Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-06-16
CALEB'S OLD LOVE
BY MILDRED WHITE.
o i92l. western Newspaper Unlon.l

6tNSu way LIhG t1AlS, Dub ASA Chuu uiSS
had reached breaking point. The
querulous voice OF her mother-ln-law,
coming from the barren porch outside,
and the stretch of dust-dry garden
reaching on to a sun-baked country
road--all conspired together to add to
her desolation. And she had been
married to Caleb but six months
! Caleb; 1t was like his opinionated
mother to have given him such name.
The pretty dresses she had taken
pleasure in wearing were barred as
unnecessary luxuries, or things not abb
solutely devoted to need. She took
grim satisfaction in impressing upon
her daughter-in-law the fact of her
own desirability against former
sweetheart of Caleb,
"rhat June, GIRL" she would remark,
i manned silly. just as she was brought
up silly, would make poor wife
! for Caleb. Glad l brought him to see
his mistake in time. Taken, Caleb was,
with a pretty face and laughing ways.
Laughing folks are always light. The
plain one with the quiet eyes will wear
you better, told Caleb, an you are
wearin' well, Joan. Get out as much
work as 1 could, an me able now to
rest for the first time In my life."
Joan, mutely rebellious, would raise
the quiet eyes to her husbands trou-
| bled face, but Caleb pressed and har-
assed as time passed by the growing
labor of his inherited farm, saw
neither the appeal or reproach. 1t
was letter that had come that
despairing morning which brought
Joan to present resentment and
tears. A gay, assured sort of letter,
from the former sweetheart his mother
SO often mentioned, directing Caleb
in all confidence to meet her at the
station that evening
"June's mother and me were friends
as girls" Joan's mother-in-Iaw ex-
planned, "she was the well-off one In
the big house of the town, an me the
poor one. But that never made any
difference to her bein' kind. Though
she was brought up like June to ways
of foolishness, we kept on bein' friends.
So, you see, June's got to come here
whenever she wants to for a visit.
Can't see just what her within is now |;
mebbe to study out how happy Caleb
Is In marriage. They two were al
ways good friends"
Joan, in her brown bingham, saw the
two later, as her husband obediently
drove his former sweetheart up from
the station. He looked we'll in his
good suit, and lifted happily in some
way out Of himself. Sullenly, Joan
moved into the prim sitting room to be
introduced, but as June remained, the
sullen attitude was hard to retain.
Even the visitors contrasting pretti-
ness failed to awaken her envy. Rath-
er was Joan refreshed, as though some
fragrant breeze had fitted through the
oppressive rooms. June installed her
hammock with its crimson cushions be-
meath a distant tree. In the barren
porch she placed her camp chair with
added downy pillows for Joan's COM
fort, a bright covered magazine or two
nearby.
ITO pick up," explained the guest,
when you have spare minute from
kitchen duties"
Joan glanced fearfully at the dis
approving face of her mother-in-law,
but June knew no fear.
I'm trying to make this gloomy
abode less gloomy for Caleb's bride"
she remarked frankly and cheerfully.
She was halfway to her hammock be-
fore CaIeb's mother could form an In
dignant response. Joan, washing the
tea dishes as her husband and his
guest conversed beneath the tree, was
torn by conflicting emotions Of jeal-
ousy and unaccountable hope. Surely
Caleb was attentiveIy interested in his
former pretty sweetheart. but surely,
too, his gray eyes rested often upon
herself with strangely comforting
light. When the two left her alone
one evening to drive to the village,
Joan spent the time pacing distract
eddy in the garden; when they re.
turned. June, motioning gayly, passed
directly in and upwards to Joan's pri-
vate sanctum.
eCaleb and I" she announced
breathlessly, shave brought a lovely
rose rug for your bedrooms the wash
kind, too and candles for your dress
er. I'm going to make rose shades for
them just you wait and see, she Joy
ously ended.
Silently the young wife from the
doorway watched as the pretty guest
moved about the room.
ut was you, she said at last sadly,
"who thought this all out. Probably
you're sorry for me; probably you
know that Caleb doesn't care. That
you were his sweetheart
June swung around.
Sweetheart she scoffed. that was
his mothers notion. Really, was
CaIeb's true friend and confdant when
he became so terribly Ia love with YOU
that he couldnst live without you,
June laughed. Il advised him to let
his mother 60 on thinking Of me as q
sweetheart, So that yon would win out
by comparison. why, my dear added