Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-05-28
Romantic Gift
BY VIRGINIA WoODALL
@ Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.
WNU Service.


an appeared, face worn. vaguely hard,
her hair struggling about her cheeks.
She drew up with start to regard the
man standing on the porch. A stifled
gasp escaped her. for recognition had
been swift.
Eric! So you've come back I"
"Maisie, isn't it?" he asked. Then
he smiled and offered her his hand
i"Gee, It's good to see you again.
Where's Clita?
The mountain woman's eyes lifted
widened, shifted suddenly from Eric to
the baby, then back again. Had II
been so long ago
Il guess I've done you wrong, Eric
she said quietly. Il kept on sending
you them morning glories every
spring :"
"You sent them?" He stepped near
er, regarded her with anxious eyes
"Why II thought Clita sent them
Where is she?"
So that was it. She had been right
The years had told. She looked into
his eyes again as If searching for some
hidden expression that would tell her
more. Incredulous, 1t seemed ... Al
last with lowered lids she beckoned
him to follow. In the back yard be-
meath the tallest OF the trees a name.
less headstone reared its gray drab.
ness above the whitening grass.
t9Thnrn
"Clita deadT
Maybe 1t was two years after you
went, Eric. I've can't write, none
of us. and always-well, we didn't ex.
pect you'd ever be coming hack to the
mountains"
He had dropped on one knee beside
the little mound. head bent. ''Clita" he
sobbed. IT didn't know. didn't
know"
inadvertently the mountain woman
stepped nearer. so that her outstretched
hand all but touched his curly head.
81 came as soon as 7 could" she
heard him saying. 1--WE been In South
America eight years. I promised Tt
come back If she'd wait. kept writ
ing :"
A little later ne stood reverently be
side the grave. but try as he would hi
could not imagine the body Of hi:
beloved Clita there beneath the ground
Suddenly he had found all the magic
gone from the mountains. Mountains
that he loved.
-Yore letters are all In the house
there, just like you sent them" sh,
told him. Her voice softened. "Clits
waited for you. and then she took sicl
and died. She used to sit here ant
dream about you, reckon. She asket
me to send you the morning glorie
every spring. l took them down to tn,
grocery store and got the man t
send them"
THAT was awfully good Of you
Maisie. You were always such gooC
kid. And you haven't changed much
Not day older than when / saw you
last. A little maybe, but not much
And Clita-was she pretty when sh,
grew older-llke she was them"
"Yes-awful pretty"
"She was the prettiest girl in thes'
parts when she was-let's see. how
long ago has it been? Ten years
She'd be twenty-eight now, wouldn'
she? Just eighteen then. and you wer,
twenty-five"
Closing his eyes, he saw, as he hat
done hundreds of times. in magma
ton Clita's tawny. unruly hair, hel
clear, sweet eyes.
II guess you'll Oe wantin' to go SEE
yore home place." the woman was say
ing. SAINT much Of 1t left-just the
walls. | dig the weeds out of your
burying ground sometimes" MI
Eric thanked her again, aware oil
her kindness, but aware, too, that she
had become a stranger to him. She
walked with him down to his car, moi
insisting he stay for a visit when he
refused with hasty excuse of business
matters her invitation to remain for
dinner.
It'll be coming back again." he lied,
'And-and, Maisie. want to send a
stone for-for her grave. What'll
have written on its"
Just Clita reckon"
Watching until bis car disappeared
around a curve, she turned and walked
heavily up the path to the house. A
man stood on the porch waiting for
her.
"The kids said stranger-city Teller
was here" p
ERIC Swanson"
Eric" He Strengthened, taking his
hands from his pockets. "What was
he a-wantin'a" His eyes narrowed
didn't reckon I'd ever see him
again."
HE won't come back no more.
Guess he was Observation-Disclosures.
Men git like that sometimes" She
gazed at the mountains thoughtfully.
Men amt got half as much sense as
women, because they never look facts
right square in the face"
The man chuckled. Maybe. Say,
was he glad to see your"
She smiled a little. II reckon. Mis-
took me for poor Maisie. And he's
going to send me a nice tombstone
with my name on 1t for my grave"
Peanut Plant From Brazil