The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-05-24
Bit @
Progress
O~
~tcopyrisht. iSis. b. the Mcclure Nsusps.
per Byndicate)
By T

The sunlight fell 20 holly on the pile
OF guano bags crowdlng the little wharf
that the man leaning against the heap.
ed-up nncks could hardly believe hat
u was May, and not July. He drew
his eyellds together and through his
lnshes 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 nov the farms
were at their greenest, strawberry
nelds, cabbage patches, acres Of spin.
nch, all In verdnnt strife. The river
ducked In here and there. Ringing clear.
shimmering streams n little way back
Into the country. and the marshes
around these lnlets gave a rank. yel.
low unge to the green outlook. Now
and then n pine grove not yet cleared
away led the greens 20 the other cx-
treme, 60 the dark somber hue which
had little but name In common with
The brightness Of the w~nter-grass. The
man on the wharf sighed as he noted
these varying shades.
ut would take me 10 make this pay"
he said. Eyes. slr. what this here fer
Tile patch Of old Virginia needs IA nm
Iowa innn-I. Archibald Jcrnignn could
make his pile here. hut none ~ these
lazy Southern truckers will make
their salt"
The cool sound Of the incoming tide
swishlng against the wharf turned his
thoughts from the farms. There would
be shade on the other side ~ the gunno
bags; he sprnng upon them and
dropped down into the shadow.
dropped down beside Ihnthc Var
brough. who lollcd In placid ensc
against tho bags.
"Bcg pardon. MISS" said Mr.. Jcrni.
run. startled into n stnmmer. although
his was by no means n h~esltating ma
turc.
Don't mind me-" said the girl calm.
~. 81 heard you talkin' 10 yo'self.
but ! reckon I'd let you come over n
you wanted to-"
She smiled nj him with lndolent In
forest and Mr.. %Jernignn smiled back.
Daughter ~ the gentleman over
'hcrei' he asked, politely. waving his
hand toward a clump OF pines around
4 small white house.
"Yes. this Is pas place. From Nor
ioikr'
He swellcd with the Importance Of
The man who comes from a distance.
From wellsyille, Iowa. Fine state,
iowa"
"You are a long ways from home"
she observed.
Mr.. Jernlmn drew down his mus.
tnche.
"An aunt Just died down there
In NOrfolk-consumptiOn. Doctors
sent her here, M money spared. none
whatever, but I come on and buried
her n week agu tomorrow. Aunt that
brought me up"
"Tm cert'nly sorry she died" Innthe
said softly.
"~Lnmentnble, inmentnhle. but we
must all die, and she was past sixty.
Pretty country you've got round here,
Mss-er-Mlss7"
ibid you walk down yonder rondf"
she nsked with n sudden lncrcase of
Interest. "Sweet honeysuckles Is all
In bloom over there, gullles on each
side the road Jus filled with Il, and
ynlluh jasmine cllmbln' oyer every.
thing II can lay vines on-smelled as
sweet ~ II looked. didn't ltf'
every nice smell, very nice. indeed"
agreed Mr.. Jernignn. hut nln't yore
pa goin' 20 be n little late with his
knle for the Boston and New York
mnrketsT"
II reckon" she answered. MOS
folks round here are too late FOR the
markets" She laughed n little ms she
added; "Pres' Lewis. who has the
truck patch next our. never does get
anything 10 market In time"
81 infer he don't prosper" said Mr.
JcrnlRan. "Td like TO give him a few
notions about trucking"
She turned to him quickly. "would
youf oh. do-for pa can't put up with
his beln' so way behind; pad like to
be-be progressive. and Pres frcts
him. You see, Pres don't get on, no,
he don't prosper, Jus MS you say"
as there any--any special reason
why he'd better be prosperingf" Mr..
Jernlgnn asked. looking delicatrly
away toward Norfolk.
Innthe picked mp a long pole lying on
the wharf nea her she bent back. and
looked around The corner OF the wharf
prodded with the pole the mud
where the tide still left uncovered
oyster shells and various bits Of debris.
"well." she at last said frankly.
there's me-"
quite n reason" he said calamity.
He looked at her attentively. and re-
peated. 'quite n reason"
Eyes, | reckon I am" she agreed.
"s'posc you do give Pres some new
ldeas1 don't know rs he could carry
them out, but he could talk hem 10
pa. and after all talk does about as
well as goln' with pa. You tell me
them, aud I'll tell Pres"