Catoctin clarion., 1918-07-11

A Bit &
Progress
o0
Copyright. 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa.
per Syndicate.)
BY KATHERINE BATES

The sunlight fell so hotly on the pile
Of guano bags crowding the little wharf
that the man leaning against the heap
ed-up sacks could hardly believe that
1t was May, and not July. He drew
his eyelids together and through his
lashes looked down the cleaning river
toward Norfolk three miles away. On
either side of the river truck farms
stretched away toward the pine forests
farther inland; just now the farms
were at their greenest, strawberry
fields, cabbage patches, acres of spin
ach, all in verdant strife. The river
ducked In here and there, flinging clear,
shmmerlng streams little way back
into the country. and the marshes
around these inlets gave rank, yell
low tinge to the green outlook. Now
and then pine grove not yet cleared
away led the green's to the other eX-
treme, to the dark somber hue which
had little hut name in common with
the brightness Of the wuter-graSs. The
man on the wharf sighed as he noted
these varying shades.
ut would take me to make this pay"
he said. "YeS, sir. what this here fer.
tile patch of old Virginia needs is IN
Iowa lnan--.I Archibald Jernigan could
make his pile here, but none of these
lazy Southern truckers will make
their salt"
The cool sound of the incoming tide
swishing against the wharf turned his
thoughts from the farms. There would
be shade on the other side of the guano
bags; he sprang upon them and
dropped down into the shadow,
dropped down beside Ianthe Var
brough, who lolIed In placid ease
against the bags.
"Beg pardon, MISS" said Mr.. Jerni-
gan, startled into Stammer, although
his was by no means hesltating ma
ture.
Don't mind me-" said the girl calm
ly. 81 heard you talkin' to yo'self,
but I reckon I'd let you come over II
you wanted to-"
She smiled at him with indolent In
terest and Mr.. Jernigan smiled back.
"Daughter of the gentleman over
thcrei" he asked, politely, waving his
hand toward a clump Of pines around
a small white house.
"Yes. this is pas place. From Nor
folk?"
Lo ~
the man who comes from a distance.
"From Wellsville, Iowa. Fine state,
Iowa"
"You are long ways from home"
she observed.
Mr.. Jernigan drew down his mus
tache.
"An tunt just died down there
In Norfolk-consumptio Doctors
sent her here, no money spared, none
whatever, but I come on and buried
her week ago tomorrow. Aunt that
brought me up"
I'm cert'nly sorry she died." 1anths
said softly,
"Lamentable, lamentable, but we
luubt ulI Vic, anu ohC was heAot t'-N'y'
Pretty country you've got round here,
Miss-er-Miss"
"Did you walk down yOnder rOad?'
she asked with a sudden increase Of
interest. "Sweet honeysuckles is all
In bloom over there, gullies on each
side the road Jus filled with It, and
yalluh jasmine climbin' over every.
thing 1t can lay vines on-smelled as
sweet as 1t looked, didn't I'll"
"very nice smell, very nice, indeed"
agreed Mr.. Jernigan, "but amt yore
pa goin' to be little late with his
kale for the Boston and New York
markets."
T reckon" she answered. "Mos'
folks round here are too late for the
markets" She laughed little as she
added. "Pres' Lewis. who has the
truck patch next our, never does get
anything to market in time"
"1 infer he don't prosper" said Mr..
Jernigan. "I'd like to give him few
notions about trucking"
She turned to him quickly. "Would
your Oh, do-for pa can't put up with
his bsln' 30 way behind; pad like to
be-be progressive, and Pres frets
him. You see, Pres don't get on, no,
he don't prosper, JUS as you say"
IT'S there any-any special reason
why he'd better be prospering" Mr..
Jernigan asked, looking delicately
away toward Norfolk.
Ianthe picked up long pole lying on
the wharf near her; she bent back, and
looked around the corner of the wharf
prodded with the pole the mNd
where the tide still left uncovered
oyster shells and various bits Of debris.
"Well," she at last said frankly,
'"there's me-"
"Ouite q reason" he said gallantlv.
He looked at her attentively, and re-
peated, quite reason"
"Yss, l reckon l am," she agreed.
"S'pose you do give Pres some new
ideasf I don't know as he could carry
them out, but he could talk them to
pa, and after all talk does about as
we'll as goin' with pa. You tell me
them, and I'll tell Pres"
"wsll, there's English walnuts-thls
sorter land and yore climate orter be
1ust the thing for them," he began. In
time he warmed to his topic, and
Ianthe drank In his wisdom as eagerly
as ever heather drank in the gospel.
But the sound Of horn at last broke
In on the conference, and Ianthe lazily
struggled to her feet.
"Ma's blowin' me up-well, m Ger.
t'nly obliged to you. You don't know
any more for another timer"
Y don't know as" .-.---A- -Ae-