Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-06-05

MS Aflidi AuAF llOlu l8lC oAthti ANAi'AAo
herself that she really cared lot for
this country youth; and II II were not
for the motor car and the yachts and
the magnificent home that were prom
Used her she-well, she had once told
Joe Martin that she would marry him,
and Mae did not feel that she "as
tickle.
Finally she rose and walked along
the path in the direction opposite TO
that which Joe had taken. She was
absorbed In thought and scarcely no
ticed where she was until she found
herself looking down st stocky,
tawny-haired youth of about seven,
carrying rake over his shoulder. She
had passed from the woods and was
trayersng the edge OF field.
Hello, sis" was the youths greet
ing. where you goin'-home? To get
ready for the trip to CleyelandF
She was startled. This boy was Joe's
brother, although he had always, re-
ferred to her as his sister, probably
counting on future events. Surely Joe
had not seen him so soon and told him
Of her plans
what do you mean, Bub2' she
asked. What's this about trip to
Cleyeland?'
The boy spread his mouth in a wide,
knowing grin.
Jaw, you can't fool me" he asserted.
Didn't | hear Joe atellin' the folks
bout It last night? Didn't / hear him
say he had got a job in a surveyors
office or somethin', In Cleveland,
through takln' that mail school course? ?
Didn't | hear him say he didn't want
you to spend your days on a farm, and
he was going to take you to the city
and make good thereI Didn't | foller
him and see him meet you in Lovers
Lane this afternoon to talk 1t over
with you? Didn't /, huh? And then
you try to fool me like that. Shame on
you. sis"
Early in the afternoon the next day
Mae set out for the railroad station.
Her father and mother wanted to 8c-
company her, but she declined and
walked Off Juggling suitcase which
contained the clothes she had been
unable 10 crowd into the trunk that
was taken to the station the day pre-
yious.
She had plenty Of time, SO she saun-
tered along, taking last looks at Tie
fields and the houses and trees that
had been her surroundings ever since
she could remember. At the entrance
to Lovers Lane she paused 1t was in
that lane she had promised to marry
Joe, and it had been their trysting
place for two years or more. Tears
swelled in her eyes as she stood and
looked down the lane, which was taxi
ing on its mult-coored autumn garb.
Somehow, she felt it was becoming a
great effort To leave 1t would not take
much to make her change her mind,
she told herself.
She tried to move on. but she could
not pass the entrance to that leafy
path without taking one more look at
the log on which she and her farmer
lover had sat so many times and dis
cussed the future Silently She glded
down the lane. Hearing rustic
around bend in the path, she stopped
and darted behind tree.
The rustic grew more distinct. She
recognized the sound MS made by
some one walking along the leafy floor
She crouched behind the trunk and
peered forth to see who it was.
Presently he appeared. an angular
young fellow, with hair that bordered
on yellow, wearing Il striped green and
red shirt, blue overalls and boots that
were like snow shoyels, over n shout
der was slung a peculiar instrument
that looked like telescope on three
legs, 1t was n surveyors transit
.
Before boarding the train Mae wrote
a telegram and handed it through the
ticket window to the combined station
agent and operator. The address on
the telegram contained the name Of
Paul Mccormick
"Thirty-hve cents" said the oper-
ator after reading the message and
checking the number Of words. Mae
paid for 1t, while strange little smile
ilickered over her face.
A short time later she looked out the
window OF the train as II sped on its
way toward Cleveland. Fading IN the
distance were the hills and wood that
hid from view the home she was leav-
ing, She smiled and turning from the
window, addressed her seat compan-
ion
I'm glad | didn't go yesterday as
had planned Joe; and I'm glad the
telegram | sent said no instead of
yes.