The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-06-24
SHORT
SHORT
STORY

STORY She had dreamed so
long of having a
home of her own. Sometimes the
tears would come when she thought
of it but with stern New England
will she had repressed tears. 1t
had been hard at first, not to think
of what she had almost had. Her
eyes would persist in straying
across the hedge to the house where
Elijah Benton had once lived.
Elijah, tall and fair, with the ten
derness that she remembered so
well on the day that he had asked
her to wait for him. She remem-
bered to the day, how she had stolen
down to the garden to meet him.
She had not dared to meet him
openly. For years the two fam
lilies had not spoken. All because
of trouble over the boundary line
between the two houses.
But love knew no boundary line,
and Emma and Elijah had sworn
that nothing could keep them apart.
That was before he had come home
from the sea to die. Fever from
the tropics had followed his ship.
While he lay i'll he had begged for
her, and she had not been allowed
to go. Pride and the family quar-
rel had prevented. Then when she
could endure it no longer, she had
gone secretly, only to find she was
too late.
Across the hedgeway the Benton
house had long been closed, for
there were no Bentons to care for
it.
Because only a memory and an
empty house are lonely company,
Miss Emma asked Mary Ellen Lew
is to come and live with her. Mary
Ellen was Prescott by blood. She
was young and blue eyed, with a
sunny laugh and a way with her
that made the village smile back
at her. But what worried Miss En-
ma was that she never had any
beaux.
Spring came and the Benton gar
den needed attention. Miss Emma
and Mary Ellen worked together,
! with Mary Ellen doing the work
and Miss Emma giving the orders.
! Quite often Mary Ellen worked in
( the garden alone. Her dreams could
live among the flowers.
4 When John Parker first saw the
garden, its rare beauty stopped
him. 1t was so primly old-fashioned
in the way it was hidden behind the
hedge. He was glad that he had
remembered the old place belonged
to him. His painting would 60 well
there.
So quietly had John Parker come
into the garden that even his foot
| steps had not sounded. The slender
little figure in blue went on reach
ing for roses and talking to the
thrush that sat on the bough of the
apple tree.
"You think it's a shame, too,
that any man should own this gar
den, don't your" the figure was
saying. He's an artist, and he's
coming next week to live here, so
that I can't come over any more. I"
"But I'd rather like it if you would
come over, even if l am here"
| protested John Parker.
The figure whirled around with a
suddenness that sent the thrush
winging over the hedge. John Par
ker smiled, and wondered what on
earth he should say next. The girl
laughed in disconcerting manner,
and dropped a rose from the arm
full she held.
At Mary Ellen's description of the
Benton descendant, Miss Emma's
heart beat little faster; he seemed
so much like Elijah.
The final effort to have her ro-
man have happy ending took
Miss emma herself to the garden.
John Parker must paint a picture
of the garden with Mary Ellen sit
ting beside the lily pool.
On the last day of August the
picture was finished. The day after,
John Parker went away. Mary FL
len did the housework with a forced
cheerfulness that did not deceive
Miss Emma, nor did Mary Ellen s
explanation deceive her. John
Parker had gone-with only good
by. Miss Emma nodded wisely.
Mary Ellen had found she did pos
sess a heart after all.
Then she saw the Boston paper,
and on the front page was the rea-
son why John Parker had hurried
away. Very carefully Miss Emma
hid the paper behind the wood box,
in the kitchen.
Mary Ellen went each evening to
the garden, to sit beside the lily
pool and dream. So when John
Parker appeared, Miss Emma knew
where to send him, and she smiled
as she watched him run down the
path. She even spied a little; saw
him show Mary Ellen a newspaper
clipping, then take her in his arms.
Miss Emma sighed, content at
last. II knew he'd come back, )"
she said to the rose bush by the
door. "And with all the prize
money that picture got at the ex-
hibit, they can fix up the garden and
rechinple the houSe