The Topeka state journal., 1922-10-02
Euening Story
Mary Bells Enemy.
By cLARIssA MACKIE..

Mary Bell leaned back In the old
flat-bottomed skiff and watched the
white clouds with lazy enjoyment. The
green river flowed sluggishly and the
old boat idled with the current. Mary
Bell was training one oar as rudder,
Needless of the puffs of wind that
came racing up from nowhere and
scarcely noticing when the boat in
creased its speed The w--ite lids
wavered over her sapphire eyes,
closed, and Mary Bell Branch slept the
sleep of careless twenty-one on
drowsy day in Augu-s.
Suddenly there was violent shock
of impact as the skiff struck rock
on the shore of Sandy Island. Mary
Bell was neatly dumped upon the -er
sand and the skiff, righting itself,
bounded away on its rollicking career
down the now swift-flowing stream.
Mary Be started after the skiff as
one who had just discovered that an
ancient and trusted horse had decided
to run away.
"Oh-the dickens," walled Mary
Bell, string at the mainland half a
mile away.
Whats the racket" asked a cool
voice, and Mary Bell turned a lovely,
frightened face to discover that there
was another inhabitant of Sandy Is
land-a fine, bronzed youth, with bold
black eyes and strong white teeth,
which he was displaying in a wide
smile.
Mary Bell jumped to her feet in
stantly 81 ran aground-that is my
boat struck rock and threw me out.
Then it drifted away. I must get to
kthe mainland at once-my people will
be worried if the boat is found. How
did you get here?"
walked he said simply.
Mary Bell gave him a scathing
glance and her voice shook little.
| 'Of course it is not a joke to me-
| she paled suddenly and swayed. Il
believe my ankle is sprained--" she
sank suddenly down on the sand.
At once his voice became grave,
Let me see it moment am doc
| tor-my names Stoddard@"
'No-no-please do not touch it,
Mr.. Stoddard.'
why not?"
| "Be-because your name is Stod-
face hidden in her hands. The wind
was blowing her hair into halo
about her pretty name.
81 can't help my name," he said
shortly, "any more than you can help
yours-may ask what It is?"
| Branch
Good night" he calculated inele-
gantly. Are you dragging in the old
family feud at this late day? An old
uncle of mine told me about 1t last
night when 1 arrived for a visit. My
father had lived North so long that
he supposed the hatchet was buried.
and in token of it he named me after
his grandfather's ancient enemy
Branch is my name, too. Branch Stod-
dard, NJ. D., if you please!'
Mary Bell looked up at him from
wet eyes. ''I think I could dislike you
very much" she said rudely, and
| twisting away sharply so that she
could not see the black eyes grow
1 softer, she cried out and tainted away
| A sleeve torn from his shirt made
a strong bandage for the swollen
ankle. First, he bathed the poor foot
| then the throbbing was relieved when
| the skilled fingers fastened the snug
bandage. A dash of cold water re-
stored Mary Bell to consciousness and
she discovered with mingled indigna-
tion and gratitude that she had been
| removed from the waters edge to a
| dry spot under a wild thorn apple tree
and that her ankle had ceased to
throb. 1t felt stiff and useless, how
| ever.
| What did you DOR she asked
family.
with iodine-always have little vial
| of it when I'm knocking around out
of doors"
"You are very good,'' she muir
INJURED, and then with flushing cheeks
| she noticed that he had set her little
shoe with it's dainty stocking close
| beside her hand.
I'm going to the other side of the
island a moment" he explained; 'Tll
| fetch something so that l can get you
| home
She heard the bushes "swish-h' as
he passed thru, then silence fell on
| the sandy island. Birds scattered and
r, ficI1 nf1
from his post on an overhanging limb
and dipped into the water to rise and
| dart away with his prize. Mary Bell
thought of the young doctors pleasant
voice his kind eyes. the tender touch
of his deft fingers. Truly, he had
ministered to, his enemy. How foolish
she had been to cherish the old tales
that Uncle Josiah had told her-why,
she had grown to hate the very name
of Stoddard just because her aunt and
uncle were not on speaking terms with
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