Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-04-25
A Key to the
Situation
By ANNA r. BURR

MISS BENT felt herself remark
AsA ably lucky that her window
overlooked the Jewetts back garden.
When on SITS in the same room sew
ing, day after day, winter and sum
mer it means much to have some
thin" pleasant to gaze upon-some'
th:rc :. too, which is shut from the
res, of the world by high wall. The
Jewett garden seemed Miss Bent's
particular property. the maple trees,
tie grass plat with the bed of scarlet
rannas, the border which saw the
seasons through from daffodils to dab
las and the little summer-hOuse. All
this was like stage set for small.
pleasant happenings; the coming to
and fro of ice man and grocery boy;
children at their games: the kitten ca
pering after bit Of paper-a drama
(dOmestic) for an audience OF one
Miss Bent's spectacles would stare al
1t, her tired old face brighten. she fell
a stitching harder than ever. II be
lOnged to her; and when a child got it,
feet wet or the kitten mewed for its
forgotten saucer Of milk, Miss Bent al
most rang the door bell. Once or twice
the play had society scene IL it. s'rl!
us Molly j vett's garden party. aAt
then the audience was rapt. y stripe'
tent, rugs on the grass, and walter
who ran about with ice cream hnf
strawberries Molly herself, aGr''
eighteen, wasn't happier than IN.
unlimited guest. Susan Bent car
Cat noon, with the ice ere"
freezers) and stayed until drS'
hid the last glimpse of departin
young people. She was In an ecstn>F;
although she would have to sit up ii
night over her neglected work in Or,!el
to finish it on time.
Her sense of possessing the garden.
she looked at, had led to an odd inc:
dent-Odd, because of Susan's nature
She was honest as the day, honester III
fact than many April days; but when
she picked up key on the sidewalk
which had plainly fallen out Of tn
garden door, she kept it. She KEEP,
that key, though it unquestionably be.
longed to the Jewetts; and she hun"
1t up on a nail by her lOokingylasS.
Somehow that key confirmed her
queer sense of ownership in the gar
den. In her twilight hour Of rest she
would sit and twist it between her
fingers, to look dreamily out on the
naples and the red cannas and sage.
and always she dreamed Of another
portv-sho lO1uod For
This hope grew very high when Mol
ly Jewett began going with the Tay,
Tor boy. He was nice looking boy.
Roddy Taylor. if rather thin; he had
turn-up nose and he whistled as he
came along about five o'clock. Later
on the pair took to going in and out
by the garden door. Sometimes they
stayed at the gate long time. aAd
then Miss Bent would rise hurriedly
and leave the window. What she saw
there once or twice made her feel I'M
comfortably like an eavesdrOpper; she
realized humbly that 1t had nothing
to do with her.
One afternoon that spring she saw
them coming but there was something
different somehow. Molly was wHli
ing stiffly, very far away from the Tay-
lor boy, and his young face looked
proud and angry. When they reached
the garden door it was plain that this
time Susan Bent need feel no delica-
cy about staying at the window. So she
stayed and stared; she could hear
nothing, but she saw very well. She
saw Molly's angry toss Of the head
and that she pushed open the door and
ran within, slamming it behind her.
and leaving Roddy Taylor on the
wrong side. Once alone, the girl
turned uncertainty toward the house
and then paused and ran instead into
the summer house in the corner. The
watcher from the window could see
the bright head bent on her arms.
my land" cried Susan Bent.
The party; the reception with the
tent and the guests and the refresh
ments, which had seemed so certain
was it put in peril? There stood
Roddy Taylor, dumb and dazed, out.
side the shut door in the garden wall.
His miserable face looked up and
down the street. If he walked away
well, there would be no reception
that spring. Susan Bent wasn't SEN
timental; she didn't care about the
silly young creatures. not she! But
she did want her bright hour! With
an inspiration, up she threw the win
dow and called aloud:
"Roddy Taylor!" "Roddy Taylor 20
Instinctively, the boy looked up and
heavy key clattered on the pave
ment at his feet. "The summer
housew Miss Bent cried wildly, and
under her breath she added: "You
gump!"
Then she damned down the window
and turned into the room, covering
her eyes. think probably she
prayed.
She heard rush of quick steps
and then silence fell. Twas a lon.
time before she went to the window
again; it had grown quite dusky. But
q bright light from the Jewetts' hall