Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-12-30
HELEn'S RIVER.
A Short TORY.
By RUBY DOUGLAS.
fcopyrisht. 1927. by Mcclure Newsy apes
SyndicntAi

Tho river had a perfectly goo1
name until you came along with your
personality, and now
well. you can SEQ that no one ever cans
Il anything but Helen's River"
This from Ruth Frost as che laid
her big summer hat on tho rustic
table az the waters edge.
: II don't Hike tho word dominating.
protested Helen Demming. Am
that sort OF person.
Ruth went quickly 10 her side. That
eort Of person? Why. dear. you GER
tainly are. You are 80 sweet, 80
wonderful. so--oh. 80 everything
that naturally all the natives and All
Of us are going 20 Include you IN the /
history Of this place forever"
Helen made fruitlesa protest. She
had taken the little house ~ the road /
side on the Impulse OF the moment I
one day when she had been driving /
with friends through Old parts Of Con-
nectlcut. The house had seemed % /
beckon 10 her 20 come into - and make /
IL home. A house was tho last thing
In the world she had expected 70 ac- /
qulre. now that Ronald was gone and
she had tho two boys education 90 /
look after.
But. somehow" ehe was explain /
ing again 20 Ruth. when I saw the
river running on 60 bavely al the
foot Of the garden and heard Il muir
muring constantly over she rocks and
pebbles. Sc seemed as u ! could not
help coming here. And now 1 iOye
overy inch N H."
1T Is the fiBt timo you have not
seemed lonely since--slnce Ronald
died." Ronald had been her husband
Il am not lonely here" admitted
Helen.
There was more than ono reason
| for her lack Of loneliness. First, there
were always innumerable things %
d. inslde and outside the old house.
/ Tho garden was her 10y And 70 was
In the building and planning % this
garden that she had learned 20 oe ices
lonely.
| Frank Harwood. Il landscape archi-
tect. had happened upon tho place az
almost the same moment that Helen
had bouzh. L. and he Glanced 70 meet
her az the rivers edge one afternoon
: when he vas stili contemplating tho
; purchase.
! Butt nave bought g." explained
, Helen.
A look % disappointment caught his
. expression.
r Tin sorry. did no. know yor
/" wanted u so much" snid Helen.
{ a passln, fancy. perhaps" he SAD
o. lightly. But then no went on 20 tel
o her Of the water garden ne had plan.
. ned ard % the old gazing globe and
. suindial no had hoped % place IN th'
= upper garden.
I'm sure I shall never 10 able e.
do 80 much With e." Helen depiored
And after that he carns 20 SEE he
and 20 tell her that he had found q
tho artists colony just above, a l.tt
Tilsos that was for sale.
I'll take u = you viu let me he'll
you plan your garden" he had said
And Helen. being swept on 80 sh
seemed 20 b. by Fate, had consented
Now she and her friend Ruth Fros
: were sitting az the rustic table IN n
d very water garden Frank Hsrwoo
= mad planned and watched grow. IL
0 too, called IL Helens River Let's 8
: down to Helen's River" every one sal
when they meant TO stop IN az the hos
h pitahe little home for a cup OF. tea o
8 All evening OF nuHc on the bag pore
e under the moon.
i Frank haA made m. keep a garde
u book since the FIRST day I planted
seed IN The ground" Helen was say
h !ag.
a What do you p,l- - it, asked n
z city-bred Ruth.
= "Oh-every-h:nr from a record Z
= tne hrst tiny shoot that appears abov
g the ground to-oh. 20 the names Z
everyone who visits Il. And-I hay
4 p.cfur- Of The landscape artist
the front" she admitted.
:. Ruth looked a. her scrutinizingi.
do you need the picture. Helen? Ism
g he here every day 70 watch prog-es
he and-,et you see him n person"
W Helen blushed.
lie lie Is 50 fond q the boys. SO
v know"
l." "Yes-rve noticed how BE looss at
p the boys. And how he walks by q
81 river--Sith the boys"
In The man under discussion appears
he At the hryr of the hill at thai mOmen
l. lie vas big. curly-ha-rsd fellow wi
ne q boy1sh face and a bouyant salt. Z
o.. had chosen FOR thei- signal.
r. Come on down. We're about
he have :ea--or something" called He,e
TO Leaping down the hill as Il ne We
ed sixteen instead of nearly forty. FIal
Harwood Joined the party az the ~
I'd tic table.
Id. DO you know that i 5 three yea
no today since We had our first cup
m tea here az this table IN this rgv
n. garden?" he asked. looking ~ He,s
IL NO. IS it, she asked. p-etend!l
as innocence.
IN II; IS" he said deliberately.
T? Ruth felt as Il something were go.i
Ia 20 happen. She felt a thrill IN {
air. a magnetiZed atmosphere.
- And Il YOU don't hurry UP. Hele
and tell me that I may come here
share your home, your garden. 70
lEe--and give you all my love"
Frank" protested Helen.
Il don't care Cor Ruth OF any Q
else. You have kept me az arms lens
as the landscape artist. the friend
,,- the boys. for long enough. Now. pies
-. tel me-"
= Ruth looked helpless.y up the ,
,a toward the cottage. III Helen y
promise not 20 say no again III
., go" she said embarrassed.
"a. Helen hooked AZ her. tears conf
"a. to her eyes. IL have wanted 70 $
Yes for long time. but--sOmehov
a. couldn't. I'm such an o!d-faShior
-. person and"
They would not let her finish. tt
90 knew that she would say that 10 see
cd such q few wears since the DO