The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-27

No. 4S.
 Jane Brown turned to the shabby dress CT and gazed longingly at the care-worn l features of her mothers face, which l seemed 60 be shining from it's little silver frame, through the growing gloom of the l little room
 Mother, dearest" she cried, in de- spairing voice, as she drew the picture 1 to her and kissed it reverently, what shall I do?"
 | She held it before her att arms length 1 and sought to find an answer to her great 1 problem. It seemed living presence. this ! simple photograph, and the only connect 1 ing link between her and the old days of the loving comradeship
 Mother of mine,' she whispered, "help me, guide me. From where you now look
 down on me you must know all, you must
 understand what is best for your little
 Jane. Can you not guide me arieht?" l 1t was the comfort of companionship ! even to study these sweet features in the dim light and Jane felt curious sense i of response from the little miniature of
 the dead one
 l Mother must I turn back my steps l to Fernbank and admit defeat? Must I
 give up my dreams of finding happiness
 and breath and true love; or must I
 return to the old grind of teaching in the village school. misunderstood and lonely, even in that simple life?"
 ! She remembered suddenly, the debt tC
 Ter employer, Mortimer She owed him l for the pretty gown she was wearing, and l unless she could repay him she would be acting dishonestly. She turned to her purse to count tbe remaining rainy days" fund with which she had come
 to New York.
 1 There was fraction more than Sloo. | If she were t.o refund the money advanced 1 to her now she would have barely enough money to return to the west. There l would be nothing with which to exist l after her trip, and she was not even cer- 1 tain ,of securing work in the little town.
 "If I do go back what can I do?' she asked herself in panic at the thought. 1 "Schoo is closed now until the autumn
 term. The board has probably already made arrangements for some one to take my place, and there is r'othing put do-
 nestle work open to me in Fernbank
 Then horror and ghastly loneliness ot
 it overwhelmed her. She had indeed 1 burned her bridges There was no home 1 to which she could return There were 1 rot friends able to help her or to whom | she would 20 in humiliation and defeat 1 The fighting spirit of her family react l ed on the girl, now. and with that same l determination which had carried her father. boy of 16, wounded and fam ished through the battle of the Wilder ness to deeds which won congressman medal of honor with that indomtable, 1 ,ndying pluck. Jane Brown suddenly found herself and rose to her feet.
 1 She remembered the great fighting mes sage of her fathers general Tn tr'ose sanguine days of the life and death strus- gle and she repeated them now with a new understanding which had never struck her during the quiet tedium of hours in her little history class.
 .I will fight it out on this line II It takes all summerr' Jane repeated to herself. her eyes sparkling with new 1 deternina ton, new vitality. Ana II if takes dozen summers l will never
 retreat am. She fumbled for a match on the little dresser and struck it, to light the gas 1e' by the side of the mirror. She saw her
 reflection in her tell-tale eyes, she real , ized that she had found herself.
 Jane brushed back the dark tendrhs oi
 her hair. and wiped away the tears. Hei
 heart fairly sang with the new thrili o' resolution. |. the mirror. with a tone which was actual lv defiant. SDo you hear me. Jane Browr of the past-Jane Brown of the little , town. Jane Brown of the tears and lone
 liness I will have friends. l will VII
 love. and joy and respect Do you hea
 me. Jane Brown of the dead past.
 ] She donned her hat once more "I am going out for walk. Jam
 Brown" she confided to the mirror fig ) tre. q am going to conquer my fea of the great crowds, and I am golni to drive my loneliness away In fey weeks I will have earned enough ant
 saved enough to repay Mir Mortimer fo