Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / Dec. 24, 1936, edition 1 / Page 6
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PAGE SIX I Make-I Bri i I BY RUTH II? III Mill II 1 Mill IIIHI miTlllimllHI IH !! IHI Ull I itiv a i ?vc r \ r ? m t-vr Well, well, that's fine, and now 11 reckon I'd better gel out to the fields j or we'll never get any work, done' with ail this excitement. tor even if | it's Sunday the beasts must be fed." But as the men left the table, Maris turned to the farmer's wife. "I wonder if you'd let me call up Patsy now?" she asked. "Of course you may. The phone's right there." and she pointed to the hall. Bui a3 Maris rose from the table a sudden blackness seemed to envelope her With a crv. the farmer's j wife rose and rushed to her side just in time to sve her from striking her head against the table. "The poor little girl! Quick, Tillie. bring some cold water, and then turn down the bed in the spare room. I guess ali this terrible excitement's been too much for her." When Maris opened her eyes again she found herself in a cool, dormerwindowed room with snowy white curtains at the windows and a big bowl of flowers' on the window ledge. She looked slowly around her. Where was she, she wondered. It. was pretty room, but how had she ever got there? Then the generous-bosomed woman in the quaint flowered-sprigged cotton gown who was sitting by her side said. "Feeling some bettor now. my dear?" "Oh, yes." she whisoered "I'm afraid I've been an awful nuisance to you. I must get home." "No. no, not yet. You couldn't rise just yet, but if you can tell nie where your friends are. F*:I call them up/' 'Oh, but that would scare Patsy. I'd better talk to her myself." She tried to rise, but slumped back on the pillows again. " There, my dear, you mustn't try' just yet. Won't you let me talk to your folks ? I'll be mighty careful what I say toil them just what you want me to." "All right, l guess you'd better." Maris said, and told her Patsy's number. Then she fell asleep .again. It was !ate afternoon when she woke, and through the open window drifted in ilie lazy hum of a iaggxml bee, and the fragrance Of fall flowers. She closed her eyes again as once more she thought of the fate she had escaped. What a fool she had been- She'd lost Rod, for of course he wouldn't be interested iu her any more. She d lost Stan. That was different. She was only too glad that she had found out in time what a contemptible cad he was Maybe, after ail. Rower,e ha,i found out his real | cnarucler. She might well be < - i grstu'.otir.g herself or. her escape. Patsy had been right. Men like Stan didn't have much sense of honor where girls like her were concerned. She clenched her fists, as site thought of her escape. Then she thought of what her crazy infatuation had cost. Her job would be gone, for of course she could never go to Fayson's again. She'd spent nearly every penny in her savings account so she could be all dressed up. Now the verythought of the clothes she had bought i was hateful to her. ' Once more she drifted off to sleep. Then just as dusk was falling she I woke again and suddenly she sat up ; in bed. i The door of her bedroom was soft- 1 iy opened, and Pasy tiptoed lightly 1 to the bedside. "Maris, honey," she < whispered as she bent over her. i "Oh. Pat. you dariing, will you ; ever forgive me? I've been an awful ( fool, and now when I'm stranded you I are the only one I could call on." 1 Her eyes filled with tears. "There, Maris, there's nothing to : forgive T'ra just SO glad you were lucky enough to strike folks like the ! Dawsons. They seem the kindest people. They're insisting that Jim- i my and I will stay overnight too, so j 1 we won't strike all the Sunday night I' traffic." ! 1 ' "And you'll take me home with D?4n.. '? *? j??, Adwj, even u A in uierne ana < "Of course we will, and we're not going to say another thing about it. 1 knew you never really loved Stan Fayson. You were just carried away by the glamour that surrounded him. But when you know all that we know about him, you'll thaiik your lucky stars that you never went through any marriage ceremony with him." Maris was silent. She could not yet understand why she had fallen for Stan's love-making, why she never realized till their last ride what the expression of scorn on those lips of his signified, nor what it might mean to her to marry a man who couldn't get along without his whiskey. She shut her eyes tightly, as she turned to Patsy. "Oh, Patsy, if only I could ever forget all this; if only I Relieve ide ! ' J I T A TTT TT\r I d listened to yon!" There. Maris, don't feel so badly. You haven't committed any crime like Stan- -there, I didn't mean to tell you, ' she saiu us Maria opened her eyes wide and jumped up. "What do you mean?committed a crime?" There was a terrified look in her dark eyes "Well, they've just discovered he's been at the head of a bunch of racketeers who were systematically robbing his father." "How could he do that?" asked Maris, suddenlj* remembering something Jimmy had once hinted at. "Weil, he tipped them off when, truck loads would be leaving: the mills. Then the bandits would hold them up, knock out the drivers and turn the stuff over to another bunch of men who would dispose of it and ha::.1 Stanley his share." But surely they wouldn't do any-1 thing to him V" asked Maris, remem- j baring Stan's haughty mother. "I don't know Those thugs who made you ride with them were some of the ringleaders and because Stan tried to cheat them out of more than his share they've told on him and now there's a nasty front page scandal about it all." Oh. Patsy: surely they can't say anything about me?" "What could {hey sav. Maris dear? XoL a thing. Of course I wouldn't wonder if Stan's scared stiff if he ever gets a thought to what may have happened to you. Hut there- j '.hat's all past. Of course, though, y. u will have to resign from FaySOtt'o." "Rut. Mihy Oh. Patsy, you know ' got kind of sort at you not. haying sympathy with my attempts to step up on the social ladder, and gome* ! used to talk things over with, Mi:!y. * wonder what shc'Jj say \ now?" | bother about her or anyone j tuse; they'll ail be so busy talking about Stan's crooKO<lness that you'll be forgotten. There. 1 don't mean that cAaCtly but ixxLtri ix'n Ai realize you were just one of them and when a snow-down came you knew which side of th?- iine ytiii were* on." "You're a dear. Pat. I'll never forge! this." There was a knock at the bedroom door. "Come in," tailed 1'at. "I was wondering if Miss Maris would be ready for a bite of supper. I thought I'd bring- it before we sat down." It was the farmer's wife. I'm afraid J!m making an awful lot of trouble for you. Mrs. Dawson." said Maris. "I'm sure I can get up now." You'd better not A bite of supper and then a good night's rest and you'll be ready to start off in the morning. Not that I want you to leave in such a rush, but the gentlemar: insists he's got to get to the city." Yes. that's so," said Pat. "Well. I'll come down with you and tin :: 1 can bring Maris' supper up to her." By seven o'clock next morning Maris was headed for the city, but this time she had no fear that any moment might be her last. Jimmy Doyle, while a good driver, never ; took chances, especially when Patsy < .vas riding with him. Already Maris had shaken off the 1 terror that seemed to possess her. . uul as she told Patsy little incidents , >f her hectic love affair, she was almost able to jest about them The Dnwsrvns lmil tr^at<s.l )? heroine because of her part in rapping the criminals. Taking it iltogether, in spite of all the discouraging things that she had gone through. Maris knew that life still ay before her, and that there would tie other opportunities for her to show Patsy that she wasn't altogether the fool she insisted on calling ierself. But when they reached home and entered the little flat once more. Maris began to realize what her escapade had cost her. She'd lost her ?ood position and the chance to get a better one, and now with conditions still none too rosy she realized that it wouldn't be such an easy thing to pick up a job. "But you don't need to worry about that. You need a holiday anyway, so why don't you make up your mind to stay nome and keep house?" "Keep house?" asked Maris. "Since when could we afford to have one of us do that?" "Well, honey, it's like this. Jimmy's got his raise and we've decided we may as well get married. Then, as there's a chance he may be transferred to some other city in a few months, we were thinking we might stay here till we see what happens." "Oh, but this will be no place for me!" cried Maris. "Of course it will. If we get married next Saturday, then we're going away for a two weeks' trip, and you WATAUGA DEMOCRAT?EVE! could stay here and lock after things." "That would he lovely, but it doesn'L seem fair taat I should be fcving ot't you. ' "Living off met Nonsense. There i are a loi. of things I want dene and if voif.i vio 'hem for me . that will J more than pay back aixythiiig i:. wiU j cart lor your keen. And fbor who] tenows, something may turn up .Cox j you by that time. Anyway, you don'"t | need to worry, for Jimmy will be! oerf&etlv hannv to hgfv^ von hftov" And so, on Saturday evening Pat- i sy unci Jimmy were quiet'}* married. | and started for their wedding trip in! Jimmy's ear Tito house seemed i strangely desolate to Maris, as she j fixed up the things Patsv hau asked i her to?muki??g curtains and things ! for Patsy's home. She hadn't tried to got a job: The > least she could do was help Patsy j out after all she had done for her. ! Once she'd thought of vailing up! Milly, but then, MilJy was not a girl I she really cared to have for an in tiiuate friend, and now that she had j cut herself off from Favson's she ! deckled it would be better to let i things stay as they were. As she sat alone the evenings 1 her thoughts turned often to Rod. j Had he a steady nowadays, she won- ; dered. Was she that stunning look- ] ing girl she had seen him meet ? Her ! eves filled with tears. She realized j that slio had deliberately cut heiseif j off from happiness. Patsy had never mentioned Rod shiCv Mar s had conic back. Some how she'd been expecting her to say something about him, maybe to suggest that she should call him uj or ask him to come to see her. Her tears fell fast. Maybe Patsy realized she had had about enough to stand; that the knowledge?if it really were so?that he had transferred his affections elsewhere would hurt her so much. Pat probably thought that it. would be kinder never to mention his name. And yet as she laid her sewing down and wiped her tear-filled eyes, she felt a desperate longing to know about Rod, even if ho were going to marry some other girl. At least her heart would be at rest, and she would try to build up her broken life, to fill it with other interests. She knew now that she would never really love anyone as she hau loved Rod, and felt there could be no one else: The bell rang. It was only the mall man with v card from Jimmy ai d Patsy. "We arc having a lovely time," they wrote. "Wish you were with us." She laughed ash she read the message written in Jimmy's careless handwriting. That would be a incc :new -To die- ehapcrcr, err their honeymoon. But somehow when she found she could laugh, her fit of the blues seemed suddenly to dissolve, liven if she might never again knew the sweetness of Rod's love, she must try to keep from getting soured. Then she thought of the Dawsons in their comfortable home in the Connecticut valley. She'd promised Til lie. she'd send her some candy. So. slipping on an apron, she went into the kitchen and started to make I her preparations. seiung ner scales on the table, j measuring out the-sugar, and taking i down her box of flavorings. Maris i started Her candy making. It was a; nice cool afternoon and her caramels turned out beautifully. She was just debating whether to make another batch when suddenly the door bell rang. Pulling off her apron and smooth- j ing her hair, she hurried to the door. Bui when she opened it, her heart almost turned over. Rod O'Rorke was standing on the threshold! "Well. Maris, aren't you going to ask me in?" he questioned as he held out his hand. "Of course," she whispered, while her cheeks grew rosy, and a sudden sparkle leaped into her eyes. "But Jimmy and Patsy are still away." "That's fine. I guess they're hav IY THURSDAY?BOONE, N. C. America's Healthiest j J^JF 1^'si jgmik. v: - CHICAGO . . . II^rc arc the healthiest farm boys and girls in the U. S. and declared the winners in the National 4-H Club finals, heid here! Left to right front, Charles Abbott, Jr.. Blairs. Va.f and Margaret Topovski of Wooster. 0. "Second row, Jerry Cowan, Rogersville. Mo., and Mary Sellers of Letchatchee. Ala. Roar row, Roy Graves, Porter, Ok!a., and Martha Ekbcrg of Wisconsin i Dells, Wis. I ing ;a good time. It's wonderful weather for an auto trip," he said. ! He stex?ped inside and hung his hat on tno nail racK just as no used to do. "Yes, I had a post card from them today. They're somewhere in the Berkshires," said Maris. "And you're running the show alone?" he asked. "Yes," she nodded, wondering what had brought him around to the apartment. "I've been making some caramels. Like some ?" she asked. "You know I would l haven't tasted a decent bit of candy since?" He hesitated abruptly, and Maris wondered what lie had intended to say. But. leading the way into the kitchen, she said; "Help yourself, While l put ail this trash away," and quickly she gathered up her materials. j "They're great, Maris, the finest [ever. What are you gothg to do !ncw ?" "Oh, finish sewing Patsy's curtains, 1 suppose. "Wouldn't you like to go to a jshow ?" 'M.-Vim 5mu Maris, ss she bcr.t over her sewing. Did Hod still love her, she wondered. Surely if he was J going with that other girl he would not invito her to go out with him. Still, maybe he'd expected to see Jimmy and Patsy; maybe he was jjust being polite. If only she knew I where she stood with him 1 Then she remembered, she had : suggested they should just be friends. i Had he taken her at her word ? The I color dyed her cheeks as she wonidered if he knew anything about her adventure. Of course shed never |said anything to Patsy about keeping quiet about it. But Patsy was so ioyai, she didn't need to do that. Tlierr was silence in the little room for a long minute. Then Rod put his hand on her shoulder arm. "Don't you want to put that stuff away, Maris? It's a long, long time since I've talked with you." "Yes," murmured Maris, but she did not raise her eyes. Would she ever feel gay and light-hearted again as she used to when Rod and she were friends? Carefully, she folded up her sewing and laid it on the table. Then as she turned and faced him again, he caught her in his arms and drew her to him. Raising her face to his, he looked long into her dark eyes, "Maris, my sweet, I've been trying to forget you, but it's no good. I can't, dear heart. ! Don't you think you could love rue a little? I've missed you so, my I dear." Her arms tightened about his neck and she nestled against his heart, she murmured, "No, Rod, I can'fc love, you just a 'Little' for all this ; tinix; I've been loving you with my ; svhpte heart? just you." I "Darling," he whispered, 'you real- ? ! *V TilM" thq " V" OV/I *1 *? -"> i V. rl.n .? ? ' ?? her face to his. But when he saw i her glowing eyes lie knew she spoke the truth and as their Hps met. Maris knew that this indeed the man for her. And she knew that her most thrilling: day was still to come, when she went to the altar as Rod's bride?a real bride this time, with a real man, who would love and cherish her, for her bridegroom. (THE END) SAYS AMERICA NOW IN NEW ERA OF LAND USEj Addressing the annual session of the North Carolina State Grange at Raleigh recently, H. H. Bennett, chief of the soil conservation service, i Washington, D C., told members that in the last few years the counj try has made a far greater advance i toward the conservation of soil re- i sources than in all preceding years since the United States became a i nation. "The national program of soil and ] water conservation now in progress ! has carried us into a new era of i land use," ho said. "Band defense is | replacing the old system of land j waste and exploitation." I In North Carolina alorip farwprs I representing more than 400,000 acres I are co-operating with the soil con=Er. The holiday se; SEE opportunity to t =EE pleasure we de i EES business relatioi ' SEE on behalf of our j Err tior. we wish fo rzz a Merry Christ ? py New Year. FARMERS H SUPPLY ( IllllilHHllllllllllllliHllllHllllHIIHlllllll SlS? DECEMBER 24, 1936 servation service and the State College ^xU-nsinn service to conserve the soil, Bennett declared. Accomplishments in North Carolina are typical, he said, "net only of work here but also in Virginia and South Carolina and on the Pacific and Cat adian border/ Describing his observation on a 0,000-mile inspection tour of seven southern states. Bennett stated that "the condition of our agricultural land in southeastern fanning stales is grim evidence that people of this youthful nation have squandered their rich heritage of productive land more rapicllv than any other nation, civilized or barbaric, of which we have any record." Bennett pointed out, however, that a tremendous area of good soil throughout the region is still fertile and productive. Any areas that have been damaged only moderately can be safeguarded from further decline through the use of proven measures for conserving rainfall and controll| ing erosion, he said. Continuation of the present policy of working agreeably and co-operaj tivelv with farmers and state and j federal agencies will "forthwith" ! bring a solution to the national | problem of unnecessary and costly ! -and destruction and decline, ! concluded. STRANGE CREATINES Second of a scries of beautiful j pictures, in fall colors, depicting strange creatures of the sea. One of I many features in the December 27 issue of the American Weekly, the ' big magazine which comes regularly with the BALTIMORE SUNDAY ! AMERICAN. Get your copy from I your local news dealer. I tson affords an express again the 55 rive from our 55 as with you, and 55 entire organiza- 5S5 r you and yours ? mas and a Hai> = ARDWARE & ZOMPANY llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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Dec. 24, 1936, edition 1
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