Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1917-10-13
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
.BY THE HILL ROAD.

BY JEAN STUART.


J.. edge Of the road had been parted. Sh
!. saw that man was looking out of tn,
I tangle.
81 beg your pardon, II have dis
turbed you" he said courteously. re
moving his hat. "But used TO be fa
miliar with-with this-some year.
ago, and I am trying TO recall thi'
place. II is so much changed that
can hardly realize 1t is the same"
The young woman followed the di
rectiOn of his eyes. He was looking al
disordered heap that had once beer
a chimney, and at overthrown and rot
ting blocks Of wood that had once beer
the pillars Of house.
''Time seems TO have made many
changes here" she said quietly, without
any embarrassment. He looked around
again, with lingering glance, and sat
down on the other end Of the log.
'This is the remains of the house in
which I was born" he said thought
fully, after a silence. at has been a
long time since I saw It. Right about
over there was my room. There was n
rose vine over the windOw-my moth
er planted it-see-a wild branch of
II is growing yet. And that old Chin
neyl / couldn't realize that the old
house would be gone when I came
again. If you know what il means, I
believe have heartache because the
| old house has fallen down"
The girls eyes rested softly on the
decayed chimney.
81 was wondering before you came"
she acknowledged, "if those who used
to live here had forgotten all about
the old home. am merely a summer
boarder over at Farmer Gray's, and
have heard a little abOut-abOut you,
think-and Of the others"
There was q long silence before he
answered her.
81 found out early that I would 90
out and make my way in the world"
he said. 81 had hard work tine first
five years But things began to come
my way at last. l could build n beau
tiful home about this ruin If wished
and l was thinking as ! came UIt here
that'I would like to do that-but now
i am not so sure. I am afraid it
would be the lOneliest place in all the
world-haunted with ghosts. Every
thing 1 ever loved here is gone"
"You speak, perhaps. of the dogs
or is 1t the cows and horses" she
asked.
II spoke more especially" he said,
"of a tiny girl that used to call my
little sweetheart. Where is she now,
/ wonder? How the years rob US as
they gol"
The girl turned and looked at him.
"But doubtless the years gave you
far more than they took away" she
said steadily. "One finds 1t that way
In life. A man loses the baby sweet
heart he thought he loved. Beg par
don't is almost dinner time with the
Grays, and 1 must CO."
"But-wait a moment ~ he cried,
greatly perturbed, as she was going
past him, 81 asked-I asked again and
again-and when found that she was
to be an heiress-and / was a mere
drudge in a hardware house, with
grimy hands and ill-ftting clothes, did
not ask again."
She had paused, the rufled white
sunbOnnet hanging back from her face
and framing it In.
81 have no doubt you have even for
gotten how she looked" she said pres
emily.
"She had a world of golden hair" he
replied. "Her name was Elsie-and
there was a dimple In each cheek when
she laughed. Perhaps you have heard
the Grays speak Of her. They were
fond Of her once"
"Yes," she said, moving slowly to-
ward the opening in the tangled brush
wood. 'T have heard them speak OF
her. She was adopted, as you say, and
was educated, and had the world at
her feet, one might say. And yet l
heard-it seems TO me that someone
told me-she came back here not long
agO-to look at the old homeland to
cross the creek at the old place"
He had one fleeting glimpse of her
as she looked back at him from be-
tween the leaves. A flood Of rosy
color had swept over either cheek, and
in the midst of the rose was a dimple.
A look of amazed comprehension
flashed into his face-but before he
could speak she was gone.
He had always been swift of foot,
hOwever-and besides
He knew the way to Farmer Gray's,
and the way led across the little creek
at the foot of the hill.
Copyright. 1917. by w. @. Chapman.)