Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-07-09

Ne returned and slapped one Of tn
horses smartly on the flank The team
trotted obedIently of to the barn. H
picked up her little hide-bOund trunk
She TOOK her satchel- The yard wa
quite dark now. AS Klaas Pool opene
the kitchen door the red mouth this
was the open draught In the kitchen
stove grnHed a toOthy welcome at
them.
A woman stood over the stove. a
fork in her hand. The kitchen was
clean. but dlsorderly, with the disOr.
der that comes OF pressure Of work.
There was not unpleasant smell OF
cooking. Selma snlffed 1t hungrily.
The woman turned to face them. Sc
lima stared
This. she thought. must be some
other-an old woman-his mother,
perhaps, But: "MaartJe. here Is
school teacher" said Klaas Pool, Sc
lima put out her hand TO meet the other
woman's hand, rough. hard. calloused
Her own. touching 1t. was like satin
against pine beard, MaartJe smiled
and you saw her broken dlscolored
teeth She pushed back the sparse
hair from her high forehead. fumblet
little. shyly, at the collar Of heI
clean blue calico dress
Pleased TO meet you" Maartj'
said, primly. Make you welcome.
Then, as Pool stamped out to the yard
slamming the door behind him, POO
he could have come with you by the
front way. too. Lay OF your things.
Selma began to remove the wrapping;
that swathed her-the muffler. the
shawl, the cloak. Now she stood.
slim. anonymously elegant little fig
ure In that kitchen. The brown lady'S
cloth was very tight and basquet
above, very founcsd and hustled be
low. MY, how you are young" CRIED
Maartje. She moved nearer, as II i'm
PEELED, and fingered the stuff of Sell
mas gown. And as she did this Selins
suddenly saw that she, too. was young
The bad teeth, the thin hair, the care
less dress, the Uttered kitchen. the
harassed frown-above all these
standing out clearly, appeared the loob
Of girl.
"Why. l do believe she's not NOR,
than twenty-eight :" Selma said to her
self in kind of panic. Il do believ
she's not more than twenty-eight."
She had been aware of the two pig
tailed heads appearing and vanishing
in the doorway of the next room. Evt
IDENTIFY her hostess was distressed be
cause the school teachers formal en-
trance had not been made By way Of
parlor instead of kitchen. She fol
lowed Maartje Pool into the front
room. Behind the stove. tittering
were two yellow-haired little girls
Geertje and Jozina, of course. Selins
went over to them, smiling Which
Is Geertje" she asked. And which
Jozina." But at this the filters be
came squeals. They retired behind
the round black bulwark of the wood.
burner, overcome
Selina's quick glance encompassed
the room. In the window were a few
hardy plants in pots on a green-paint'
ed wooden rack. There was a sofa
with a wrinkled calico cover; three
rocking chairs; some stark crayons OF
incredibly hard-featured Dutch an
clients on the wall. 1t was all neat
stiff, unlovely. But Selma had known
too many years of clearinghouse ugli.
ness to be offended at this.
Maartje had lighted a small glass
bowled lamp. A steep, uncarpeted
stairway, inclosed, led off the sitting
room. Up this Maartje Pool, talking
led the way to Selina's bedroom. Sc
lima was to learn that the farm WON
an, often inarticulate through lack OF
companionship, becomes torrent OF
talk when opportunity presents itself
A narrow, dim, close-smelling hall
way, unexpected. At the end of it
door opening into the room that was
to be Selina's. AS it's chill struck hei
to the marrow three objects caught
her eyes The bed, huge and
not unhandsOme walnut mausoleum,
reared its somber height almost to the
rooms top. The mattress of straw
and cornhusks was unworthy of this
edifice, but over it Mrs. Pool had
mercifully placed feather bed
stitched and quilted, so that Selma
lay soft and warm through the win.
ter. Along one wall stood low chest
so richly brown as to appear black
The front panel Of this was curiously
carved. Selma stopped before 1t and
fer the second time that day said;
"How beautiful !" then looked quick
~ round at Maartje Pool as though
fearful of finding her laughing al
Klaas Pool had laughed. But Mrs
Pools face reflected the glow in hen
own. She came over to Selma and
stopped with her over the chest, hold
ing the lamp SO that its yellow fame
lighted up the scrolls and tendrlls Of
the carved surface. With one dis
colored forefnger she traced the bold
fiourishes on the panel. See? How
1t makes cut letters?"
Selma peered closer. "Why, SURE
enough! This first ones an 81"
Maartje was kneeling before the
chest now. "Sure an 8. For Sophia.
1t is a Holland brides chest. And
here is K. And here is big D. II
makes Sophia Kroon DeVrfes It ia
anyways two hundred years. My
mother she gave 1t to me when I waA
married. and her mother she gave II
to her when she was married, and
her mother gave 1t to her when sac
was married, and her"
IT should think sol" exclaimed Sc
lima, rather meaninglessly but stem.
ing the torrent. What's In It? Any.
thing? There ought to be brides
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