Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-10-07
She Was "Wearing
Pink"
(. ~~~~~~~ - - - - ~~~~'
By CLARISSA MACkIE


0TOSEpH WEED is home again, l
see said Miss Marie Freeman to
her sister, Hannah. "Ile looks pros
porous. too. He came IN his own car"
Hannah threaded her needle care
! fully. "Joey must be getting along in
years." she remarked >agely. Il won
der how much longer he's going 70
keep Luella Parks waiting for him to
make Il fortune
"Luella's beginning TO fade soiue.
lie won't see her this time, for she's
gone over to her grandmothers for
week. Old Mrs. Parks is sick with
the grip, you know"
"Of course ! know" retOrted Han
nah peevishly. Maria, you've got a
thing that everybody knows just as
if it was fresh gossip that you just
got from the minister's hOusekeeper."
"FOr the land sake. Hannah, don't
get the habit of being hen-peckin'-
| didn't mean anything much-speak-
ing of Luella Parks. may be allowed
to say that Joseph is coming up our
front walk this minute"
"Joey ?-here! Maybe he's selling
something. 1t it's brushes tell him
we don't want to buy any, but If it's
something else and there's samples,
we'u take two samples"
Maria went to the door. smiling
Joseph Weed was glad to see her and
came in at her invitation. fine, up
standing, yOungish man, clean shaven,
well dressed.
well, Joey" said the incOrrigible
Miss Hannah, 81 suppose you came
home to get married at last|
Now, Miss Hannah" he began
easily, but his color rose.
"Have you got a girl in the city|
demanded Hannah.
"Of course not. My girls here
you know Luella and /"
"Pah! Everybody around here
knows about Luella and you! How
you cOurted her for ten years and
kept off every other teller that wanted
her, and listen, Joey, Luella's the
prettiest girl in the county, but you
been waitin' so long-that somethin'
terrible is happenng!"
Joseph paled.
"You mean-there's another MANI"
he swallowed hard.
"There's hundreds of men in the
world, and plenty who would be glad
to rush in and marry Luella, TO say
nothing of being engaged for ten
years !"
What has happened, then?" he
asked impatiently.
Hannah regarded him with tragic
dark eyes. Perhaps she was thinking
of her own young womanhOod, when
she, too, had kept company with Law
yer Oakley, only to have him tire Of
her in the end and marry his stenog-
rapher, some strange young girl from
the city. He was Judge Oakley, and
Mrs. Judge Oakley looked down her
long nose at Hannah and her sister,
who were the village dressmakers!
81 won't have anything like that
happen to Luella!" declared Hannah
! suddenly.
Like what2" writhed Joseph, turn
ing despairing eyes on Maria Free
man. But Maria only shook her head
.hopelessly. Even she did not guess
what Hannah was driving at.
Hannah drew a deep breath and
| looked at Joseph accusingly.
''Luella Park is wearing pink! J" she
said solemnly.
Good gracious, Miss Hannah, what
do you mean" he roared, and when
man rOared at Hannah Freeman she
immediately came to EARTH
"When a girl gets to be thirty and
| over, and fades, and loses her looks,
you'll find that she buys pink dresses
it makes her look younger and
fresher-" announced Hannah tri-
umphantly, for she certainly had their
attention now. Last week l was In
the village and down at Petty's store
there was Luella buying yards and
yards of pink stuff. She bought other
things, too, but the pink impressed me
I bought it myself once" she ended
pathetically.
Joseph got up, and his face was
still blushing. Il ought to explain
why came, but Miss Hannah jumped
on me So" he apologized.
1--WE guessed you was selling some
thing" answered Maria kindly.
eff it's brushes, we don't want any,
thank you," remarked Hannah, thread
ing her needle.
Joey opened his generous mouth
and laughed heartily. II came in to
sell you a bit Of news" he said at
last-"you can't tell it to soul until
next week-promise!
They promised.
He brought q large box from his
car. "Luella asked me to bring this
box of materials to you, and say that
she'd be in later and talk about pat
terms and such--you see, we're going
to be married week after next and
Luella wants you to make her we'd
ding clothes!"
AS he went happily down the path,
Hannah glanced after him shrewdly.
II thought recognized that pink moss
rosebud In his buttonhole-it came
from Grandma Parks garden!"