Evening star., 1935-12-15

GRACIOUS river, CuTFlQR IN WIDE reaches
it rises, as any New Hampshire man
viii tell YOU; in carysl. down back Of
p bis last h sOss VOyagemhe was in' in the china
trade-turned his back on the ocean
and came a hundred miles inland to
make himself home, and the big
brick-ended house he built; with the
famous barn behind, stands about
angle where White River and Rapid
River fiow together to form the Weare.
The captain brought his bride to
Carvel, and his daughter was born
there. After he died his daughter
welded Will Brannan, and viii came
to live with his wife and her mother.
When Emily and Kay Brannan were
babies Grandmother Somes died and
the name died with her, but the house
was still "Cap'n Somes' place" to
Carvel and the countryside around.
Emily and Kay grew older and
Emily went to Wellesley, and on
certain fine morning in mid-June Kay
Brannan walked uptown to get the
mail. Will had box in the post
Office and usually brought the mail
when he came home to lunch. but
today he was indispoSed and would
stay abed. George Hastings would
have sent the mail with their grocery
order if he had been asked to- do
so. but his truck would not deliver
till late in the forenoon, and this
was Monday, so that there was apt
to be letter from Emily. Kay was
always eager for Emily's letters, SO
she came to town.
She walked, for she was used to
walking, and this day was warm, with
q soft wind full of pleasant whisper
ings. Leaves were unfolding, like
butterflies trying their wings. The
new grass was springing from C. the
sod, confidently expecting to grow tall
and lush, as ignorant of lawnmowerS
as college senior of the discipline
of the world. There was some late
shad bush in bloom along the river
and flowers in garden beds along the
way.
Where such a girl as Kay is con-
cerned dimensions are of no i'm
portance, but, for the sake of the
record, Kay was small, only frac-
ton over five feet. She was bare
headed today, and against her moth
er's prudent advice she wore neither
sweater nor coat. She walked as
though she enjoyed doing so, with
shoulders straight and snug, and
head high, and her heels clipped
briskly. She seemed not to hurry,
so easily she moved; yet, for person
whose utmost comfortable stride was
only a little more than two feet,
she covered ground at a surprising
speed.
Her eyes were alert and she missed
nothing along the way. Small mat
ters may assume a large importance
in Carvel, remote from the passing
world, isolate and self contained.
There is railroad through Newfield,
some eight miles to the north, at the
foot of the lake, and another at Dex-
ter, seven miles to the south; but
Carvel itself lies midway between the
two lines, untouched by them. Even
the main motor routes to the noun
tainS pass to one side or the other,
so that the town sees little of the
transient stream of Summer folk.
There are a few cottages on Coos
Pond, three or four miles toward
Newfield, but these are for the most
part owned by Carvel people, who use
them as Summer homes or as resorts
for week end vacations, or for Winter
outings when the snow lies deep on
the ice across the pond
The town itself is rather indus
trial than agricultural. White River,
the outlet of the lake, comes cas-
cading down the steep and rocky
gorge northeast of Carvel, and three
mills use the water power thus made
available. Charley Radfords shingle
mill catches the first fall; the Carvel
Woolen Mills, which have made old
Luke Frame a wealthy man, are lower
down, and nearer the foot, and at
the very heart of the town, the Gen.
tral New Hampshire Power Co. has
q plant and Office building, filled day
and night with the hum of turbine
driven dynamos.
The post office is diagonally op-
posite the entrance to the power COM
pany's Offices. on the village square. A
few stores and a filling station cluster
near and. so far as the business Sec
ton of Carvel is concerned. that is
all. But along Main street there are
pleasant homes, on well-spaced lawns,
the houses fresh with clean white
paint, thrifty and self-contained.
AS Kay came to town today folk
went out of their way to meet her
face to face for the pleasure of her
bright Good morning" In front of
Chuck Webster's filling station she
overlook Lillian Radford, few years |
older than herself, and slipped her |
arm through that of the other girl |
The gesture was affectionate.
Soon be vacation now, Lillianl"
She said. smilingly. Lillian taught |
in the Carvel School.
I'll be glad of it." the older girl |
wearily agreed. THE children don't |
do any real work after the weather |
gets warm. There's really no sense |
in keeping them in" They entered |
the post Office and approached the
wicket together, and Sue Clemons-