Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-11-08
WHEN THEY GATHERED IN THE
HAY.


week." Robert Braith's mother said,
when he came in from his work and sat
down to read few minutes. There's
her letter OH the window sill if you'd
like to read it,"
He took up the letter and read it
through slowly. One passage he read
over twice before he laid it down.
l never spenta pleasanter summer
in my life than the one | spent with
you. And if Robert is the same dear
old fellow he was then, shall enjoy
this one quite as much, for you know
Rob and were the best of friends, and
have seen no one since that | liked
half so we'll"
He sat there in the door, with the let
ter in his hands, and he looked away
across the meadow where the grass was
crinkling in the wind like sea Of enc
raid, and thought about that summer
gone by, and the summer evening. In
that vanished one he had dreamed such
Il sweet and beautiful dream, and its
memory had never left him. But he
had hidden il in his own heart, AMI no
one had ever guessed what it was. Now
she was coming back, and the old dream
must be lived over again, or crushed
down and kept out Of sight, fit be SO
that his will was powerful enough to do
that But he doubted his own strength.
There had been times, in the dead sum
mer. when it seemed as if his heart
must speak out and be heard But his
pride had kept him silent. Here was
he farmer; and she was the child Of
wealthy parents, city born and bred,
and he argued that he had no right
to say anything to her of love, because
their stations in life were 80 different
and so far apart. If she had been a
farmers daughter, or the child Of poor
parents, or had he been rich mans
son, with culture and education equal to
her own, then But always the "if'' in
the way came up to stare him III the
face, and SO he crushed back the words
he had almost said 50 mauy times, and
Helen Hunt had never discovered his
secret, he felt sure.
He could not help feeling thrill oi
keen pleasure at knowing she was com,
ing back; but at the same time, lie was
sorry. 1t would only make it harder
for him after she was gone. lie knew
that her voice would hold the old dan
gerously-sweet fascination in it, and
her eyes would only make him feel
more keenly what he longed to claim
for his own, and what was out Of his
reach. But-and something of that
same recklessness which comes TO all
of us at times. came to him-she was
coming, and ne could not help that,
he would let the future decide its own
affairs. He would drift and dream
even if the waking up at the end OF 1t
was bitter with loss and Il life-tlme's
regret.
The next week brought Helen Hunt
Robert drove down to the depot after
her. She was standing on the platform,
with her face turned the other way
when he drove up. But It did not need
the sight Of her face to tell him that she
was there. He would have known
that tall and graceful figure any
where.
" / am glad to see you back, he said,
coming up beside her. His voice was
not quite steady. lie had tried to
make himself cool and self-controlled,
but the presence Of the woman he
Owed unnamed him little.
Robert. she cried, turning quickly
1t the sound Of his voice, with glad,
eager light flushing UP into her beauti-
FIJI eyes. How they thrilled him. She
held out her hand, and there was nc
mistaking the genuineness Of her vel.
come. Itspoke in words, and made il
self felt in her face.
II hardly expected to see you back
aere, lie said, feeling that she would
expect him to say something,and know
nc nothing else to say. just then
words failed 70 come readilyat his com.
mand.
- have been looking forward e