San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-12

So he tricked her hopes
again. Walking to school,
Nora Lee scuffed the white
alkaline sands. She shook
the black curls, brushing oui
the dust with a quick, pas
sionate little hand. She complained
hotly: "Oh, Marmce-why are we
here? Why do we have to stay"
1T is the only school l could get.
You like it better, don't you?"
II hate it,! / hate it. / wish !
could run way. Maybe I'm going co."
"Yes? But wait till the spring, my
Nora Lee. 1t will be lovely then"
In the spring they tried to make a
garden. Nothing would grow. Then
Andrew sent them plants-purple Wis
terra for the porch.
Nora Lee was excited about that.
1t would be just like their porch at
Fairdale. Every morning she carried
bucket OF water to the little vine.
She loved it and gave it a secret name.
She used to whisper: "Jane-grow up
lovely, won't you? You please will
all over the porch"
She had an idea that flowers had
feelings and they understood words.
The plant grew. One night the frost
touched it. 1t shriveled. The leaves
fell away. In week not one was left.
The stalk was dead.
CHILD LONELINESS.
When Nora Lee saw this she stood
perfectly still. Then her hands began
to shake. Wild sObs rushed to her
lips.
Margaret came gently: Are you
sure it's dead?'
Nora Lee pulled it with broken.
hearted violence from the ground
Look at it! Look at it. This is a
damn place. It's damn, damn place :"
She cried over the plant as though its
perishing were a tragedy.
She would not work in the forelorn
little garden any more.
Her loneliness was appalling-far
greater than Margaret realized. There
were no children in the school-only
ten overgrown pupils-seven boys and
three girls. They we're much older
than Nora Lee. yet much slower. They
struggled in all morning. Sometimes
they didn't come at all. Then Nora
Lee had to say all the lessons. She
thought burningg: "Oh, mamma
doesn't care about me-oh, l wish l
could die"
Her imagination peoplcd the vast,
gray solitude with terrors. She could
think things that made herself trem-
bic. Especially at night. She would
stare at the mountains until they
seemed coming together. They we're
alive. They were jamming Margaret
and herself up here forever alone.
And those gaunt trees on the hill
sidc-oh, they aren't trees at all.
They're black giants-terrible black
giants moving with deadly slowncss
-closer-closer. Soon they will over
take them. They will twist their
branches down and strange them.
On the quiet walks with her mother,
Nora Lees visions ran wild. She
grabbed Marsaret's hand, whispering
tensely:
"Marmec, look at that white streak |
Of sand. I thought it was ghost.
Really, truly Maybe there are ghosts. |
You can't be sure, can you? oh, up |
here, there might be-"
Up here there was loneliness and !
a pail of, quiet. Up here there might |
DC anything. How she longed to es-
cape! She used 10 cover her tablet !
with strange messages. I'VE arc all |
alone up here-a little girl and her
mother. We never have any fun.
Please come and get us. Nora Lee"
-ETTERS.
She scattered the bits of paper
along the read and in the
brush, thinking: Someone will find
hem. They will come for u.s."
Usually she fancied It would be
Andrew who was to come. She hoped
10.
Every month there came a letter
rom Fairdale. Often there were
looks. Nora Lee knew it was An
lrew who sent that heavy white en-
'elopc. Sic knew his letters made
Ter mother pale and sad.
For on those nights they walked
and walked Sometimes Margaret
lidn't answer when Nora Lee spoke.