Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-01-10

out on the ocsan OF mist that lay over thu
valley, YOU might have amused yourself by
imagining that the end OF all things had come,
and having turned your back on the known,
you were venturing out into chaos.
Janey was not born TO pretty fances, and
yet her thought was not unlike what yours
might have been, except that II enyeloped her
"a chill and unreleniing certainty-just as the
mist settled down upon the valley and shut out
the sun. The beauty OF G fog Is so much Q
matter OF ones elevation.
At the store group Of men were standing,
talking idly. They separated as she came up,
with smile and good-natured word The -four
merchant talked To her kindly as he busted
himself among his brown paper bags A woman
came In and set her baby on the counter. The
tiny creature crept along and laid its pink,
velvety hand on Janey's wrist. Some Of the
warm, confding little life thrilled through her
arm, and got into her sluggish blood. 1t
might be that people were not cruel Two of
the men sauntered in from the platform, ana
seated themselves behind her.
bad" said one Of them leisurely; Z" Swiggarts
packin' raisins this week; he's offerin' dollar
a day."
The merchant warmed up and grew garru.
lous with the sudden metropolitan rush Of
trade.
"There's letter for your pa. Pemberton
was up Saturday; he says them rascals have
hauled off about the springs I'm glad Of it;
i'm ease your pa gPa good deal. It was
The girl looked up at him, wistful and dumb.
He counted out the change TO her carefully.
81 guess that's all right; there was three
cents due on the letter; it's good big one;
you'll be careful not to lose It,"
The man followed her out to put the pack
ages in the wagon.
IT'S Luke Delmar's half,witted girl" he
said, when he came back 'Id q good deal
sooner be his dog-poor thing"
Safe In the wagon again, Janey drew long,
gasping breath Of relief Possibly she was
nearer happiness than she had been before In
all her short, stagnant life. IL she had known
father had missed her, and longed for her re.
turn with blind, unreasoning sense OF pro-
lection in her presence, a sense OF which van
ished the instant she came In sight, the day
might have passed into Janey's calendar as
even more noteworthy than 1t was.
Luke had watched the wagon crawling
homeward like q leisurely insect across the
plain below, and the time dragged intermin-
ably, until the limp, faded sun-bonnet, with
its encircling cloud Of dust, appeared above
the line of grease-wood near the home.
~ thought you an the mare had fell asleep;
it's been more'n an hour sence We got to the
brush, he said grufly, as the creaking vehicle
stopped before the door. Involun tarily Janey
looked toward the vineyard. 1t lay there just
as she had left 1t, brown, irregular network
on Lue Tue bJTdgSnuS buinIler .
growth still untouched. Luke followed her
glance with his restless, blood-shot eyes.
"What We lookin' at the vineyard fer'" he
said, angrily. 1.-THE knife was dull an
hacker"
She gave him the package and got down
from the seat YEARLY. Beyond vague Won
der that he should think OF accounting to her
for his actions atall the girl was conscious of
nothing but the old deadening tyranny. The
letter slipped from her shawl and fell to the
ground. 1t lay at Lukes feet, an imposing
official-looking document, covered with mys-
FERROUS stamps and lettering.
There was no need for Janey to be afraid OF
him now. He clutched the wagon wheel, and
turned toward her piteously.
"What is it1 Where did you get 10 ]
hain't done nothin'i Who told 'em. What
do they wants"
He seemed to her suddenly a querulous,
trembling old man.
Janey picked the letter up and wiped the
dust from It with her shawl.
''The man at the store gave 1t to me. He
said II was foryou. Ididn'task nothing about
It'll thought you'd know"
He shrank further away from her, covering
and terror-stricken. The lines on his ashen
face seemed to deepen and grow palmer
''It's nobody's business-the land and every
thing is mite. Ell you told 'em anything
He had staggered against the horse, and was
holding himself up by the shaft; his breath
came in slow, labored gasps. Janey stared at
him stupidity.
'Ididn't tell 'em nothin'. I didn't know
nothin' to tell. The man said the springs
was your'n, and he gave me the letter-thats
all.n
IL was the weak uncertainty Of her voice
more than her words that treasured Luke. He
turned awag, fumbling nervcusly with the
harness.
ale reckoned you had been to boardin'
school, an could read writin', he said, with a
low, sneering laugh. II hain't no use for their
letter. Ye kin kindle fire with 1t. Burn it
up-d'ye hear met"
blindly. To-day, very little friction with
her own kind had stirred her blood. She slip
the house. When she heard the shafts fall,
she came back TO the door. Luke had stopped
to fill his pipe, and the mare was dragging her
halter, and nosing the tender alfilera on her
way to the she'd
Here's the whetstone," said the girl, list
lcssly; it was in the tool-box, where you left
it."
II was the first time she had ever spoken to
him in that way. Luke started and looked at
her with a muttered oath.
"D'ye want me to come out an trim the
cuttin'si" she asked, In her slow, meaningless
monotone. " Ef you're goin' to set out the
other clearn' | spose you'll want to heel 'em
in over there"
The mans face took on sullen, logged res
olution. He came close to her side
"D'ye think Pm fool." he said, In a cold,
cruel undertone; dye think Pm gcin' to i'm
prove another mans for;yi They kin plant
their own vineyards. Pm a-goin' to Arizony-
I'd gone long ago II ye hadn't been a-hangin'
| on to me like burl"
lie had nerved himself to meet her gaze. It
was not much to do after all. She parted her
lips, and looked at him, in white, speeches.
misery. His voice had far away sound to
her, like an echo. She repeated the words after
him, stupidity.
The mare had strayed into the young barley
now, and Luke had gone after her. Janey was
standing there alone. There must have been
something chilling In her dull, colorless face.
| The hound came up and looked ut her an In.
slant, and then SUNK away. and rubbed him.
self against his masters legs. Inside the house
she could hear the clock ticking noiselessly.
She wondered II she would ever be able to
wind IL when he was gone. Arizona was
| long way off. She had heard of It, though.
Great stretches OF desert, and hot, barren
mountains, where men dug silver. Women
and children never went there. The HOUND
might go, and possibly the horses; but she
would have to stay here. Who would NOW the
barley, and get H. in when 1t was ripe, and
plow the vineyard!
Something darted into her dullcd conscious
ness with a sharp sudden pain. She put out
her hands blindly In the warm sunlight.
at amt his'n," she said, looking about her
with low piteous moan; 'the land amt his n I;
they've took II away from him, an there's no
place for me to stay"
Perhaps the FIRST shock OF grief or fear 10
worst to those whose perceptions are keenest.
Everything came to Janey slowly. 1t is hard
to imagine a murderous blow frightening IT.
self out through weary hours; and yet the
girl went about until nigh fall; with the same
white, tortured face she had worn as she stood
there in the warm, breathless noon, when the
full meaning of her fathers word dawned upon
her. Luke was pruning the vineyard. He
was glad of any pretext that kept him out OF
sight of the homely awkward figure moving
silently about the house. 1t did not occur to
him to ask her what she was doing. That any
resolution was shaping itself In her dmly
| lighted brain did not enter his thoughts. .
He left bis work at sunset, and smoked his
pipe by the kitchen door In silence. Janey
was moving about inside with slow, listless
steps. There was new moon-a wet moon
| Luke said to himself, noting its curve. The
| backened branches OF the sycamore rose out
OF the canon in gaunt silhouettes against the
sky. A fog drfted In presently, wrapping