Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-03-29

Peter left the studio, where he had
been painting steadily for hours and
stepped out into the garden. 1t was
rull moon; he blinked under the high
sun and stretched, still a little dazed
from his long plunge in toll; he inhaled
full the perfume of roses.
A short distance from him. on the
edge of the driveway, was a big hole
dug, he surmised, to receive some trans
planted bush, lilac or magnolia. Water.
trucking from hose that stretched
like black snake across the lawn, was
making of this excavation small lake.
Peter stepped to the little gurgling
lake, and sat himself contentedly near
Its bank. A small lake sufficed Peter !;
he did not need a big one
1t was lovely here. The water sang :
slowly, it rose; the flowers. perfumed ;
Peters soul dilated deliciously Far
above, in the blue, hawk circled.
But this did not last. Within the
circle Of Peters carefully established
vacuum, small hard thing began to
intrude. The rasp Of rake, there be
hind the hedge, at his back. His face
darkened and puckered.
He knew who was raking there be.
hind the hedge. Not only did he know
with that implacable vision given to
him with life, he also saw.
1t was his wife who was there he.
hind the hedge, raking. And though
behind the hedge, which was at his
back, he saw her.
He knew exactly how she looked
there, behind the hedge. She had on
the wrapper with the big flower pat.
tern; 1t was tied around her with q
cord at the end Of which was a worn
tassel. Underneath, the soiled white
hem showed of the gown she had worn
In the night-for from her bed she had
gone to her garden. Her bare feet
were in old brown slippers; there
would be streaks Of wet ground across
the part of the feet which showed he.
tween the faced slippers and the
soiled gown.
They pressed the earth, these feet
firmly; set down well apart in a solid
Wide base. they pressed 1t Familiarity,
They might-he had seen that-be
sunk, in their faced slippers, into soft
manure, unshrinkingly.
Her hair would be tied tight in a
small knot behind. She squatted often
over some seed, some weed She was
like strong thick coolie of the rice
paddles.
Peters face puckered still more. Not
with anger, not with disgust. but with
a sort of mournful helplessness Then,
abruptly. another vision came to him.
he saw her as she had been years ago.
She was waiting for him at a stile,
on the, far edge Of golden field. She
was slender, fragrant and soft. Her
pretty frock wdst gut low at the neck /;
the beginning OF her virgin breasts
swelled deliciously there. And her
eyes. turned up to him, were a little
wet, as Venus is at dawn, and the red
chaiice Of her lips was slightly opened.
Peter sQuirmed uneasily; the help
less desolation deepened still on his
face.
But a sharp prick at his right calf
made him deliver q large slap there.
Life from all sides was attacking the
retreat Of reverie In which so snugly
he had tried to enscOnce himself. From
beneath his slap a small ant dropped,
crushed to the ground. But she was
not the only one about. An army Of
ants was passing close to his feet; SO
close. in fact, that they swirled about
these extremities as a host, following a
valley, doubles some rocky Ell Captain.
Peter hastily withdrew his feet, kneel.
ing down, stretching his rather long
neck, he proceeded to observe what
was happening.
Across the drive, from the excava-
ton Of which Peters Rhcy had made
a lake, from that hole to the hedge,
the ants stretched, a broad rusty-red
ribbon. At first Peter thought they
were marching one way, then he saw