The Snowflake herald., 1920-12-24
A NoN-PARTIsAN NEWSPAPER
PLACES FOR TWO
BY MILDRED WHITE.


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Copyright. 1920. Western Newspaper Union.)
Sarah drew aside the ruff1ed curtain
to look down the country road. 1t was
not a CHEEKY outlook, with rain making
pools of the deep worn ruts, and SOM
Der clouds turning the twilight to dark
ness. But Saran took in the view phil
osophically, just as she took the
cheerlessness and somberneSS of her
own life.
Time had been, years ago, when the
roadside cottage was a house of mirth,
merry with young peoples laughter
and comfortable with the protecting
presence of the old.
Sarahs parents had long since
passed to their reward, while the sis
ters, who were all older than she, lived
in various distant homes, more or less
selfishly absorbed in their own fami-
lies. Sarah had clung TO the old place
at first through duty to her older in
valids, then because there was no place
else to go.
She managed to keep the cottage
hCdlcu anu lO tCIlu anu
sing over the vegetables in her garden
to keep there, aside, a little plot of
flowers with which to cheer the sick
or rejoice, perhaps, in some affair of
the living.
Sarah was always glad when the sto-
ries ended happily, and sometimes,
after she had laid the paper aside, she
would sit in the cozy, silent room be-
fore the fire. picturing to herself
romance which might have been her
own. Sarah was sixty nova good,
wholesome. pink-cheeked sixty - but
she had put her hope of love aside.
She lighted another yellow shaded
lamp in the small yellow dining room
and moved about setting the supper
table.
She smiled with a sort of weary
amusement as she put down a second
cup and plate opposite her own then
added a knife and fork for company.
For twenty years Sarah had been do
ing this same useless thing. 1t seemed
less like being alone to see that other
place ready-and waiting, almost as if
the door might open at any moment to
admit her companion. Then when the
supper was quite ready Sarah went
out to the stable to shut up old Moll
for the night
Moll was the White horse, and Sa-
rah's desolation so preyed upon her
out there in the rain and the darkness
that she was tempted to linger beside
old Moll, just to feel the comfort of
a living presence. And as she stun
bled up the steps of the back porch she
came all at once face to face with the
human presence of a smilingly apollo
getic and very wet old man.
Raindrops were cleaning on his
white beard, rivulets ran from the brim
Of his felt hat.
BEG pardon, ma am" said the old
man gently, "but l reckon I've come
pretty far in the storm and can't get
on to where l was goin'. Kin L dry up
a spell by your fire which shines
through the window? It looks invit-
ing, l must say" And as the old mans
request was coupled with very evil
dent shiver, Sarah's protective heart
Immediately responded.
"Go right in ahead of me" she said
cordially; ''it amt no time for formal.
ties"
But when the old man was rid Of his
Overcoat and was resting in Sarah's
fathers arm chair he smiled again in
his deprecatory way and took card
from his pocket.
That's my name" he said, "Ebe-
nezer Styles. Reckon you're acquaint-
ed with young e. Styles? Well, he's
my son."
''Eben Styles" Sarah repeated, awed,
''the lawyer down to the village-him,
your son? Hadn't you better telephone
to keep him from worryin' for fear you
amt coming back"
The old man sadly shook his head.
"The only thing that'll worry Eb.-
or lesstways Eb.'s wife," he said slow
", .'is the fear that / will come back.
Seems / kind of make 'em shamed all
the time. Eb.'s wife she amt been
used to my kind An reckon"
The wrinkled face lit up with grim
humor. "Reckon don't never want to
get used to her kind So when tele-
phone 'em itll be just to say that
amt goin' back"
sBut what" asked Sarah wonder
ingly, "be you goin' to do?"
sThat," Ebenezer Styles replied,
"will be decided later. I've sold prop
erty, an / get my interest regular from
the money what sold it for"
"Jest now. them" Sarah said brisklg