The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-03-10
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we9 JUDI = COuuury EUd0, dusty
and crooked. A tiny brook lazily
aowed along on ~ side Of II and Q
jdngle OF dense green banked the 9th.
81. "A tumhled RAN fence divided the
brook from the road. The still. sweet.
scented air was unbroken by even the
song Of q bird. Fsut. mingled with tho
gursiins melody Of the brook. was the
sound Of q young girls sobs.
4 saily-colored sweater and wooden
cap hung over the rail fence. A girl.
slender and pretty. leaned YEARLY
against the fence.
Wiping the tears away, with eyes
bright and little head high. she turned
toward the hill. Painting and breath
less she hurried on to the little white
house ct the top. This road led dl.
rectly from the little house occupied
BY Roland Jackson and his father. ON
the hilltop, to the small country estate
Of Mrs. Harris Harvey and her daugh-
ter. Myra.
Each morning for three days Myra
had waited, at the bend Of the road,
where the brook formed in miniature
falls, for Roland Jackson to come
down the hillside. But Rolapd did pot
come. M
When Myra and her mother rented
the house in the farming section OF
Essex. they expected to remain only
till late In September. But the red and
golden days of October came and
passed and they still fingered In the
large. old house far back from the
road, sheltered by avenues of tall tulip
trees. With Roland as guide and
teacher, Myra found a Joy and beauty
In nature Of which she had only been
vaguely aware before. The call Of the
city had v before failed in its ap.
peal to Myra, but 1t did not reach her
now.
As she trudged up the hill her mind
few to the events Of her stay in the
country, and she went white as she
recalled and reviewed the last morn.
Ing she had spent with Roland. The
habits Of a lifetime In the city had
swayed her completely that morning,
when Roland asked her to share his
little hut on the hilltop. She had
weighed the man by the --LATEST Of
standards.
Not being yersed In the ways Of
woman, knowing nothing Of their In.
cOnsistencies, Roland could not know
that the next morning, Myra, after q
~wretchedly wakeful night, awaked MOI
longer q laughing girl, but a woman;
with a woman's desire for her man.
After waiting three days for Roland to
come to her, Myra went to him.
Coming out Of a patch of dense
woods. Myra turned into the lane that
led to the Jackson house. Roland saw
her through the trees and coming to-
ward her with o~utstretched arms, his
eyes smiled Into hers with simple. hap
py confidence in her love for him. So,
with the beginning Of the love Of Ro.
land land Myra, began, the days Of sor.
row and much confusion for Roland,a
father and Myra's mother.
Mrs. Harvey went about with quiv.'
ering lips and red-rimmed eyes. She !
declared that nothing in the wide 4
world could separate herr from her
only child. and In the same breath in .
formed Myra that no power under the .
heaven could induce her to settle down
to Z life in the wild farming country.
One day Roland came to Myra and
taking her in his arms whispered, in
tragic voice. that his father was vast.
Ing away before his very eyes! He
confessed that his father pointedly
their approaching MARRIAGE
and with the passing Of each day the
older man grew more unyielding and =
sad. 3
"We1l elope." cried Roland.
"It's the only way assented Myra. 81
Thereafter SO deeply absorbed were D
they In their plans to. run away on
The v Of Thanksgiving to the little
parsonage In the village and return 10
married, that the complaints Of Myra's
and the gloominess Of Roland's
'ather affected them not at all. The
'olace Mrs. Harvey found In telling Il
Ifr. Jackson about the utter lack Of
consideration daughters accorded "a
in those days, and the com! as
'ort he extracted from discussions Of
With her IN the neglectfulness Of sons to
'assed entirely unnoticed by their
.hiidren.
Early dusk was falling on Thanks.
living eve, when Myra, wrapped in q WI
ong gray motor coat, with a scarf
bout her head, slipped out Of the II
ouse into the shadow Of the trees. en-
he stole quietly down the path, ex. Ri
to slip into the waiting ma.
hine. pick up Roland down the road
nd then ride into the village. Half
'ay to the gate she stopped. and
stoned. Her motheri Her. little fg.
rigid, a stubborn light shot. into
er wide brown eyes and Myra dodgsd 10,
behind Q hedge.
Two reasons suggested themselves
Myra for her mothers appearance.
verwr0ught nerves was sending her lut
It In the dark; lonely night, or she .
as on Myra's traili Then In the still rr,
ght came the whir Of the automobile thi
ling down the road. Myra gasped div
the sound grew fainter. Stealing
It Of the shadow Of the hedge she
ade her way to the gate. Then Ro- .
nd came to her. His eyes were an,
with happiness.
Everything is settled, darling" no ers
ID her. "WeIl live up yonder and %,
ey'l live here" ~,