The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-11-15

that blighted corn-field, from which we
had expected SO much. It reminded
me of a troop of weather-beaten SOL
diers that saw once returning home
in the latter days of the war, jaded,
dispirited, and with ragged banners
trailing in the dust. No music, no
of, to welcome their return. So, wear
lily, with detected heads and thin, long
leaves uplifted, our corn-field trailed on
the hillside.
Something of this decentralization had
perhaps entered into our household
sort of nameless shadow, bleak and
blighting something, against which no
energy and no activity could avail. We
were young, you see, and had. as it
were, Just commenced life, and it was
hard to know that things were going
wrong with us from the beginning. .
But Jake was still hero in nv ewes,
and loved him well, and it was to
lure him little from the impalpable
gloom that was settling about us that
| had proposed this evening stroll. I
did not take naturally to detection and
moodiness, and that sort of quiet that
l
lives: and the music, the moonlight and
the stirring people were like wine to
me, and l should have gone back to
our quiet little cottage gay as lark if
it had not been for those words. sThey
seemed like lead to my heart of hearts,
and weighed it down as we walked si-
lently hOmeward.
1t was late when we returned, but
Jacob seemed in no wise inclined to
retire. He walked about, restless and
reticent. The place seemed too small
for him; his tall figure seemed to con-
tract its limited space. as he moved to
and fro, till it was almost relief to
see him step from the doorway and
silently stride down the road. 1t was
no new thing for him to walk off the
''bluesH in that way; and l never in
truded upon these moods, when he APP
peared to mentally set me aside as one
who could not share in the thoughts
that were urging him. Generally he
came back to me out of these mOrOse
fits more loving and kinder than ever,
and this was JOY enough.
But tonight | was restless, too. l
wandered down to the gate and watched
his tall figure as, with a deep shadow
stalking after it in the moonlight, it
disappeared down the turn of the road.
/ fell into reverie standing there-a
reverie of l know not how long dura-
ton. was reused from it by the APP
pearance on the road of Jigger Jim's
distorted figure. We were very good
friends. Jigger Jim and myself. and he
had once signiticd his gh apprecia-
ton of our friendship by presenting me
with huge brass button. His glee,
when l pinned this on my dress like Il
brooch, was indescribable. This time
he stopped in the road and DOTTED his
cap-a courtesy only extended to GER
tain dignitaries of the village on rare
occasions. Jigger understood IMAM
ners,' but deemed them too good for
ordinary use. He was in high spirits,
apparently; laughed his strange gut
tural laugh, pointed to the moon spark
ling above us, then to his breast, and
was hugely pleased when l indicated
that the diamonds he had seen down at
the ball were like that. Then, elevat-
ing his claw-like fingers he gave
great leap. as if to grasp the serene
planet, and pointing to my shawl and
drapery, left me to infer that he would
like to see me bedizened with some
thing as lustrous as the moon and the
diamonds. Smiling as the harmless
fellow went his way, l bethought me
that it was late, and began to wonder
why Jacob did not come back.
l concluded, after awhile, that
would stroll down the road and meet
hint was so solitary at the house.
and the night was so alluring. After
you passed a certain turn in the road,
you came almost in sight of the sea-
shore. A little earlier in the evening
you were apt to meet knots of young
folks here and there strolling up from
the hotels. But at this hour it was
solitary and quiet. The water touched
the shore gently with soothing sound;
the beach stretched away white and
glittering, circling the blue water with
a grand sweep that curved out to the
misty distance, where q silver veil only
seemed to intercept earth and heaven.
People said this was bleak and soli-
tary place in winter-time. Now it was
rarely lovely. l gave q long, free
breath as looked. No wonder Jacob
fingered abroad on such Il night as this.
So smiling sweet was the scene that
forgot the weight upon my heart. and
wandered on aimlessly, childishly,
thinking of nothing but its beauty A
little way up, the dusk shadow of the
rocks cut sharply into the silver of the
shore. could imagine that on stormy
days this place might wear forbidden
aspect. In old times it was said that
LnI Oh
hidden in their overhanging lodges,
and creeping to their cave in that very
shadow. A useful shadow it must have
been to them, said to myself. How
could any one discern them as they lay
there on the sand watching for their
boat? Peering into the shadow with
this thought on my mind, felt my
heart for a moment almost stop beat
ing, for there on the sands, in that very
shadow, a man lay asleep, apparently.
The next moment it occurred to me
that Jacob, wearied out with his day.
work, had fallen asleep down here.
He had done SO once before, poor fell
low, that was before night-fall.
approached very cautiously, think
ing perhaps he might be playing a
pTdCllCstl JOhC VII lllCs do AlC uSCu w w
sometimes in the old days.
But it was not Jacob. The sleeper,
whoever he was, was not SO tall; he
was slight, and elegantly dressed, APP
parently. But went no nearer. Some
thing thrilled through me like an cleo
trio shock-a weird and preternatural
telegram. This was the man whom
Jacob had pointed out to me, lying here
prone and insensible. And where was
Jacob?
Then l gathered courage and ap-
preached him. / touched him with
my trembling hands, but he did not
move.
It was Death, then, keeping watch by
the moonlit shore-Death that had
lured me on to come down and meet
him here, terrible, and face to face. I
turned and fled down the sands, wildly,
with flying feet, to escape the vision
of terror that chased me as went.