The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-04-28
THE SUNLIT WAY
BY AGNES BRoGAN.
5S5S5S5S56SSSSS S9S5S9SSSS
oo. 1921. Western Newspaper Union:

the sunllt way. The park surrounding
her big shabby home was gloomy in
It's wealth Of trees. The house was
gloomy, too; SO in her hour of recre-
alton. Jasmine chose the sunlit way.
Jasmine, seated on her white horse.
Bonnie, loved to dream, mt the waters
edge, of that other world so far away.
and yet near. where other young peo-
pie laughed and talked, and sang to-
gether.
Since her mothers death. when she
had been too young TO remember, the
girl had known little companlonship
save that of Ursula, the housekeeper,
and James Rhodes, her father. James
Rhodes, aged prematurely by disap-
pointment and sorrow, was severe
man.
The one friend who continued to
bear with his humors was John West
wood of Westwood place, next door.
And as James Rhodes, In his broken
hearted isolation-for he had never
ceased to mourn his wIfes loss-grew
poorer. John Westwood. energetic
and successful In business, grew ever
richer.
Now, the one stubborn desire of the
old thwarted man was to make that
wealth his daughters, through her
marriage to his friend.
John WestwoOd admired Jasmine
very much; he loved her, he said. and
would make her happy. So Jasmine
grievously disturbed, rode every morn
ing down the sumlit way, trying TO
think out an escape from the impend-
Ing fate. The girl in absorbing ten
derness for her father, could not bear
to deny his hearts one desire, and
yet
A stranger sat at the end of the
sunlit road one day, young and idle
stranger, with arms Clasped behind
his head against the tree on which he
leaned, and brown hair blown by the
breeze from his high, white forehead.
AS the young mans frank blue eyes
came back from their survey of the
river, they rested upon jasmine
seated there on her horse, In kind
Of joyous wonder.
"You?" asked the young man.
dreamily, "who are your"
And also smilingly wondering, the
girl replied: IL am Jasmine"
The stranger nodded.
"Of course" he said, II might know
that you would be Jasmine-when you
came. A white flower"
Strangely acquiescent, she allowed
him to take the bride from her hand
and lead her to a seat on the grass
at his side.
"You come from the old house, JAS
miner" the young man asked.
"You see, l know that there are
but two houses. and John Westwood
lives in the other"
"Yes," she answered slowly, "from
the old house."
"And you are?" he hesitated over
his question.
Then Jasmine smiled.
II am" she told her questlOner, "oc-
cupied there as-companiOn."
She was away before the. stranger
could detain her, flying on Bonnie's
back, up the sunllt road. In the SOM
Der silence of the park trees, the girl
Gained, and her eyes grew wistful.
Had II not all been dream? Yet she
went again, and still again, and ev-
cry coming found him waiting. Then
firmly Jasmine told herself that the
meetings must end. 1t was the white
horse who carried her there.
II did not mean to come" she told
the young man, decidedly. Bonnie
brought me-"
"And your heart led Bonnie" he an
swered laughing softly, In confident
assurance.
"But now that / have come" the
girl went on, II shall stay only to
confess my deceit, and then-goOd-by.
I, am Jasmine Rhodes, and / am to
marry John Westwood."
you" gasped the young man, ITO
marry my grabbed old uncle? You,
my little white flower"
"Your uncle" she faltered con-
fusedly.
The lover impatlently nodded.
II came down 10 NlSlI my uncie,
he said. "He is putting me through
college. Through all his crustiness,
my uncle has an affection for me. But
If you think that l shall let you marry
him"
Young John Westwood broke of
abruptly.
"There Is only one way to stralghten
II ALL" he said. land we must hurry.
My roadster will carry us quicker
than Bonnie. It's on the river road.
First, we will have to get a license.
Then you shall come back here as
my wife. Wealth can mean nothing
to you as compared with love. Come,
dear heart"
But Jasmine fingered.
"Some day." she said, 81 will go
with you. But first, must be honest
with both my father and his friend"
From behind the shelter of tree
came suddenly old John Westwood.
ar ...o,.tt oHxtSa unu HaorU a