The Press., 1919-02-06
.SQuaw-BerrieS o0
 By AGNES G. BROGAN

cheeks; it also loosened 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 a tree-bordered lane to the ra- vine. How long it had been since she. a fun-lOving girl, had followed this path of wood-fragrant charm, in search of bright red berries, clustering l among their shining green leaves In l 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- CT, the tall. bright-faced lad, all en- thusiasm In planning his future, or tour future" as he had called 1t, 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, i've shnll 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 a caress. But lane sighed as she thought of the years of separation, necessary, If he were to become the great artist that his ambition craved. Never for q mo- lnent did she doubt his success, even now. Wonderful were his untrained sketches of wood and valley. beautiful fancies, too, filled his mind.
 "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, flor 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 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 threatening winter day. lanes 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 ab- 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 a task of love which allowed no respite.
 "Ill go away" Jane murmured pas. sionately; "I will see the world that claimed him. I will not stay forever and ever on a lonely hillside"
 As if to give incentive to her deci' sion, Jane read sentence in the pa. per which came daily from the city. "Mr. John Allen Gordon" announced the society column, "has returned from abroad" "Mr. John Allen Gordon she smiled tremulously. Would he recognize the village friends who still lovingly referred to him as "JackT 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 6 new and delightful excitement. She would take the money saved from the bor's automobile, and spend it all In a short city vacation. Such extrava- gance seemed sin. but this new sense of recklessness was exhilarating. Jane's 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 blpshed with guilty vanity as she regarded her self in the mirror. Ten years, even in the filling 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 irritating 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 he hastily tostled aside.
 Jane sank with a sigh of relief back into the taxi: her hand trembled as she signed her name in the hotel reg ister. but the grandeur of her apart. ments brought back the sense of de- Nrhtful adventure
 "If they could see me now," she said those people in Hillcrest." 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 it 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 Snffnno finn chn o1o hou Ao Ac