Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-09-14
JACK AND JILL
By MoLLIE MATTER
" A11n91oa12 - DS@S@S19sD1 -
&c, 1924 Western Newspaper Urion.)


grumbling to himself, that he should
have been chosen to make the steep
trip up the hill, instead of Thompson;
Thompson always did have the easy
commissions. Then, his boredom WAS
somewhat lessened by the unexpected
sound of woman's voice, singing. 1t
was not SO much the song, which
cheered Jack, as the note Of girlish
laughter that went with 1t.
The laughter and the song, both
came from the direction of big
white farm house.
A girl could be seen, sitting on the
veranda, holding a small boy in her
arms.
"Jack and JILL" sang the girl, event
up the hill"
"To get cup of water" shouted the
small boy, gleefully.
This engineering job in the noun
! talns brought to him loneliness, and
/ little Of woman's companionship, and
the woman's soft laughter brought to
him renewed courage.
Maybe can stick 1t out, after ALL"
he reflected, 'if there's honey place
near by, where they'd welcome a fell
low. Maybe the girl-no, she isn't the
boys mother, l heard him call her
some NAME
Lonely Jack drew up his car, as the
two came near. His wistful smile
brought forth no response from Miss
Jill. He considered some reasonable
excuse for speaking.
"Can you tell me-" questioned Jack,
hopefully, "lf there is a road leading
to the right, at the top of this hillT'
II cannot" the young woman briefly
returned. 81 am only a visitor here
myself" She went on her way, but
Jack persisted.
perhaps Laddie could tell me-" he
suggested,
The girls tone was impatient.
"Dickie is too small to know anything
about direction" she said.
Jack rode on, forlornly, but he made
a last effort,
''Td be glad to drive you and the
little boy up" he said.
walking up" Miss Jill firmly re-
piled, SIS part of our game" And the
road, when Jack got there, led neither
to the right nor left, but straight on.
A spring dubbed by the roadside, and
he rested beside its GOODNESS. The girl
arrived presently, leading the child.
Together, and ignoring his beseeching
presence, they filed the tin cup with
water, and sat, to enjoy it.
II hope" said Dickie, "that you
never will go home to the city, Jill,
even when Mamma comes back. You
think UP such nice games, and Gran'ma
likes you, too. She says it was pretty
good Of you to offer to stay with your
friends child, when she went way off
to California. Did you and my
Mammal used to 60 to school together?
4 Gran'ma says yo,l did. And Gran'n1a
says she wishes there was some young
company for you out here, so you
wouldn't get lonesome, with only me.
Do you get lonesomef".
"No," denied Miss jill. ooh, no, in
Decd" but Jack saw the laughing dark
eyes suddenly grow misty. He had
thought them pretty before, but in
their mistiness he was filed with a
wild desire to comfort. To tell the
girl Just how he understood. If-he
! thought, dlsconsolately regarding her
from his seat in the cart might only
, be possible to meet her properly. But
, there were just w0rkmen back at the
camp--all strangers like himself.
: "Singr" demanded Dickie, "slng Jack
and Jill, as we go down the hill" The
girl sang, liltingly, as he had first
heard her. MischievOusly, half way
down, with a safe distance between,
, she turned to wave to him.
Then, Jack never could tell how Il
happened--trying to follow hastily
perhaps making too quick a turn In
the deep rutted road-his car turned
turtle, and he knew no more.
/ Dickie screamed, "He's falling
) He's falling down hill! Oh, Janet
what shall we dot"
{ "Runr" she ordered. "Run as fast
as you can. and. bring Joe from this
! fieid.r Janet herself was running Il
the aid Of the unconscious young man
She was bending over Jack when biz
al Joe came hurrying to drive the In
jured one back to the house. Jane
! rested the broken head against her owl
shoulder, her handkerchief stopped
tho 4io,v nf hln0d
Grandma had the spare bed ready
In his silence poor Jack could no
I know the anxiety Of the small groul
!. around the bedside when the docto
examined his wounds.
! THANK fine Lordrs exclaimed Grand
: ma, fervently, when the physician as
), cured them that Jack you'd recOve
with good care.
4 win give Che alod care" Offese'
Janet, cheerfuliy.
Truly, Jack had found friends
: friends at last on the lonely mountain
side--friends- the girl he loved
Tlas, hx, dov this love was frOyoN. An,