Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-20
DaiIy Short Story
HonorabIy Discharged
hy PAUL ELLERBE

RoLLESToN VIII.
W was on. vacation and had
driven down from the North went
into sam Stpbb.nS real estate
office in the little town OF Wronn-
vile 70 see II he could rent ms
srandfather's old place up on the
side of Sourwood Mountain hy The
week and camp there Faith Mar
bury was there 10 sell SuhhnS
some war bonds
aren't it, You can camp there
free. and welcome, long as YOU
Ike. could sell IL 20 yun, now.
cheaper'n dirt--and dirt'S cheap
round here"
Quentin said he didn't want 10
bug. got the key and asked how TO
Get there.
aim going out In that direc-
tien." Faith Marbury said II
was going in the bus, but II YOU
WIN take me in your car, I'll
show YOU the way"
He looked al her Poised sweet
direct. with A smile like an open
door. he felt he'd like 10 have her
show him anything she d ever want
20. She was IS. hut looked younger.
Quentin was 40. and looked IS.
I'm the car: $50 you're Old
Doctor Quentin's grandson! And
you've never been here before
Welcome home! I'm Faith Mar
bury"
He knew the name from his
parents. because il had been her
mothers and grandmothers. They
knew a whole genealogy Of names
in common. and on their way to-
ward High Shoulder they talked Of,
them.
But first he asked IL there was
any chance of getting mail out
there. and she told him the old
letter box was still standing. and
ne stopped at the WrennYille post
office and left a forwarding order.
I've worked for the company
for 80 years. Began when was
IL. Just humdrum clerical work
year after year. I've saved up
my vacation for two years, and
now I've got n whole month.
You can't know what that means
unless you've trod the Stats OF
treadmill like mine"
And then she looked at him and
saw that she did know
what did you want to be-"
she said gently.
"Humph. / don't even know.
i just didn't want 10 be an Of
fice man. I've always dreamed
Of this country down here. II
looks like Paradise"
She showed him the tree-oVer-
grown road with the letter box at
the foot of il, and they chugged
on up to High Shoulder, as remote
as a star, on the great outthrust
shoulder of the mountain.
The valley lay peaceful and
quiet and sunny below. running
off to range after range Of distant
mountains. He turned and looked
at the old gray house.
"Seems TO have been waiting
for me since always. A fellow
could live here, i suppose, on
half OF nothing"
"Yes. And It's peaceful and
beautiful, but. In your grand
fathers time all these nearby
farms were occupied, but now
they're abandoned"
She looked out over the three
little distant townsville brick
yard with the smoke curling above
1.-THE mill down by the river
that ground the corn.
"a fellow could live here, but
that's life, down there" ..
"For the first time since !
quit school I've nothing on earth
20 do for so whole magnificent
days-where can I take you?"
"Well-lf you really want
to"
He ended by taking her all over
that end of the county.
She had wool for a household
whose women were knitting for
Bundles for America. She stopped
at a crossroads store and tackled
up a notice Of a meeting of air
raid wardens.
In a village she directed him TO-.
she made arrangements 10 return