Evening star., 1925-01-04
By Grace Surt1ueU Mason

This road don't-don't lead any
| where
1T leads to Toland Hollow. as you
very well know" he replied.
At the top OF the ridge he stopped
! the car abruptly. The hollow lay
spread out before them.
We'll. Ruby Toland. I've brought
you home"
| She turned, leaned forward and
| been born.
THEN to his aetonIshment shud-
der went through her; she put her
hands over her face and sobbed. The
sound went on increas in violence
as if the foods Of years were loose.
I Her hand groped for the handle Of
| the door. lie opened it for her di-
| vtning that she wanted to get away
! from him. and she stumbled out lie
! watched her go bliudly toward the
! woods at the slope of the ridge above
| the hollow. When she thought her
| self hidden from him, she made
movement that was at once curse
| and a gesture of despair. Then, o II
| her knees gave way, she went down.
| She groveled and pounded the ground
with a clenched fist and he could
/ hear the sound of her sobs. difficult
and noarSe like mans
| After what seemed painful age
| she came slowly back.
Might as well have it out here
guess you hold all the tricks. ] suppose
! this will be all over town tomorrow
For answer he laid on her knee the
wedding certificate. Found II among
! Ole's effects Did you know that he is
dead?'
81 buried him" she said indifereutly.
''Or sent money to my folks TO do IL.
That's more than the dirty hound would
good funeral. too"
when you married Mortie, did YOU
know that Ole was alive"
NO: ] thought lie was dead" she
said, and there was a simplicity in her
| tone that made him believe her. Il
saw him drown-or 1 thought | did. He
and another Swede got into an awful
| fight | was 16 years old. ole and
I'd been married three months. was
black and blue all over where he'd beat
me up. Two of my fingers was tied UP
in a rag where he'd bit me-
"Do you know why | had il in for
those Jenningses?" she demanded I'M
expectedly. We'll. IN tell you: When
| was a kid | used to walk to Marysport
TO sell berries--5 miles-bsrefoot. |
was the only one in the hollow that had
SOmpIlOn eHOuRA 10 10 tItdl oIlt haH
7 went around to the Jenningses' house
with pail Of berries. Their hired girl
called out to Mrs. Jennings, here's one
of those kids from Toland Hollow with
berries" And / heard Mrs Jennings
say: No, | couldn't stomach anything
| those dirty Tolands had touched
Ruby paused. "I had never known
was dirty until then. ! knew II well
enough after that she added grimly.
II was about 10 then. | began TO say
to myself that I'd get out OF the hol-
low--Td show the people in Marys-
port some time what dirty Toland
could do"
That's why YOU married Ole-to get
out of the hollow
1T was the only way | could get out.
In Marysport they wouldn't even have
a hired girl that was Toland. 1t was
a bad way out, though. Ole was raftins
logs down the river, and | went along.
All day | cooked and washed for the
men on the RATS and at night Ole beat
me for amusement. That's what they
got to fighting about--him and the other
Swede. They was both half soused. /
saw 'em roll off the raft. The river was
high / watched 'em go down amongst
the loose logs and trash, and after
long time, when only one OF EN- come
up-and that wasn't Ole-I took Oles
money and l lit across the boom TO