The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1923-01-18
neutrality-suspicious.
The Rolling
Stone
s~~~~~~ ~~~~~
BY ELLA SAUNDERS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
%. 1922. Western Newspaper Union1)

No two boys could have been more
unlike each other than Townsend ana
Dullleld Duflield's father was presi-
dent Of the National bank, and Thon'p'
sons was corner grocer. When
Thompson got u job as bank messeh'
ger Duflield was assistant cashier,
making good money and spending II.
All the pretty girls in the town
knew Dutield's pony trap, and, later
Duflleld's car The road houses knew
Duflied., They knew him too WELL
thought Mary Ackroyd. who was
steady, quiet girl with strange, luml-
nous gray eyes. She did not encourage
| Duilied.
When Duffield's father was involved
in the financial smash, and the bank
was reorganized, Duflield was quietly
put out of the door. Thompson be-
came cashier. He saved every penny,
dressed neatly, and attended church
every Sunday.
| Duiiield went to see Mary the night
before he left for the metropolis
| Thompson was there and Dufiield hung
ON till Thompson was forced to go
Then came Dufleld's chance.
II know I've been fool, Mary" he
said, "but give me chance. I'll make
good in New York. VIII you waltz"
Mary softened little toward the
good-looking prodlgal, but she prom
Used nothing. Dufiield went away.
Thompson became one Of the higher
officials of the bank. He was a rising
man in the town. The evening came
when he asked Mary to be his wife.
Mary thought of the boy In New York
no one had heard of him for long
| time.
Il don't love you as I'd wish to.
Jm," she answered IL don't know
my own mind. Give me ume."
| Time was of the essence of the
Thomspon scheme Of life. Mary could
have all the time she wanted. But she
only needed month, for then the
news came that Duffield was back,
pennlless, shabby; he had come TO see
| his sick mother and incredible stories
were in circulation. about him. He
drank, he had thrown up or lost posi-
tion after position.
| He came to see Mary. II know I've
been waster," he said, "but I've
never had my chance. I'm not cut out
for a humdrum life. Wait while
Mary"
But he received scant encourage
ment. The atmosphere Of the town had
been all about Mary ever since girl
hood; Thompson's praises were being
sung everywhere Dufffeld went away,
and six months later Mary became
| Thompson's bride.
| For years no news was heard Of
| DufIield. Thompson was now presl-
dent of the National bank He had a
| fine house in the suburbs. Mary found
out too late what life could mean. She
bore with the cold formality of It, her
husbands humdrum, calculated ways
her will she found herself thinking Of
the good-looking prodigal VINO had gone
out of her life.
Thompson fell sick with mysteri-
Gus allment. He was Ill three years,
helpless toward the end. Mary nursed
his assiduously. At the end Thomp-
son said:
81 know you never loved me. 1t was
Dufield"
Mary could not deny It, So Thomp-
son died. And six months after the
funeral DufTield came back.
= He came back a mlddle-aged man,
roughly dressed, hardened. He went
to Mary.
"You know always loved you," he
said. "If you had given me q
chance"
"Oh, you were always talking about
chances, Harry, k4t pa never took
one when e ss.nAL- azswered Mary bit
terly-the more bitterly because in her
heart she knew she loved him.
The town despised Dufiield more
than ever He loafed at the hotel for
weeks. No one knew where he got his
money from. He went to Mary again
am leaving Wilbury for good" he
said. Il guess I'm not wanted here.
Mary, If make good will you-will