Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1919-11-22

oh"oy Spot 10 partaKe or the simple
| lunch she carried. Occasionally, an
other berry-plcker would attempt to be
sociable. but Bretna refused to re-
| spond. But one very Rot noon hour a
gray'haired woman. bent and tired
| looking. awakened her sympathy: she
offered the stranger a cup OF cold cot
fee. The woman extended her RED.
work-stiffened fingers. staring, but
made no move to grasp the cup,
"As | live. It's Bretna Sterrett ;"
Bretna opened her eyes very wide.
She honestly did not recognize the
hollow-eyed. shabby dressed woman.
"Bretna. don't you remember me-
Nancy Dove?"
Nancy DOre!" she gasped. and ali
the old bitterness sprang to her lips.
You. who stole" and stopped quick
ly, flushing.
eyes. I took Clifford away from
| you" finished the woman listlessly. II
got him and al! that went with him.
All the heartncbes, the misery, the
| gambling. the Gebts. disgrace and
shame. even abuse! And you---I know.
Somebody in the village met May
BROMLEY: they told me how happy you
were, how the whole Brownley family
adored you. how you brought up the
children, won their love and respect
Oh. what's the use of taking about
it!''
Rretna, who stared in Amusement,
suddenly felt something in Nancy's
tired voice pull at her heart. She took
one of the roughened hands within
her own. Nancy" she asked. softly.
you have not been happy?"
Happy" interrupted the other
woman rising. "Bretna. such poverty,
such wretchedness rs mine, ynu have
not known! I must be going. No,
don't live in the village. won't tell
you where: don't come. I'd rather you
would not see my home life"
And when she had disappeared Bret
ma still sat there with wide open eyes
and parted lips. Like racing steeds
thoughts came and brought clear,
bright pictures Of her wasted years
of little May cuddled In her arms, the
boys couched around, listening to some
fairy-tale. Oh, she could feel their
warm. childish kisses Again, she
saw herself tucking Jimmie in bed,
hearing Stuart's tale of woe. Then a
candy pull on stormy night, how the
old kitchen echoed with laughter!
And the halloween parties Oh. the
time William had insisted upon her
dressing up as Old Mother Hubbardi
The Christmas dances when the chill
dren were older, how the boys had al
ways insisted upon her dancing. too!
And their love affairs! Jimmie had
fallen In love SO often and she alone
knew how to soothe his broken heart
or mend his enthusiasm over the
"new" girl! And when the boys had
married came Mays admirers. She
could see herself crouched on the girls
bed hearing the recital of an evenings
triumph! And when May was at par
ties, she and William had sat In the
old comfy living room talking and
planning. She remembered now how
he had come to her with each little
problem about business or the chill
dren. They had laughed and wept to-
gether.
Wasted years she had called them!
Those years so golden with love and
joyi What memories TO feast on in
the years to come! How rich she was
Twenty years full to overlooking Of
happy days FURNISHED with the love Of
six persons, surely such remembrances
were bright enough to last hundred
gears!
To the first villager she must speak.
for the warmth Of her heart demand
ed communication with fellow-beings,
and happy with the success of the
cheerful smile she had won. walked
quickly up the lane to her little lonely
cottage.
At the porch steps she stopped short.
incapable of moving, for there stood
William, big, handsome, smiling visit
fully.
And when he had led her to the hard
little bench, he asked reproachfuliy
Don't you ever go to the post office
for mail? We worried, we waited.
Something was the matter. We knew
you could not forget us. Bretna," after
pause, ait didn't work, my. living
with the honeymoon couple. I've been
lonesome, homesick, the kind that Is
slow death. Every moment. every
where, was looking for you, and I
was lost, Bretna, and I suffered. Too
old to transplant. guess" His Vote
grew low and tender with pleading. II
wanted the evenings back again when
we two sat by the sitting room lamp;
do you remember. Bretna? They were
happy evenings; outside, the rain and
wind; inside, the warmth and light;
you mending and reading aloud.
Don't you miss 1t at all, Bretna?" he
asked anxiously. Them when she
nodded ever so slightly, he went on:
1--WE arranged with the tenants TO