Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-01-04
neutrality-suspicious. >
In the Heart of
the Desert
BY ELLA SAUNDERS
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NGls 1870, western newspaper OhloH'l
NAOMI VINCENT opened the door
~ of her private compartment as
her father knocked.
"We're stopping for ten minutes"
he said "This is the last of these
desert stations. Tomorrow we'll be
over the mountains on the way to
the coast"
He went out Naomi got up and
stood thinking In this reverle she
was hardly conscious Of her surround
ings. She only knew that she was
desperately unhappy.
She was on her way with her
father to San Francisco, where she
was going to marry Bob Stevens. Not
that she was In love with him; but
1t would be suitable match, and she
had been disillusioned and utterly
world-weary since Dick-whom she
never would have marrled-was killed
In the war.
Her father, the president of the rail
road, was taking her in a special car
Of his own
Naomi was accustomed from birth to
every refinement Of luxury. Every
thing had begun to pail on her. The
wearying journey was no worse than
life in New York, and that neither
worse nor better than married life
with the rich man whom Fate had
selected for her.
The train stopped and she got down
and stood upon the platform. Every
where about her was the same dusty
scene, the alkali, the sage flats. A
little group of people upon the plat
form looked at her with lackluster
eyes and looked away again.
A little woman came up to her
timidly--a girl Of twenty-five per
haps, but with her face wrinkled by
the winds and the alkali.
Excuse me-" she faltered, "but are
you Miss Naomi vincentT
Eyes"
Excuse me-the Miss Naomi YIN
vent whose picture appears SO often
In the papersT
we'll suppose So"
j did SO want to see you. You've
no idea what wonderful event this
meeting is to anyone who's lived in
White Springs all her life"
Naomi looked at the little woman
in amusement I'm sure I'm glad to
furnish you with any sort Of interest"
she said. But what is wonderful
about it?"
The little woman clasped her hands.
ooh, don't you see you're like a won
derful creature out Of another planet
to meT' she asked. Living in your
fine home, with servants to wait on
you, beautiful things about you, and
luxuries to eat, and-and-clothes and
everything"
"Tell me about yourself" said Mao
mi gently Perhaps the interest
isn't all on the one side"
Myself? Oh, there's nothing what
ever interesting about me. I'm just
the schoolteacher here-born and
brought up here. I've never been 30
miles away from White Springs in my
life. I've never seen an opera, or a
theater, even, or the sea-fancy that
"And are you happyT'
"Who could he happy in this des
ert?" cried the little woman fiercely.
Sometimes I've felt desperate, ready
to do something terrible, run away
don't know. The monotony is aw
full, awful And then | heard you
were coming on the train, and felt
had to see you"
"You aren't engaged?"
Engaged? I've been engaged Ave
times, and one mans just the same as
mother Any girl can get engaged.
Keeping a house for another man,
with babies Juggling at ones skirts all
| day-no, not for me Well, suppose
I shall come to It some day, but, thank
heaven. that day hasn't dawned yet |"
"You may full in love-" said Naomi.
Pardon a question. Are you in
/ lover"
81? No. But TN going to be mar
rled all the same" said Naomi.
The woman uttered little cry and
put out her hands impulSlvely. "Some-
thing tells me that we understand each
other" she said. 81 guess all women's
lots are more or less the same, wheth-
er they live In New York or White
Springs"
"All aboardr
Naomi stopped and kissed her ~
shouldn't be surprised" she said "Tm
| clad Wa'va mot nnuuoy % hack 70
your desert and try to be contented