whittier was
| he bound? He reached for Clem's let
| ter and held 1t in folded hands. He
had no need to read it again. The
words We're nothing: the picture was
all. 1t stretched before his mind,
| living canvas.
Once when Alan was wandering
with an Englishman in the hills above
Granada, a faint odor had brought
| them to a sudden halt 1t was the
Englishman who made the surprising
| discovery first, "Blackberries by
| Jove" he had exclaimed Good old
| blackberries." And then they two had
stood together, yet half a world apart,
and stared at +he berry-laden bush.
What vision of tangled, high-walled
garden burst upon the Englishman
Alan never knew, but to himself had
| come a memory of East mountain in
| autumn, so clear. so poignant, that it
had brought his throbbing heart into
his throat.
1t was so now with Clem's letter.
The words were but 4 hurried daub.
but they touched his eyes with magic
wand. The daub became scene,
picture. a world-his world.
Red Hill was spread out before him,
| a texture where the threads and colors
| of life were blended into carpet soft
| but enduring. Men walked and little
children played on it, Alan closed his
eyes and sighed. What had he been
doing with life? Making sacking?
| Sacking was commercial. 1t paid In
cash. 1t was the national industry.
But what could one do with sacking on
Red Hill?
Then, almost suddenly, the full spirit
| of CIem's letter seized him. One did
To
| one of its children Red Hill was the
source of all gifts-the source of life.
| On that thought he slept.
When he was back once more in his
rooms, before Swithson had had time
| to open bag, Alan re-directed Gerry's
| note to Alix to Red Hill and sent
| Swithson out to post it. He did not
| try to temper the shock of the note
| with a covering letter. He was. too
| weak and tired. Besides, he felt that
| the note carried its own antidote to
joy.
The next morning q message came
| by hand to Alan's rooms. Alix nao
come to town and wished to see him at
once. Would he please come aroundf
| He replied that he was too i'll. Hait
an hour later Swithson answered
ring at the door and Alix slipped
| quickly past him into Alan's sitting
| room. There was a flush Of anger In
her cheeks, but Alan was pleased to
| see no trace of tears in her eyes. a
| woman's crying always touched MIN
| on the raw and seldom awakened MS
pity. -
At sight Of him Alix forgot her con-
Germ for herself why, Alan? she
cried, what is the matter?"
Alan laughed. There was pleasant
| note in his laugh she had never heard
| before. I'm all right, Alix. Don't
make any mistake I'm a resurrection
| in the bud. Doing fine. / don't have
| to ask how you are. You're Wen.
You're looking just as we'll as little
slip like you can ever look. Sit down,
| do"
| Alix' thoughts went back to herself
| and Immediately the flame burned
! again in her cheeks. She pulled Ger
| rvs crumpled note from her glove and
| tossed it open on the table before Alan.
| He read the two or three lines in
which Gerry told her he would arrive
| shortly. The brief note was intention
| ally colorless. Well?' he asked
AK turned flashing eyes on him.
| well? Is that all you have to say2
Alan, it is not well. I've come here
| because you must tell me-somebody
must tell me-now-all the things that
| that note hides behind its wonderfully
| blank, weazened, little, hypocriticai