The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-01-11
WHAT Could they DO?
BY ELIZABETH SHIELDS.

flowed along on one side Of II and 4
jungle of dense green banked the 9th.
er. A tumbled rail fence divided the
brook from the road. The still. sweet.
scented air was unbroken by even tho
song Of a bird. But, mingled with the
gurgling melody Of the brook. was the
sound Of a young girls sobs.
A ga%ily-colored sweater and wooden
cap hung owe 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 at the top. This road led d.
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 Roland did not
come. ;,
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
ropd, sheltered by 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 never before failed in its up
peal to Myra, but 1t did not reach her
now.
As she trudged up the hill her mind
flew 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 versed in the ways Of
woman, knowing nothing Of their in
constituencies. Roland could not know
that the next morning. Myra, after a
wretchedly wakeful night, awaked no
longer a 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 outstretched 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 and 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
world could separate her 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 a 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 al vast.
ing away before his very eyes! He
confessed that his father pointedly
ignored their approaching marriage
and with the passing of each day the
older man grew more unyielding and
sad.
We'll elope," cried Roland.
ITS the only way" assented Myra.
Thereafter so deeply absorbed were
they In their plans to run away on
the V of Thank sgiving to the little
parsonage in the village and return
married, that the complaints of Myra's
mother and the gloominess of Roland's
father affected thelp not at all. The
solace Mrs. Harvey found In telling
Mr.. Jackson about the utter lack Of
consideration daughters accorded
mothers in those days, and the com.
fort he extracted from discussions
with her on the neglectfulness Of IONS
passed entirely u%nnoticed by their
children. !
Early dusk was falling on Thanks
giving eve, when Myra, wrapped In a
long gray motor coat, with a scarf
about her head, slipped out Of the
house into the shadow Of the trees.
She stole quietly down the path, e1.
pecting to slip into the waiting ma.
chine, pick up Roland down the road
and then ride into the village. Half
way to the gate she stopped and
listened. Her mother! Her little fig.
ure rigid. a stubborn light shot into
her wide brown eyes and Myra lodged
breathlessly behind q hedge.
Two reasons suggested themselves
to Myra for her mothers appearance.
Overweight nerves was sending her
out In the dark, lonely night, or she
was on Myra's trail! Then In the still
night came the whir Of the automobile
going down the road. Myra gasped
as the sound grew fainter. Stealing
out of the shadow Of the hedge she
made her way to the gate. Then Ro-
land came to her. His eyes were
aglow with happiness.
Everything Is settled. darling" no
told her. "Werl live up yonder and
they'll live here!" i
who'll live whereof" gasped puzzled
Myra.
Your mother and dnd!" RoInnd
beamed. II just discovered them elOp.
ipv In y'C11r r,ntbo,,e bfv SOD ,rsfS