The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-01-07
Squaw-Berrie
en |
BY AGNES q. BRoGAN

Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union.)
The brisk walk brought the color
tingling to James lately tOo-pale
cheeks; 1t also loosened a shining
strand or two of hair that had grown
to fashion of neat preciseness.
With a strange and sudden impulse
she turned from the country roadway
down tree-bordered lane to the ra-
vine. How long 1t had been since she,
a fun-loving girl, had followed this
path of wood-fragrant charm, in
search of bright red berries, clustering
among their shining green leaves in
the moss underfoot. Or, had the
search for squaw-berries been but a
youthful excuse for an afternoon in
his company? she wondered. So hap
py, so care-free they had been togeth-
er, the tall, bright-faced lad, all en-
thusiasm In planning his future,
or ''our future" as he had called it, and
she, released for an hour or two from
the daily care of her invalid mother.
Bending, she would gather the berries
from their hiding place beneath the
dead leaves, as she listened to that
old, old story whose charm is ever
new. "And when I come back rich
and famous" he would say, 1--WE shall
be married, Jane Rose"
"Jane Rose" She loved the name as
1t fell from his lips. "Jane" was too
plain for his "rose-girl," he told her,
and the added name seemed caress.
But Jane sighed as she thought of the
years of separation, necessary, If he
were to become the great artist that
his ambition craved. Never for mo-
ment did she doubt his success, even
! now. Wonderful were his unframed
sketches of wood and valley, beautiful
fancies, too, filed his mind.
1.-THE dead leaves and the snow" he
told her Signify the discouragements
and hardness of life, while beneath
them grow the bright berries of hope"
"And love-" Jane Rose had added tim
idly, "for love can live through every
encouragement" The young man had
turned away impatiently at that, for
her allegiance to the invalid mother
was never-forgotten grievance. Had
1t not been for the mothers exacting
presence, Jane herself would have
Travelled with him across the ocean to
the land of adventure, and realized
ambition. So-he had gone away.
Far as her eye could see his graceful,
swinging figure Jane watched him
down the road to the station. And
that had been more than ten years
ago-ten long years and until this
threatening winter day, James feet
had never again followed the ravine
path to the wood.
At first letters had come regularly
from her lover; then they had grown
further apart, and ceased altogether.
Often she thought of him, this alb
sent lover, and without bitterness.
Then came the time when her care
was no longer needed. Quite alone,
Jane prepared her evening meal and
set place at her table for one. Alone,
she sat at evening looking down the
long road to the village, for young
friends had departed or made newer
homes for themselves, while Jane had
been busy" occupied with task Of
love which allowed no respite.
'9'll go away" Jane murmured pas
sionately; II will see the world that
claimed him. will not stay forever
and ever on lonely hillside"
AS If to give incentive to her deci-
sion, Jane read a sentence in the pa
per which came daily from the city.
%.1dr. John Allen Gordon" announced
the society column, 'has returned from
abroad" "Mr. John Allen Gordon"
she smiled TREMENDOUSLY. Would he
recognize the village friends who still
lovingly referred to him as Jack"
Jane Rose fell to dreaming, then, of
the home he might now have, and the
wife, perhaps, and 1t seemed all at
once that the four walls of the little
home room were pressing down upon
her, and she must-must get away.
After that, preparations brought a
new and delightful excitement. She
would take the money saved from the
renting of the old barn for a neigh
boris automobile, and spend it all in a
short city vacation. Such extrava-
gance seemed a sin, but this new sense
of recklessness was exhilarating.
James eyes sparkled with an old light
as she viewed the mail order trav-
cling suit, with accompanying hat,
gloves and shoes. Gray she had chos-
en- for each article, silvery, beauti-
full gray.
Jane was enchanted. She blushed
with guilty vanity as she regarded her
self In the mirror. Ten years, even
in the filing of hot-water bottles, had
been most kind. Her spirits sank lit
tie as she considered that she had not
one acquaintance in the big city. But
she knew of the best hotels
She glanced around the room appre-
hensively, hoping that the time of lux
uriating would not spoil her for the
coming back. And as the train rushed
cityward she wondered If 1t could be
that two people parted ten years ago
might, by any possibility of chance,
meet on public city street.
The arrival at her destination dis
couraged this hope. Among all the
surging throng, she appeared to be re-
garded, not even as an individual, but
as something to be hastily jostled
aside.
Jane sank with sigh of relief back
into the taxi; her hand trembled as
she signed her name in the hotel reg
isteri but the grandeur of her apart
ments brought back the sense of de-
lightful adventure.
IF they could see me now" she said,
those people In Hlllcrest." Dinner
was stately affair; to be waited upon
so tremendously embarrassed her.
and she wondered uncomfortably, as
she met many pronounced stare, If
anything were wrong with her attire.
After all, why did she wish to see
that long-absent one? Was 1t to sat.
isfy herself once and for all that he
really had ceased to care? And then
he came. There was nothing unusual
about 1t If he, successful artist, were
in the city; this hotel would be natur-
ally the place where he would dine.
Yet the heart of Jane beat almost to
suffocation, and she clasped her hands
tightly to control the emotion which
surged within her. And, after ALL
came vague sense of disappointment
Something was lacking about the man
that had been there in the youthful
long ago. Was it the bright air of con-
fidence which had pervaded his per-
sonality-or what? Jane could not
tell. She only knew that his face was
white and haggard as from loss of
sleep, that his dark eyes burned rest