Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-02-22
D0SCAS' DAY LILIES
BY ISABEL FROST.

GseeSSccScsSSSeSe esSeecessesSssseeesSs<s
A large tub, half-sunken In the
earth, with myrtle and wandering Jew
rambling over IL, stood out in the front
garden. Spider lilies and nasturtiums
grew In their season around II, but In
the tub Itself were planted only day
lilies.
They bloomed late. Dorcas used
to watch and wait for them the year
round. Somewhere she had read that
they we're the asphodels of the gar
dens Of heaven. and surely their per-
fume confirmed 1t. 1t seemed the es-
sence of all the lilies.
II made her think of all the things
she had ever longed for and missed,
all the little unqualified hopes Of her
girlhood. II swept away the years Of
nursing her bed-ridden mother. then
her father, and keeping house for her
brother Luke at the old home. She
was thirty-five. now, gone BY" as the
saying was out In the country. Yet
to those who loved her Dorcas was
like one of her own fall lilies that
bloomed late and sweetest Of all In the
| garden.
She was out early one morning.
| And as she leaned over the lilies, Doc
tor Fellows buggy stopped at the gate.
"Heard the news. Miss Wimbledon
he called. "Cary's sold his farm and
he's going West"
Dorcas bent her head over the tub
of lilies.
SIN so glad for him." she said.
Hes always wanted to get away, ever
since he was a boy"
They had been sweethearts once,
back in DOrcas' girlhood. And then,
when Cary had asked her to be his
wife, she had laughed at him.
"Tie myself down to a lifetime Of
housework right over there? Don't
you suppose I'm tired of looking out
at this valley every day of the year,
Cary Roberts2 I'm going away to
study and make something Of myself.
You can stick here If you want TO,
but I'm going"
She had meant 1t, too; meant II
with the belief back In her heart that
he would never stay behind, that he
would follow her. And instead, they
had both lived on there, with her
words between them.
And now, at last, the barrier had
fallen for Cary. He had sold out, and
was going away. She saw Luke and
the hired men coming slowly down
from the hill pastures where they had
been stacking cornstalks, and realized
she was delaying dinner. When they
came IN to the house she was In the
kitchen, and Luke, after one glance
at the half-set table, grumbled. She
heard him 90 outdoors again, but paid
to call him. Is minutes later. He had
been cutting out some dead canes from
the bushes along the side of the walk
and pulling up dried flower stems.
But ali DOrcas saw was an emptied
tub tossed over the paling fence and
scattered earth with some day lilies
on the ground.
"Why-Luke-" she faltered. "What
are you doing to my liliesr"
II needed the tub" said Luke curt
ly. DINNER ready?
She knew Luke's action was due to
pure sullen spite. boyish, In a way,
because she had been late with din
ner Yet II seemed to typify every
thing. all the years of crushed ro-
nance and sentiment, and the lack
Of them in her brothers nature. She
turned without word. aud went hack
TO the kitchen. And later In the after
noon. alone in the house, she sat up
stairs In her own room that looked |
across the river, watching Cary's red |
chimneys and making up her mind.
II wasn't too late. She packed rapid
ly dragging down an Old-fashdoned,
round-topped trunk out OF tho attic.
and filling 1t with her best things. She
would go away. too.
Suddenly she heard a knock at the
side door. Hoping 1t was no woman
she ran down the front
stairs lightly. and found Cary stand
ing there.
Hello. Dorcas." he said, with a
boyish ring In his tone. Heard tho
news. amt yoag I've sold out, ana
I've come for Jon. Took long time
10 do It, but I'm here
"Why, Cary Robertsr Dorcas sasd.
9iting her under hp and backing away
from him. After all these yearsr
1T amt too late, Is IT. I had to I
stick 30 my price. and I've got Il, three
thousand, seven In cash. Dorcasi And
I've got some put by In the bank, be-
sides what the stock will bring. You
amt going TO stand back now. and say
no, are your"
Cary" her voice was full of deter
nination now. She gave a swift glance