Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-02-03
IN THE SUBWAY
ey vIRoINIA kEYEs.

""NAnS TIE uOOHuhy cr0WQ pouring
into the subway. Her gown of gray
clinging material, with It's wide, child
ish collar OF delicate, white lace. seemed
strangely out of place among tn,
smart tailored suits of the workini
girls hurrylng past. A gray velvet hal
with a single ornament of twisted sill
yer ribbop fitted closely over her colleC
brown hair. No. there would be nc
disgusting publicity.
Somewhere clock struck the half
! hour. Mrs. Ta!fOurd became impatient,
Strange, Francis was late. He had In.
sisted that she should meet him there
and that they should go together on
the subway. How much easier to
have called for him at the Office with
| her little electric!
In spite of herself she began to
think about the first time she had seen
Francis. Then he had been a secre-
tary in her fathers office. She re-
membered his straight shoulders and
the peculiar habit he had OF becoming
quite red when one looked at him.
How different from the young men
who fitted about the fashionable no
tells and drove long, lOw-seated road
sters!
She remembered how curiousIy
happy she had been the day he timidly
Invited her to a concert. How proud
she felt, proud of his erect bearing, his
energetic manner of speaking and his
flashing smile. Then, too, the night
she had given up dance to go to
walk with him, and he, had told her
that he loved her. !,
Mrs. Talfourd caight her breath has
tlly. She must not think Of such
things. One should not think Of such
things when one was going to a law
yer's to get divorce, She must re.
member how impossible It was for
them to Ilye happily together. She
could not go without the things she
had always been accustomed to. For
two dreadful months she had lived
within Francis salary, denying her.
.helf all the expensive Injuries she |
loved so much. Then her father. had
died and she had slowly Arifted back |
into the old way. Why should she not |
spend her fathers money? He had
worked ali His life that his only daugh-
ter .might have everything. Yet Fran.
cis wanted her to live upon his salary I
alone. Ridiculous! There had been
quarrels, rather bad Quarrels. and now
she was waiting for Francis at the sub
way entrance. A clock struck one.
A tired-looking man separated him.
self from the crowd and came hastily
towardnher. His welI-fttl1g suit was
worn and his cuffs were frayed.
SORRY. Blanche" ne said briskly.
There was little extra, work that
had to be finished However, this is
the last time I'll keep you waiting, you
know"
AS they Went down into the subway
she began to open her beaded bag. 81
nay my wifes fare,y he said griFnly,
md the tines about his mouth hard
sned noticeably.
They entered the car and found a
'eat in silence. Mrs, Talfourd looked
straight before her. Stations flashed
~, spots of light and color, nothing
more. 'The crowds ebbed and flowed
Suddenly the car stopped. There
vas no station They must be under
he river, Mrs. TaIfourd sighed with ri
elief. 1t was probably waiting for an. |
ther car TO pass. Then the lights
'ent out, Mrs. Talfourd had beer
fraid of the dark ever since she was
wee tot, who chung in terror to her
overness' hands as they went through
he dark hah into the brilliantly light
I nursery. Now she shivered lit $
e In the darkness and touched Fran |
IS sleeve gently to make sure he was e
i'll there. /
His voice rang out clearly above
re others: 1--WE will be going in {
w minutes. The car often stops like I
lis." i
Mrs. ralfourd was reminded Of the a
st month of their marriage, when she G
,Oked for Francis in fOur-roon a
)artment. How happy Francis had |
zen, no matter how disgracefuly the F
nner turned out! Something startled ii
ar from Ter thoughts, the low means a
a frightened woman. In the deadly b
illness that followed there was s a
W, dripping sound. Mrs Talfourd II
enched Ter hands and began to count r,
g drops in a stupid way. Now there
as the sound of running water, no% h
niger drops. 1T was the river. The Il
r would soon be flooded. n
"Francis," she whispered. Hei q,
roat was strangely dry. G,
Eyes, DEAR" he said softly, and she Il
L his arm close tight about her fl
It ray Of light penetrated the dark Ia
S. only that madtening trIckling. IA
! the other side Of the car a man i
IS praying In husky voice and "a
man was sobbing. re
Dear" It WAS months since she
d said that word "Dcar," she Wits %
red again, and she felt his breath II,
ainst ner cheek. In that instant of
ppiness she forgot that she would hs
IN die. In that same moment the -
! was Hooded, not with water, but W
III dazzling light, and again they ~
~ ~ k&tf till. ~. ~