The Ozark spectator., 1917-02-14
DORCAs' DAY LILIES
By ISABEL FROST.

tSS$S$S$S$SSsSsSstSsSS sSSSSSSSsSSSSSStSSS~ A large tub, half-sunken in the earth, with myrtle and wandering Jew rambling over it, stood out In the front garden. Spider lilies and nasturtiums grew in their season around it, 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 were the asphodels of the gar dens of heaven, and surely their per fume confirmed it. It seemed the es- sence of all the lilies.
 It made her think of all the things she had ever longed for and missed. all the little ungratified hopes of her girlhood. It 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-dve 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 WimbledonT he called. "Cary's sold his farm and he's going West"
 Dorcas bent her head over the tub of lilies.
 I'm so glad for him." she said. He's always wanted to get away, ever | since he was 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 lifetime of houseworiS right over there? Don't you suppose I'm tired of looking out at this valley every day of the year. | Cary Roberts? 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 it 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 up to the house she was in the | kitchen, and Luke, after one glance at the half-set table, grumbled. She heard him go outdoors again, but paid no attention until she went to the door to call him, 15 minutes later. He hao been cutting out some dead canes from the bushes along the side of the walk and pulling up dried flower stems, But all Dorcas saw was an emptfed tub tossed over the paling fence and scattered earth with some day lilies on the ground.
 "Why-Luke-"s she faltered. What are you doing to my lilies?"
 T 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 dim ner. Yet it seemed to typify every thing, all the years of crushed TO- nance and sentiment. and the lack of them in her brothers nature. She turned without a word, and went back 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. It wasn't too late. She packed rapid ly, dragging down an old-fashioned. round-topped trunk out of the attic, and filling it with her best things. She would go away, too.
 Suddenly she heard knock at the side door. Hoping 1t was no woman neighbor, she ran down the front stairs lightly. and found Cary stand ing there.
 | Hello, Dorcas," he said, with . boyish ring in his tone. "Heard the news. ain't you? I've sold out, ana I've come for you. Took long time to do 1t, but I'm here."
 'Why. Cary 'Robertsi" Dorcas said. biting her under lip and backing away from him. After all these yearsy'
 "It ain't too late, Is 1t? I had to stick to my price, and I've got 1t, three thousand. seven in cash, Dorcas! And I've got some put by in the bank, be- sides what the stock will bsing You ain't going to stand hack now. and m no, are your" x| Cary" her voice was full Of dotoG imitation now. She gave swift slan at the sun just dipping to the We6 '.Luke's been real small to me todo and didn't give him any rea1 either. I've lived here and 3done
 him for years and all I've had IT