The Washington herald., 1921-09-18
THE ROAD OF HATE

1t Had Been Closed for
Thirty Years, But a
Woman's Ruse Opened 1t
THE oetobsr day was drawing to its
close as walking Ann reached the gate
i Of the Rancho de las Palomss Mar.
Behind her the road dipped abruptly to the
bach, dusty ribbon bstwixt the base Of the
mountains and the surf: before her It wound
evenly over the shelf Of bean fats upheld By
ths biufis- An enticing road. smoothly met
sled fading away across the tawny bean
stubhss tnto the golden haxs Of the California
s1~.eon, sapphirs q 50 on the one hand:
sn tAs other the peaks Of the Guyana. amber
and Anxusd With faI. between them the mar
rv. tvsrtyInns strsenh Of the Ranch Of the
Duvss and ths esa. buf that road was not for
sh.nos nssf. Cor acroa ths whole mesa ran
. vs-hsd Ioohtng harr1R of mingled bsrbsd
vtrs md prsckiy-pssr, broken sy nvs bar
E.fs h-s.fitns With Ioahs and chains. bearing
ths axE
.Prfv.ta Keep cut Absolutely 10 psS
mx aeuss ths ranch
.R1 ord.r. ErLzN GLx7spn.
.Looks mn some foIks' idea O. heaven
Ann murmured n shs sased . An Just IKE
n suxhtsr b. an most everybody else kspt
outzada-
shs knew that Eats; with tn counterpart
twenty miles north Il was known TO the
whole coast from Santa Barbara TO the Mon
tarsE Known even 10 an California now
that the oounty's suit to force the olyndes 10
open ths road was before the State Supreme
Cont For nearly thirty years II bad been
closed. cutting on ths dwsIlers In the noun
tain ranches behind tt-and especially those
In The Nactmiento. Ann pondered that .
moment and there came . picture Of . bitter
mouthed woman. her eyes hasxard with saz-
ing out over the road she might never travel
-Hm-h you wants . real quarrel you
surs gut TO 20 to your own family to get it.
Ann remarked 70 the unresponstys gats.
wen. Eues IN rest me . BIT anyhow; not
even Ellsn Glynds can jan . body tor look
Ing st her rsnah-.
An odd dgurs she uads, . wornan alone
IN that sxpanss Of mountain, siy. and sea.
a woman probably older than she
looked. stnos despite hsr whtts hair and
puekersd. beEry-brova sktn, there was so
much uneonqusrabis vitality stin lingering In
he< bcny frame In sunbonnst and decent
dress Of tras denim, pack and rolled blanket
On her back! she sat Hks one surveying the
world with glance q twtnklins shrewdness
Just who Ann was Il would b dineult to
say. since no enc really knew and she her
ssR vouehsafsd no Information From fali
TN sprtng she vas swallowed ~ IN that
great winter refuge Of Los Angeles, far to
the south. but with each April, a. the skies
cleared Of the rains and roses and poppies
famed In the foothills, would come . day
when her winter haunts knew her no more
Even whatever name By which she might b
known In the city would drop from her. and
up through the Businesses Of the Coast
Range or out where the seventh furnace Of
the San Joaquin dips down to the desert
lonely dwellers would begin to wonder II
walking Ann would come their way that
year. Nor did she give any explanation Of
that. either, possibly not even to herself
There were many who questioned her. COM
Portable people following accepted paths,
amused or slightly aghast at the sight Of her
tail old form passing on It's solitary way, but
to each she would give the same answer:
We'll. it's kind Of good to be on your way
and It's kind Of good to think maybe you're
roin' to get somewhere sometime
That was all. and on she would 70. with
never a backward glance. her s.ss always
bafors her into that allurement Of sheer dis.
tanoa
"Gueos IN fetch round by the Eactrients
and look In on Jane Donohus tomorrow" she
planned Lands sakes. Il the court opens
that there road 'tis shs as'n b the nrst 70
70 slU hootin' acrost it-snd . bitter PIN for
Ellen dlynds twin be-
For years I been wanttn' to 80 IT. shs
continued aloud In the manner Of one whe
walks much alone tho gates O. hate they
sa1 'em back thar In the mountains. Wen,
you b big and ugly enough, Lord known
II was an automobile that aroused hes
from hsr selfconmunins. sn imported. gray
cleaning car which came purrins UP the
slope from the beach In . perfection oi
vrouEht-tron lugs- AZ the chauffeur aightsd
with tnglIng key chain ths other occupant
- ShA ff1rn hat -