Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1920-09-01
For Sallie
By AUGUST S. sHERWIN

At ten Sallte was motherless and
grew. up with father who allowed
her to run wild. She roamed the
woods veritable nomad, she knew the
favorite haunts Of game and fish, she
was familiar with every shrub and
flower. When her father died the poor
furniture Of the lowly home had to
be sold to pay his debts. She had left
only two relatives in the world that
she knew OLA half uncle in the city,
John Traynor, and Mark Randall, her
dead mothers brother, old and infirm,
who eked out a bare living working
for small brick plant.
Her first thoughts turned to the lat
ter. He was q supplemented, gentle
hammered person whom twice Sallie had
nursed through severe spells CT sick
ness out Of sheer pity, and to whom
She carried mile away a part of her
regular Saturday baking Of bread and
cake. Sallie was taken in temporarily
by kind-hearted neighbor. Two days
later there appeared the rich relative
from the city and the poor one from
Brook Hollow
Facts" proclaimed John Traynor at
once. II have come to scan them and
make decision. We are blood rela-
tons child, but you have no particular
call on my charity"
'Have / asked tn" demanded Sal.
lie, resentfully. II would not accept
1t from you or anybody else"
swell, can give you a'home and
good one, but ! can't be expected
to dress YOU as I do my daughters,
or waste a lot of money In educating
You. Youll be comfortable, but
you've got to earn that comfort"
Don't go with him, Sallte!" plead
ed Mark Randall brokenly. ut isn't
much down at my poor old shack, but
your being there would make it pal.
q ace to me. The little have will be
gladly shared. Come" and he opened
his arms, and Sallie ran into them and
glared defantly at the shocked and
angry John Traynor.
Thus it was that Sallie chose her
new home and was happy in it. She
had scrubbed and calcimined and reno.
waited until the interior was snug and
sanitary and the little garden the envy
OF more opu1ent amateurs. She had
genius for making things grow, and
air and sunshine kept her cheeks
abloom and her eyes bright, until now,
grown to a maiden quite, Sallie had
half the youth Of the village adoring
her.
have no time to waste over
beaux," she told them bluntly, all but
Ellis Doane. He was a shy, retiring
young fellow, but true as steel. He
did not seek to spoon" or act roman
tic, and seemed content to follow Sal
lie about the place when he called,
busy as herself with spade and rake.
She liked his quiet, practical ways and
missed him when he secured clerk
ship in the town. Next to the Randall
place a man had built perfect dream
OF q bungalow. Failing health had
taken him to another part of the coun-
try, just before Sallie's father had
died. A sign had been tackled to
neat ornamental fence surrounding
the place, reading For Sale, by Wade
& Ellis" and II Sallie had been asked
to express the one dearest wish of her
heart 1t would have been to possess
Brier cottage, as 1t was called. There
We're few applicants for the purchase
OF the place. IT was finally offered
for half, and then for considerably less
than one-third Of It's original cost.
"Oh, Uncle Mark" it was thus that
she called Mr.. Randall, "can't we
find some way to earn and save money
enough to buy Brier cottage?" but the
old man shook his head sorrowfully, as
he referred to his age and meager
earnings.
.I've started savings bank ac-
count" observed Ellis Doane one day." |
Perhaps some time can buy the place
for you," and for the first time SalIie |
detected an eager glow In his eyes that
set her to thinking.
''Ellis Doane has given up his posi-
tion and gone to the city" fell as |
shock on Sallie's ears from a neigh !
boris lips little after that She did |
not betray the acute interest and anxi-
ETY. she experienced. No word or let |
ter came from young Doane. Her GUS
tomary yiyacity began to dim. She
would arise early and take solitary
strolls. One morning she was passing
Brier cottage, when from some bushes
there emerged Ellis, radiant and smil-
Ing.
SLOW you startled mel" murmured
Sallie, and then, to cover her emotions,
she added: "Why, what are you doing
with the old sale signr
Ellis bore half Of it in his hand.
The other half lay at his feet.
ooh, just getting ready surprise
for you," and he set the upper half
Of the sign in place. "For Sale" had
been changed to For Sallie."
I'll don't understand" began Sal
lie.
"Why, ! went away to get legacy |
left to me Unexpectedly, and hurried
back to buy Brier cottage for you. Are
you happy-and will you make me so,
too? Then let US add this"
He placed the lower partially oblit-
Grated half of the sign in place, so that
the reading now was:
'For Sallie-and Ellis"
And then he caught her hand and |
covered it with kisses as he told Of
the love that had been growing for her
In his heart all the years.