Americus times-recorder., 1919-10-27
WAY OF THE HEART
ey wINIFRED C. o'eRIEN.
u % % Oo04 % 000 p0p0 20


600 ~ 20 " W NSS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The canoe drifted lazily with the
current close to the low bank of a
Dlacid. narrow river that ran through
the woods. A young man lay in its
bottom with eyes closed, his face
marred by the expression of bitterness
and the stern set mouth 'Idgar Raw
ley. noted young paintf12 received
in the best society, was yseeking balm
for a bruised heart and hurt pride.
He had asked Marion Bracebridge,
one of the beauties of the debutantes,
10 marry him. and after few months
engagement, she had, without warning,
sent back his ring with cruel little
note that "she thought that they were
not congenial enough to marry"
Then the news came of her engage
ment, and the engagement of the sea
sons belle, Marjorie Brooke; Marion
to Alan Coe, the banker, and Mar
tories to Stanley Lewis, the poet. Half
the Young girls and all the women
were frankly in love with Stanley and
they envied Marjorie her possession.
Just as he was sending the canoe
ont into mid-stream with a sweeping
stroke, he heard loud call for help,
and looking up the bank he espied a
girl in a pink dress with her hands
held in front of her, seeming to push
some object away. With a spring, Ed
gar landed un the bank and picking up
q large club which was sometimes used
TO push boats out into the stream, he
hastened to the scene.
When he neared the girl he gave a
start of surprise as he saw that it was
Marjorie Brooke, but he stif1ed a cry
of alarm for there on the log was q
three-foot diamond rattler, swishing
nearer and nearer, and rattling fierce
ly. With a well-aimed blow the club
handed with stinging force on the head
of the rattler, crushing 1t Immediately,
and both watched the Shiny body with
it's beautiful diamond markings writhe
In it's death agonies.
Then he turned to the girl: There
are not many of those large rattlers
around here. | am surprised that this
one should have ventured out at ALL"
Suddenly she made little rush, and
throwing her arms about him kissed
him firmly on the mouth and then flew
up the path before he had vaguely
gensed her action. Somehow it was
pleasurable thought that she had kissed
him he that thought that he must be
lacking in something so that no wom-
an could love him. He turned slowly
and then his eyes caught book which
she had dropped, and STOPPING he
picked it up, also little lace-bOrdered
handkerchief. Without realizing what
he was doing he had read the page
that was lying open. How could l
ever have thought that l was in love
with that person.
81 will never be deceived by my feel
lngs again. I mean never to fall in
love if l can help it."
There was more on the closely writ
ten page, but that was all that Edgar
read before he came to himself that he
was reading girls personal secrets.
Thinking to send them to Marjorie
on the following day. he dropped them
In his pocket and turned the canoe
hOmeward A few hours later in his
den, smoking, suddenly he had an in
Spiration, and hastily he ran up the
short flight of stairs to his lighted stu
do There was an unfinished painting
there of the low bank, the stunted fir
trees and the sweeping forest beyond
the placid river. With quick, sure
strokes he sketched in the figure of a
young girl in pink dress, with large
shade hat hanging down from her
shoulders, her hands stretched out and
an expression of such fear that invol-
unfairly would make one shudder, and
lastly the venomous snake, with itS
diamond markings. He called the pic
A