Show ROBINS LANE by IZOLA FORRESTER 2 it had been home a week and still he felt like a stra stranger tizer in it taft ville not but what hat acl of coined him but they did it 11 in tin 11 eat easygoing sort of way that left lili 1119 imn a enthusiasm cold after ten years of anticipation lie had been twenty tour four when lie he had biad started west there hall been two incentives ills his fathers demand that lie he throw till li engin engineering cering and go into the store and winifreda Wini freds refusal to marry him film ills his yearning to make good and show them tile sort of man he really was had been the spur all the years lie had worked and climbed winifred had told him she liked boys who were steady that meant the hardware store and irving son on ti the e long iong black and gold sign over the door door ile he hall laughed bitterly out in the lonely arizona nights before lie he had struck his right pace and yet there had ha d been the sting of homesickness in it too with all tile the joy of adventure and experience peri ence tile the little mill town on the bantle yantic river back in connecticut was home to him and winifred was the only girl who could bring a thrill to ills his heart just little winifred blake with her big blue eyes that seemed to challenge a fellow to do the very best that was in him ile he had seen her only at it a distance since ills return once in church twice down donn along main street when slie she was waiting e for the car then lie met her on the old hill road coming from the reservoir saturday afternoon her hands filled with violets you know they always did grow longer and larger up there it seemed she said as lie he waited beside her in the road 1 I was going up after some hardy told her aNk awkwardly take the short cut through robins lane why dont you do you remember the way and hardy deliberately prevaricated pre no he was sorry lie ile had absolutely forgotten the short cut she just turn back and show it to him winifred hesitated laughed a little and looked as it if slie she believe him we always went that way after violets hardy she reminded him its just the little lane below the big woodlot nood lot you know it so well but hardy shook his bis head looking down donn into her eyes until she ignored him and watched the fringe of pines and red oaks ahead of 0 them with ith slender white birches alftin lifting g tremulous new leaves in the sunlight sunil bt he had made up Us ills mind alt all the way home that he would ask her again she had only been seventeen then now slie she was twenty seven and it seemed as if the years had only made tier her sweeter and more desirable there was something indefinable abolia about her now something that evaded him she seemed sure of 0 herself poised and tran lull juil eyed more tender too in her way it must have been lonely for her there in the little mill tonn see the island over yonder winifred said suddenly they had come to the crest of the hill bill overlooking tile the reservoir it had always looked like a miniature western mountain scene tile the broad lake with its rocky pine edged shores and rocky islands here and there what splendid times we used to have up hei here e hardy ive never forgotten one of then them tie said slowly when youre a thousand miles and more away from home only memories seem real 1 I know she rejoined quickly all the time I 1 was in japan I 1 felt that way and when ilien we were sent down to the philippines it was even worse vorse for there I 1 would meet somebody from home once in awhile and everything they said made me want to take the next boat back youve been away lie exclaimed with aunt dora and uncle phil slie she nodded lier ter lead there were so many of us at home and when he was sent to the east by his company he wanted a secretary so I 1 coaxed him to tal take e me then lie he died in tokio and because I 1 understood the hie trade situation pretty well they made me sales rates manager instead of trying to break in a new man ye ito only lieen been home about two months they want tile me to try south america this time hut but im tired of it I 1 suppose women are just tabby cats after all you ton work find and make believe you like it and all the time thue youre thinking of some cozy corner to curl up in and rest im going to buy the prendergast place and fix up the garden beautifully and have five cats hardy laughed laughed until she turned to look at him almost resentfully fully lie was so tall and broad shouldered so resolute and sure of himself jut just as she he remembered him one reason on why by she he had gone away was to 10 show him that girls have to stay at home you cant buy it he told her teasingly because I 1 knew you loved it and the deed Is Ni waiting alting tor for roe me now we could make it the homestead winnie ill have to go west now and then and I 1 you to come along I 1 want to show you all alie places where ive thought of ou oil and told myself to keep up my nerve and go back after you and make you say day leq ye winifred looked up at him over the llie violets violeta held to her lips 1 I eways on dered illy you stayed so long lone she lie said 1 I thought you were jut ju t a quitter hardy when you take me with you before 1 1919 1019 mcclure MeL lure newspaper syndicate di cate |