Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-06
LADYFINGERS
Nv JACKSON GREGORY
corvrioht, 1921. bv Charles scrtbner's Sons

stick on the floor dangerously near his
toes and screamed back at him:
:. Hold your tongue. you old fool
You dare to stand up before me and
talk like that You dare. :"
dare anything" cried the old col.
onel. withdrn wing his toes but thrust
ing his fierce mustachcs forward like
Stilcttos. ITS disgrace and I'm
ashamed of YOU. The whole valleys
ashamed of you. 4 -"
lie broke. pff. breathing hard and mop.
ping hi" face with his big handkerchief.
Rachel Stcthcril stood staring at him
curiously.
"ionvc the beard Of a brigand. the
eyes Of wolf" she said Queerly. and
underneath you have the heart Of n
incoming old turtle dove. You are n
mcddlrsome, nose poking old busybody
and Oh, come on. cant you?
Come on.
She snatchcd at his sleeve. pounded
the floor with her stick, and dragged
him to the door. Outside young Bee.
son was holding the carriage team in
rcstive check. Carter stepped to his
mistress elbow the marvclinE colonel
followed her. young Becson gave the
horses their head and they were off.
I'ut where? wondered the colonel. He
did not dare hope.
At the edge of wood young Bccson
stopped. lie appeared TO know the OK
act SPOT, though to tho coloncls star
ing eyes there was nothing to mark il.
Down climbed Rachel Stetheril, the
dazcd colonel following. Never a
house IN sight.
She led the way. back from the road
through n meadow. up gentle. brushy
slope. There was tiny trail under
foot.
''I made it. said the old woman
colorlcSsly, her hand on his arm. "It
is the path of weary old feet, colonel :"
When they came TO the crest Of the
knoll the path ended abruptly in n
clump of bushes. Which was a stupid
thing for path to do. argued the
colonel, since plainly trails should lead
somewhere and this one led nowhere
But Rachel Stetheril's hand, trembling
just little. parted the bushes so that
they could look forth. And what they
saw was the porch of the little house in
which lived Robert and Enid and the
baby. porch flooded with sunshine.
Every day" whispered the old
woman. ''she comes outside. She
brings the baby. She puts it down on a
quilt and watches it. It can crawl,
colonel. ! am afraid she is going to
let it walk before its little legs are
strong enough. = ."
My Col" whispered the colonel
You have com" this close. you have
made a path as far rs this, and you
have never gone to Them
would they take me in? Would
they drive me away? After all that |
have done against them, would they
take me in:'
The old colonel trumpcted nightly
into his handkerchief.
She looked up ut him with eyes sud-
denly hungry and wistful.
They'd take the devil himself in,
he grunted indistinctly, 'if he came as
you do Those two. why good God.
Rachel Stetheril, they've hearts OF
gold -
He broke a sudden way through the
bushes and he and she, ride By side,
arm in arm, went through, making q
fresh end to an old path SO that at last
It led somewhere. AZ they set foot on
the porch. Robert and Enid came out OF
the cottage, Enid with the baby OF her
arm, Robert carrying the quilt. w hen
they saw her they stopped and stared.
"Grandma ~ cried Robert.
Enid was speechless. But it was TO
Ends face that the hungry eyes went,
it was Ends soul they sought to read,
it was to Enid that at last Rachel