The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-01
A Bone of
Contention
Il Came Between q Pair
Of Lovers.
By CLARISSA MACKlE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
II stretched across the salt marsh
and connected two villages. Harbor-
head folk called 1t "the red bridge"
while Portside people grimly referred
to It as 'the white bridge" As a 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 paintl Pots Of paintw
he exclaimed one memorable Sunday.
slave my people drowned their souls
In pots of paint? The good Lord made
It possible for these villages to be unit
ed by 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 purityr'
After that sermon the bitterness was
intensified. The Harborhead people
who weekly crossed the bridge to at
tend Parson Lanes church futtered
honeward to spread the good mans
words far and wide, with most unhap-
Ply 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
somethingYto say to you. Let us go to
the orchard"
"What is the matter2 Are you in
trouble? 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. Almira?" re
peated Noah at last
II can't marry you, Noah" replied
Almira quietly.
"Why not?" Noah spoke gruffly
He was angry at Almira's strange
manner, at the GOODNESS in her voic,
and her sudden aloofness.
She looked at the distant sails will
steadfast eyes. "Father says l shan
marry any one from over the whit,
bridge and I don't know that I wan
to-"
PERSONALLY l don't care a rap wha
color the bridge is" retorted Noah
"I've crossed it for two years to Sc,
you, Almira, and now at this late da.
you suddenly drop me and say it's be
cause I live over the bridge-a films,
excuse. Why don't you say outrigh
that you don't care for me and neve
did," His face was growing whittier
and the hand pressed against the ire
trunk was clinched until the knuckle
were livid.
Suddenly Noah swung away iron
the tree and without one backwar,
glance tramped across the grass, leap
ed the fence into winding lane an,
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 Noal
Wade no longer crossed the bridg
three times week.
Then followed a summer unprect
dented for its lack of rain. Week
followed days, and months followe
weeks, while the sun poured relen
lessly down on the sister towns an
burned the vegetation to crisp brown
ness. Only the salt grass that wa
wet by the tides remained gree
Crops died in the baked earth.
September came. fiercely hot Oh
breathless evening Almira Turn,
walked listlessly along the bridge.
was said that whatever breeze the
might be would be felt on the lor
wooden structure that united the tv
villages, yet in its way formed ba
rier between many hearts