The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-07-29
Happiness
Alley
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A peculiarly placid and uneventful
life had Airline Merritt led. Her mother
had died when she was twelve and for
six years the daughter had passed
most Of her time at q select boarding
school.
All that time Airline never returned
to the home where she was born. Four
times a year her father spent a day
at the school, brought her many pres.
ents and supplied her literally with
spending money. At each visit Airline
referred to the old home in the city
and expressed longing desire to
spend her vacation there.
"You will soon be eighteen" said
her father, land then you shall come
home for good to keep house for me-"
and at his last visit he had added:
You won't know the old place, Airline.
My means have continued modest, but
! have managed to save enough to rem.
ovate house and grounds and 1t will
he a snug nest. Happiness Alley a.
they call the little blind end block 1t
has only ten houses its entire length,
but each one is occupied by some old
time family residents"
Happiness Alley" repeated Ar
line dreamily. "What charming
name! Why do they call it that.
papa?"
1T is really Gresham court, Of
course" responded Mr.. Merritt, 1.-THE
little spot right in the heart of the
city and yet quiet and vernal as some
country lane. You see, our neighbors
and myself started in trade on the
business street nearby when 1t was
far from being built up. and settled
in Gresham court for our homes. We
have been closely connected, both as
to business and socially. and a little
community Of genial, humble store
keepers have led peaceful, happy lives.
with no ambition toward splurge and
show"
1t was a golden day in the expert
ence Of Airline when she left school
for home. She went into raptures over
the broad porched cottage looking out
upon lovely garden, all fenced In and
at its rear high brick wall shutting
out the rear of the business buildings
fronting on the next street. An old
woman servant relieved Airline of all
household drudgery, the neighbors
greeted her warmly. Plain, practical
people, the denizens of Happiness Al.
ley were sincere, unpretentious and
entirely apart from show or glitter.
Their clean, even lives shut out all
extravaganza and folly. and Happiness
Alley was not a misnomer.
Unexpectedly Mr.. Merritt sickened
and died and Airline was left alone. It
was her first real sorrow, and the
kindly sympathy Of the neighbors
bound her more closely to them and to
her home. She settled resignedly into
the groove of calm, even life. She
grew sedate. instead Of gloomy.
A bench under great towering tree
overhanging the rear wall became a
favorite spot with Airline. One evening
she looked up as there was rustling
in the tree overhead. She started to
her feet as she made out figure,
hanging on the top of the wall and
clutching at swaying branch.
1t broke with the adventurer and
he fell in a senseless heap almost at
Arline's feet. She could not repress
scream. From the little two room cot.
tage where he had his living quarters
the old gardener came hurrying to the
spot. The intruder was q young man
dressed in neglectful attire and his
pale face suggested the invalid or con.
valescent. Old Hugh carried him to the
cottage and placed him on his bed.
HE is not hurt by his fall, only
stunned" he said. 1T looks to me as
If he was getting away from some.
body. Shall We call the police?'
"Oh. no! MOI" responded Airline
quickly, interested strangely in the in.
truder-"at least not until we learn
his story. You will undertake his care,
Hugh?"
Surely, If you say SO, Miss"
replied the old gardener and the next
day, able to sit up but still looking
weak and troubled, the young man
told Airline of himself and her COM
passionate soul was moved to new
kindly sympathy.
He was Sidney Marsh. he told
Airline, and for over a year the subject
of peril and prosecution at the hands
Of schemers who had swindled his
father out of his rights in corpora
ton Of which the latter, now dead,
had been an official. In order to ter.
rorize Sidney their emissaries had as
saulted him, had once kidnapped
him and held him captive for months,
and everything now depended on the
young man finding a safe seclusion
until the day Of trial. a few weeks
ahead. They had located him the day
of his fall from the tree, and in es.
can1nU Cfdnnv had sCo1oH tho u.oll ouS3