Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-01-12
A Bone of
Contention
Il Came Between q Pair
Of Lovers.
By CLARISSA MACKIE

1t stretched across the salt marsh
and connected two villages. Harbor-
head folk called 1t "the red bridge"
while Portside people grimly referred
to 1t as ''the white bridge" As a nat
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 tine new bridge and
the vehicles of both villages rumbled
to and fro over the planks, the inhab-
itants We're widely separated by
growing bitterness,
Parson Lane of Portslde had pound
ed the pulpit vigorously over the mat
ter. POTS Of paint. Pots OF paint"
he exclaimed one memorable Sunday,
"lIave my people drowned their souls
In pots of paint? The good Lord made
1t possible for these villages to be unit
ed by beautiful bridge. and yon
wrangle over the painting of Il az n
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 purityw
After that sermon the bitterness was
tntnnoNAn1 TTu,I.,,,I.NnI
who weekly crossed the bridge to at
tend Parson Lanes church nuttered
homeward TO spread the good mans
words far and wide, with most unhap
by results.
Noah Wade and Almlra Turner were
to be married in June. Three times a
week Noah crossed the bridge 10 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 md
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. l have
something to say to you. Let us go to
the orchard"
What Is the matter? Are you in
trouble2 Has anything happenedT
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 Of the
gnarled old apple trees.
what IS the matter, Almlra2" re-
peated Noah at last.
81 can't marry you. Noah" replied
Almira quietly.
"Why notr Noah spoke grufily
He was angry Mt 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 don't know that I want
to-"
PERSONALLY don't care rap what
color the bridge is." rctorted Noah.
"Tve crossed It for two years to see
you, Almira, aud now at this late day
you suddenly drop me and sag it's be
cause live over the bridge-a himy
excuse. why don't you say outright
that you don't care for me AMI never
did," His face was growing whittier.
and the hand pressed against the tree
trunk was Clnched 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 winding lane and
disappeared along the shore road.
After that 1t became known that Al
mlra's wedding garments were care
fully laid away out Of sight and Noah
Wade no longer crossed the bridge
three times week.
Then followed summer unprece
denied 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 listlessly 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.
rler between many hearts.
Others We're walking on the bridge,
but It 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, 80 there was
no passing over the bridge save by
those who had business to attend 10
Where friendly relations were estab
lished between families IN the warning
villages 1t was considered most AMIGA