The Lamar register., 1919-06-11

tawny haired youth of about seveh'
carrying rake over his shoulder. She
had passed from the woods and was
traversing the edge Of field.
Hello, SIS" WAS the youths greet
ing. Where you goin'-homs7 To get
ready for the trip to ClevelandT,
She was startled. This boy was Joe's
brother, although he had always, re-
ferred to her as his sister, probably
counting on future evenrS. Surely Joe
had not seen him so soon and told him
OF her plans.
what do you mean, Bubr she
asked Whats this about trip to
Cleveland?"
The boy spread his mouth in a wide.
knowing grin.
"Aw. you can't fool me-" he asserted.
Didn't l hear Joe atsllin' the folks
bout 1T last night? Didn't l hear him
say he had got job in 4 surveyors
office or somethin'. In Cleveland.
through takin' that mail school course!
Didn't hear him say he didn't want
you to spend your days on farm. and
he was going to take you to the city
and make good tbers7 Didn't l foller
him and see him meet you In Lovers
Lane this afternoon to talk II over
with your Didn't ], huhl 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 &c
company her. but she declined and
walked on Juggling = suitcase which
contained the clothes she had been
unable TO crowd into the trunk that
was taken to the station the day pre-
vious.
She had plenty of time, SO she saun-
tered along. taking last looks at the
fields and the houses and trees that
had been her surroundings ever since
she could remember. AT the entrance
TO Lovers Lane she paused. II was In
that lans she had promised to marry
Joe, and II had been their trysung
place for two years or more. Tears
swelled In her eyes a. she stood and
looked down the lane, which was tax
ing On It's multi-colored autumn gsrb
Somehow. she felt It was becoming a
great effort to leave. II 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 lesfy
path without taking one more look at
the log on which she and her farmer
lover had sat 20 many times and dis
cussed the future. Silently she glided
down the lane. Hearing Q rustic
around q bend in the path. she stopped
and darted behind q tree.
The rustic grew more distinct. She
recognized the sound as made by
some one walking along the lsafy door.
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 q striped green and
red shirt. blue oyeralls and boots that
were like snow shoyels. Over q shoul-
der was slung q peculiar instrument
that looked like a telescope on three
legs. 1t was q survssor's transit
.
Before boarding the train Mae wrots
a telegram and handed II through the
ticket window TO the combined station
agent and operator. The address Oh
the telegram contained the name of
Paul Mccormick
'''Thirty-five cents" said the opsr-
ator after reading the message and
checking the number of words. Mae
paid for 1t, while a strange little smile
fiickered 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 lesv
ing. She smiled and turning from the
window. addressed her seat compan-
ion:
I'm glad didn't go yesterday as l
had planned Joe; and I'm glad the
telegram | sent said no instead of
YES"