Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06

"HE women of the village clacket
their tongues and shook thei
heads when Rea Warren paSSet
down the tree-shaded, cobbl.
old streets of Tucket. Yet Re;
never saw them. Her blue eyes Wer'
distant with dreaming; forever turned
toward the sea. 1t had always been lik'
that. Queer sorae said she was.
"That Rea Warren's KEEP her people
worried to death with her queerness,
they said. Guess they'll be glad enough
when she gets married and settles
down" There was a sleek satisfaction
in the way they said that, and yet
faint tinge Of disappointment too, fol
Rea Warren, married. could never give
the pleasant little shocks of surprise
and disapproval that Rea Warren
single, could give. Theirs was stern
old-fashioned idea of marriage. A home
to keep clean, meals to cook, children
to look after No time for foolishneSs
when woman did her duty by her man
Rea Warren wondered at that, and
was afraid. No time for foolishness
they had said. But she could maxi
time. She could always see the crimson
sunsets carelessly flung across the sea
and sky; watch dark wind clouds dr1v-
ing the little ships into harbor and fee!
the soft gray fingers OF the fog.
Foolishness? Was that the only rea-
sSDn her feet took the path to the left
kstead Of to the right? The path to
the right led over the hill and straight
into the village, but the path to the left
ran down to the sea first, in rough
uneven way. Briars and bushes pulled
and scratched, but there were always
the dunes at the end, and the CLEAN of
wet sand, with the flash of the gulls
soaring overhead. The sand was coarse
with stones that filled her shoes, but
she never emptied them until she came
to the wharf, and there she sat on a
splintery old wreck of a dory while she
wriggled her toes in her black cotton
stockings and shook her heavy shoes
free of the yellow grains before. going
up the street to market.
Even on wet, gray days when the
surf rode high and spray reached out
to the dune edge Rea chose the beach.
the road and was protected from the
wind by the dignity Of tall, unbendtng
trees.
You'll catch your DEATH" Rea' S
mother always worried, and she always
followed her to the kitchen door to be
sure they were out of the hearing OF
Jonas Warren, Rea's father.
"Rea, do go the hill road today" her
mother would plead. looking out toward
the sea. Its so wild"
Rea would laugh. That's why I
love i'll"
Worry lines would creep across her
mothers forehead. Then you be sure
to wipe all the sand of your feet be-
fore your father sees you" she would
warn.
The fear of the Rev. Jonas Warren
had long ago bonded Rea and her
mother with an inSeparable under
standing. There had always been great,
black memories of her father in Rea's
mind. There was that Sunday, long
ago, when a stiff ro'theaster cast long
ropes Of heavy brown sea kelp on the
sand. Rea had wreathed herself in the
sea weed and was wEirling and prancing
to the thunder of the surf when her
father found her. She was never able
% forget his wrath.
What work of Satan is this!" he had
stormed, his small eyes terrible with
anger. "a daughter of mine dancing
like heathenl ForSaking the ways OF
God to entertain the DEVIL"
THAT night at evening service Jonas
II Warren had preached on the terrors
of hell which~awaited the youth OF the
land who defied God. His little con-
gregation Uttered among themselves at
his fiery denunciation.
Must be Rea up an done suthin'
terrible" whispered hook-nosed Mrs.