Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-04-14
"B!LLY'S DIARY"
BY AGNES GRAHAM BRoGAN.
e 9s 4s 6s 8S 4SS4SS
20, 1921, Western Newspaper Union.)

"hOLC liiC Oll Sp1 MS lOuoS o'OoN'S S''N
paused lost in conflicting emotion.
Memories came to her across the
years, memories of tender sweetness,
memories of desolation. 1t was here
that she had spent many happy hours
in her childhood, here that great lone
illness had reclaimed her. And now
that she had come back for a view
of the place, she was still both sorry
and glad.
Down the road farther lay the old
mansion that had been Jasmine's
home and the home of her grandpar-
ents. 1t was there that her young
mother, passing out of life as her
child came into it, bequeathed her in
FAINT orphaned daughter to great Aunt
Millicent's care-the young mother
who had named her baby Jasmine,
her little white flower"
Aunt Mellicent's slender income,
never sufficient for the upkeep of the
great old home, expired with her
death, and there had been little money
left to Jasmine after paying the mort
cages. So, all unframed, the girl
went out into the busy world to earn
her livelihood-and this was her first
homecoming. 1t was an advertise
ment concerning the "Whte Inn" for
summer guests which caught Jas
mines eye in the city paper. The
White Inn, as pictured there, was hel
nx1,,, oct bo,Nnnc+no1 To-. i,,n
packing hastily, went out to spenG
her hard-earned two weeks vacation
in the altered place. The hermit's
dwelling on the spot where the old
springhouse had been, was topic OF
neVer-failing interest to White Inn
guests. For the hermit, it was said
frequented his lonely cabin every sum
mer, living there in solitary exile
Each guest at one time or another
made trip up the wooded way tC
see him in his garden And the her
init, who was young and good look
ing, in a frowningly, forbidding man
ner, persistently ignored them one and
all. He dressed in khaki, as a modern
hermit should and cooked his OWE
foOd-if not exactly over kettle, al,
least on an oil stove. Jasmine, had
not travelled over the bramble patti
out of curiosity to see him, but tC
view instead the old spring house
And as she sat on the hermit's garden
bench, she recalled with smile which
brought forth lately despOnden'
dimple, a former visit of hers to this
self same place in a faraway time
She had gone to the spring house tC
be freed from Aunt Mellicent's sterr
observance, lonely girl without play
mate or friend, and she had cont
forth as "Jim," chosen companion OF
the incest boy in the world; and this
is how it happened. Jasmine, upor
entering the spring house, had found
lying upward, a closely written little
book. On its bright red cover was the
word "Diary," and on the very frs
page was inscribed in bOyish letter
ng-"Btlfy-His Book" Before the
little girl in the cambria frock real
lied what she was doing, she had reat
wv NOhiplSlC pages VI lHe DluIE.
1t was wildly interesting; her blue
eyes widened over the marvellous adj
ventures of Billy, in "His Book" and
she looked up dazedly when an angry
voice reused her.
''Nervy" greeted the voice, "whai
do you mean by reading my writingY
Jasmine was unafraid, she ever
clasped the red book closer in de
fiance. 81 didn't mean to start" She
calmly told the indignant boy before
her, "but when l started, l couldn't
stop. It's all so splendid. I'm going
to finish the story"
The boys anger vanished.
''TO think that all those wonderful
things happened to just a boy like
your Jasmine explained.
And when at the end of a compan
ionably long, happy summer, Billy
went away to school, and to college
and perhaps never TO return, Jasmine
was given the little red book to keeI
as lasting memento of their joyous
now, to make the memory of those
past enchanted days complete Jasmine
drew the little book from her bag ant
sat smiling over it's pages. 1t was
no sound which made her glance up
but just the consciousness of pres
ence near.
The hermit was standing behind the
bench, reading over Jasmine's Shout
der, the bOyish scrawl. When theil
eyes met, involuntarily both smiled.
Then the mans hand went out tC
her.
You! the hermit of spring houser
The man nodded
With quick stride he entered the
cabin, and returning put into JAS
mines hand book of familiar cover
1t was one of the seasons best sellers
Jasmine had seen it displayed. The
author reached over suddenly to in
scribe something on the fly-leaf-"Bil.
ly," he wrote-"Iis Book" Beneath
the books title was printed the au
thor's full name, William Chalmers
When Jasmines two glorious weeks
were at an end, very regretfully she
carried the book back to the spring
house,
at is wonderful romance" she
told him signing.
The hermit was locking the spring
house door
81 am going with yOu," he remarked,
happily, "to the city-for you see
Jasmine, my own white flower, | an