Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1921-07-15
The Girl Who Was
Followed
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

/
washing dishes So Emily Curtis
thought as she viewed the topping pile
stacked beside the sink.
Tackling them half-heartedly, she
let her gaze wander through the open
windows across the meadows, sweet
with ripened grain. Mellow October
sunshine filtered through the apple
laden trees Of the orchard, and the va
grant wind brought to her ears the
dull chop-chop Of the silo
But Emily had neither eyes nor ears
for the sights and sounds of the farm.
She had had enough of farms.
Pausing in the act OF lifting the
dishes from their bath Of suds into the
drainer, she dried her hands on the
roller towel and from her blouse took
a crumpled letter which had been
brought by the rural mail carrier that
very morning. She had not showed 1t
to John. John had never approved Of
Maisle.
Only one paragraph in 1t was really
important to Emily. The rest was
froth in Maisie's best style.
"YOu ought to be here with your
voice like a bird"-the note read
"Old Gunter needs more girls It's
easy work, and you could bunk with
me. I've been trying to get somebody.
It cuts room rent in half"
What good did voice like bird do
one on a farm, thought Emily bitterly.
You ruined 1t shouting your head off
to the men that dinner was ready, or
calling to John that the wood box need
ed filling. Singing Sunday evenings in
the church choir where there were six
altos for every soprano was only tor
ment If only she had the courage of
a kitten2
Vague thoughts of rebellion were
stirring within her, but the dull round
of household tasks claimed her, crowd
ing in on her discomfort.
The next morning, Emily stood pin
ming her summer hat on her trim little
head. 1t was the day for the weekly
drive to jamestown to do her market
ing and meager shopping. She always
looked forward to 1t.
But when John entered, to her sur
prise he was In his old farm clothes.
Emily" he began, hesitatingly, "I'm
sorry, but can't get or This morning.
That last hand hired went out on a
spree last night and hasn't shown up.
"There's no need for you to give up
going though! Jim can drive you as
well as l." Jim was the boy they had
taken from the county orphan asylum
to do the thousand and one things
about the place that did not require
a mans strength. "And here" he
plunged his hand into his pocket and
brought out a wrinkled bill. "Per-
haps this will help make up for your
disappointment" he said awkwardly.
"It's a little extra l had come in."
During the long drive Emily nursed
her anger at John for spelling her fun,
as she put 1t to herself.
A few minutes later Emily sent the
bewildered Jim home, bearing a note
to her husband which she had scrawled
hastily on the back of her grocery list.
Dear John:
I'm sorry, but I'm sick Of farm
life. I'm taking a chance I had
to go to the city. Don't think too
badly Of me. EMILY.
She herself walked to the small
suburban station and waited for the
express.
Six months later, In nine by twelve
dingy-papered bedroom, Emily sat at a
bare, uneven legged table, and dumped
out the contents Of her pocketbook.
No, there was not very much there.
Certainly not enough to carry her long
II old Gunter put into execution his
threat to let her go at the end of the
week. There was nothing the matter
with her voice, he had declared frank
ly, and she got by with the dancing,
but she hadn't the go" the pep"
he wanted In his bunch Of girls.
AS Emily pondered the future, de-
spondent wrinkles furrowing her fore
head, the door swung open and Maisie
burst In, very breezy and alive.
"I'm sorry, Emily" she said, "but
I'm going to give up my share Of the
room. I've got chance to go in with
a lot Of girls uptown, and"
"That's all right" said Emily weari-
~. She had suspected for some time
that Maisie's desire for her presence In
the city had been actuated solely by
Maisie's need for some one to help out
with the rent. One thing more or less
to bother did not make much differ
ence.
For Emily had something else to
worry over besides losing her room
mate or her job. She was losing her
in her ability to look out for
herself.
For a week now she had been fol-
lowed when she left the restaurant at
followed by a slouching,
stoop-shouldered individual, in a
shapeless hat and worn Overcoat pulled
up about his ears.
Emily had expected to run into all
sorts Of disagreeable experiences in
the big city. To her unsophisticated
mind the city was full of evil. Yet
in her several months Of cabaret life,