The Dolores star., 1920-05-28
SAY 1T
BY IRENE WALKER.

| ~ iSEu. ny AcC4JIe newspaper ssnhicat.
/ Lorenzo drove slowly hn,n,wnrd H.
/ the late August afternoon. 0DiivioLs to
| the flood of mellow sunshine pouring
I down, to the shifting breeze. bluytu,
| cool from the lakes. or warm ana
sweet from the sun-haked mines on tl.,
/ hills. IL the brief address which had
'nhrked the close of Bethri's hrSt ce.c
brnlion of 'old home week" the ola
man had had curious sen safiun o.
being personally urraigued and. as ae
| logged along the familiar homeward
road, letting the aged mare take hrI
| own leiSurcly gait. uur-ontcd emotions
| had begun to stir within his breast
I'VE permit our tender emotions to
gradually CONCEAL to point where
! only death or disaster is able to thnN
them out. Many II husband who re-
| cards himself as miscrahly y0ked to
| miSht mate would speedily discover
| were he to set about counting his VIE
over again. that he is welded to onr
| of the sweetest women in the world
| These were the compelling wo;ds OF
| the distinguished Statesman that had
inspired train Of thought which the
| old man found II impossible to dismiss
Bethel had never been - kissing
community
Tie words of the lecturer had
| aroused Lorenzo to II fail realization
Of n situation which he had. hereto
fore, but vaguely sensed and. aS the
mare turned unguided into the home
lane. he had fully resolved to "jcs,
| show Marthy a few 'fentious."
The Chapman homestead was = mile
from the village church, which for
| lifetime, it had been their custom I"
attend. Martha always rode with her
| husband to "the meeting house" but IL
| had been Lorenzos habit. for years. to
drive back home as soon as the morn
Ing preaching" was over leaving her to
| participate in the Sunday school ser
vice, in which she had been teacher
from girlhood. and make her way back
as best she could. Although not IAN IN
| common arrangement in the neighbor
hood. It was one which. althou:h
| proudly Self-containeG Martha hnd
never mentioned to Lorenzo. she hat
bitterly resented from the first. On
| the Sunday following "od home week,
when she came out of the church 81
the close of the Sunday school, she
found Lorenzo with horse and Buggy
drawn up by the horse block.
Wondering vaguely what had de
tnined him, but never suspecting for IN
| instant that she had anything TO 10
| with his presence there. Martha. from
mere force of habit. started on. on
| foot rs usual.
Lorenzo called out after her.
"Marthy, hi there! You'd better
| climb up--it's as cheap to ride as to
foot it. bein' as I'm goin' your way"
She climbed up. Her demeanor GER
tainly offered little encouragement to
gallantry but, having made up his
mind to 1t, Lorenzo was resolved not
/ to abandon the theory with a single
test; therefore. when his wife came
out of church the following Sunday
after Sunday school, she again found
LorenZo's horse and buggy drawn up
beside the horse block.
The following Sunday, as Martha
washed the breakfast dishes, she
looked out upon steadily falling rain.
No mere wetting kept the church going
Bethelite from morning preaching but
she said to herself:
81 wish Reno would come after me
today-Tve a great mind to ask him
But almost in the same breath, she
| gave her gray head defiant toss and
added: "If he don't think 'nough of
me to come 'thout my askin' him, why
| no pppIn'f como that's all -
But all during Sunday school her
manner was SO preoccupied that, more
than once, the members of her class
of half-grown girls stared nj her in
open wonder. As she made her wn,
| to the door, her heart beat fast and
the blood surged to her head. in n
way that made her dizzy and faint
| She pressed both hands tight over her
breast before looking toward the horst
block.
Yes, Lorenzo was patiently waiting
In the downpouring rain
Her rebelIious heart broke entirely
| away from her-the tears streamed
down her cheeks.
I'm sure, Reno" she sohbed Its
very good of you to come arter me in
the rain, like this
"Why, Marthy Why Marthy!'' he
gnsped, again and again, like one DUN
founded. 81 hadn't no idea you cared
so much about footin' It,"
"Why. Reno, it isn't that at all but
It makes me so-so-happy to think 7
you care 'nough bout me to come for
me-"
Lorenzo climbed out of his buggy.
He put his arm awkardly around his
wife. and patted her heaving shoulders.
"You poor creature you! You poor
creature ~ he repeated, with quivering
chin. "Marthy, I see I've made an
awful botch of our married life, but, II
you think you can forgive me. III try
| En- troot vn,r- from today woman