The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-07-02
WHAT COULD
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It was Just . country road. dusty
and crooked. 4 tiny brook laxils
flowed along on n side of 1t 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 the
song Of q bird. But, mingled with the
gurglins melody Qf the brook. was the
sound Of a young girls sobs.
A ~gaily-colored sweater and wooleD
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 bead 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 H~arvey,aad 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 hsr 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 rs 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 fa1ieA In iss kp
peal to Myra. but It did Dst reach her
now.
As she trudged up the hiil 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. Tho
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
consistencies, Roland could not know
that the next morning, Myra, after q
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
by confidence in her love for him. So.
with the beginning Of the love of Rc'
land and Myra. began the days Of son
row and much confusion for Roland's
father and Myra's mother.
Mrs. Harvey went about with quiw
enng 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 was 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. #
"We1l elope," cried Roland.
"It's the only way" ~assented Myra.
Thereafter so deeply absorbed were
they in their plans to run away on
the eve Of Thanksgiving 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 them 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 CON.
fort he extracted from discussions
with her on the neglectfulness Of sons
passed entirely unnoticed by theis
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, ex'
pecting to slip into the waiting mo-
chine, pick up Roland down the road
and then ride into the village. Halt
way to the gate she stopped and
listened. Her motherl Her little fg.
ure rigid. a stubborn light shot into
her Wide brown eyes and Myra lodged
breathiessly behind a 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 traill T"en 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 hsr. His eyes were