The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-08-21

cross toward the foot-path that lee
mp to her porch through the scrag
ICY pines, and he stopped in thS
road and looked up and saw her
He waved his hand and passed out
lof sight, and when he had mounted
| the steep and emerged on the shell
of the mountains, she was waiting
for him at the school house door
He came close and took both of hel
hands, and she smiled with touch
of soberness and said:
sob, Garry, I'm so glad you've
come"
He held her off and looked at her
and answered:
"Are You in trouble, Maggiei
Has anything happened? Is there
any difference between us?"
But she answered steadily, '.No,
believe there's DO difference"
Pm glad of that" he said, draw.
ing her closer. "You look tired;
you must find teaching the little
Pixies very wearying. But I'm go
ing to be famous now, and you won't
have. to do it much more"
you're very good" she said, @you
always have been good to me. But,
indeed, l like teaching here very
much, and am only little tired. III
give it up whenever you say so, but
don't be in a hurry on my account.
You'll be here now, and l shall do
very well, I'm sure"
So they talked together good
while, more gravely than one would
have expected, and then came down
along the only street. He was watch
ing her and talking to her, when,
glancing up, his eye caught his own
name: CoLYER Il RIDLEY, Law Or
FIcE.
"Oh, 1 almost forgot Ridley" he
said. "He did not come to meet
me. How is he? have you seen him
lately2"
"Yes," she answered, 81 saw him
yesterdy. Heis not quite well now,
/ believe. He has been very kind
while you were away"
He left her at her own door and
went in search of Ridley, and found
him at the office.
ooh, hello, Colyer," he said. SCOT
back? Glad to see you, ,"and he shook
hands with a great show of hearth
ness: but he looked hard, and not
as glad as his words.
"Why, Ridley" said his partner
"what's the matter? You don't look
well"
No, I'm SICK" said Ridley, speak
ing in reckless way new to Colyer
This accursed hole don't agree with
me, and I've got to get out of it. ]
want you to come in and get things
in hand and square up accounts
I'm see you in the morning"
He was gcing out but Colyel
stopped him.
"Oh, hold on, Ridley" he said
"What's the matter with your What
the devil is it all about?"
I'm sick, I tell you" Ridley an
swered, roughly. "I'm going to bed
don't know what it Is; maybe it.:
the mercury in the air. I've got s
bad turn and Pm going to bed
Don't come with me, I'm as ugly q:
Satan, and not fit to be spoken to-
Colyer sat alone in the Office
thinking until the day went out
Then he locked the door and went
along the dark road beyond the far
ling lights of the town and turned tc
the east up the traverse gorge. The
moon got in between the heights
here, and lighted up the road and
one of the walls of rock, while the
other lowered in the shadow. A
few houses struggled along the for
lorn of the "city," and Colyer stop
ped before one of them on the darb
side, and while he stood a moment
in the moonit road somebody came
out of the shadow by the doorway
and approached and spoke hi;
name.
"Come, Maggy,' he said, 81 wan
to speak to you"
On the lighted side of the gulcl
and a little higher up, a small clumI
of pines grew On a shelf of the
mountain, not hard to gain, and ht
led the way thither. sWhen they
stood among the trees he said
"Maggy, you said you believed
Ridley was not well. He says he'i
sick, and I don't think he was glaC
to have me back. He's much chang
ed and acts very strangely. He lef
me to 60 20 bed and saw him on tn
street just now. Do you know wha
is the matter with him?"
He spoke steadily and gravely
and she turned pale visibly with tn
white moonlight on her upturne,
face. And she answered:
"Yes, 1 Isuppose 1 do" Her voic
was steady though very low; bu
she put her arms about a pine tire
and Rugged it ever SO tightly to kee
him from seeing that she shook fror
head to foot.
Sand how long have you knoWn2
he asked.
"Only since yesterday"
His eager ear caught the faintes
, tremor in her voice now, and it shoe
f him like a great wind. He turne
his face away and looked at th
moon without saying or seeing any
: thing for time. Then she said:
"You ought not to be so ofende
with him. If anyone's to blame
E is l, and not he. don't know wins
l 1 was thinking of not to see it b.
3 fore. He did not know about u
!. and is very much hurt. He is goin
a away directly, and l think you ougl
to be sorry for him. 1 am very so
: ry."
f He looked at her without any a.
t parent emotion, and only asked:
}. "What did you say to him?"
She flushed up and began to a
It swer quickly, 81 told him the trut
e do you doubt"
:. But when she saw him more plail
d ly her voice broke up suddenly, an
d she sat down where she was and b
k gan to sob and bemoan herself. Ar
C Colyer sat down near her, but n,
r. touching or speaking to her; al
e his hands finding the rocks benear
= him filed with loose shingles, he b
is gan idiotically tossing bits of stol