The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-01-16

am glad you agree with me about
women and their way of loving. You
see am right in deciding not to stay
here and endure the torture of seeing
| that girl love someone else. Instead of
| waiting until next week before | go. |
can be ready the day after to morrow"
Holt was looking full in his com
panion's face as he said these words and
he saw something there that made him
say, sharply, and yet with kind of gut
tural, sound in his voice:
" Barron, you love herw
Barron turned away, but Holt saw his
face rowred and then pale. Then he
fronted his questioner and said, almost
in Whisper;
eff do, you cannot wonder, can
you?"
Holt was silent long time. So long
that Barron at last came toward him, and
put his hand on his arm, repeating his
question:
"You cannot wonder, can you?"
Instead of replying. Holt said:
" l was thinking of that old saying
about looking at happpiness through
another mans eyes"
"But am not happy yet"
to-day"
"You must not put too much into
woman's smile"
Though Barron said this, his face
showed that his hope was high.
81 shall not cut any more wood to-
day." abruptly said Holt. "Will you
90 down the hill with me2"
He hurriedly put on his jacket, then
swung his axe over his shoulder. He
looked and acted in haste.
eff I see Steuben before noon, :" he
said, as if to himself, 81 can easily ar
range to leave the day after tomorrow.
Every hour that l stay about here is
misery to me now"
The two men began the descent of the
hill, and went on half way down in
silence; then Barron suddenly stood
still.
That was curious sound, " he said.
Holt reused himself.
II heard nothing" he answered.
"What was it like
He spoke indifercntly, as if he cared
very little.
Il can scarcely tell. 1t might be
cry for help"
mot likely" llstlessly.
"But if it were," returned Barron, still
OBTAINING his companion by hand on
his arm eff it were, you would wish to
heed it, would you not!'
Holt was plainly impatient; but he
said, "Of course" and tried to listen.
Then they both heard what might
have been cry, but it had such
strange and sulfocated sound in it that
it was impossible to tell if human
voice had uttered 1T.
you heard that2" said Barron, who
felt irritated that the other should feel
so little interest in this sign of distress.
Yes; but don't know what to make
of it. Some dog, perhaps"
"Whatevcr it is | shall follow it up"
And he turned off to the left and be-
gan pushing through the thick growing
wood while Holt kept by his side sui
lenly but pcrsstently, as one having no
inter est in the affair in hand.
In moment the two had emerged
into space where the trees had been
cut that winter 1t was somewhat steep
slope down the hill, and here and there
were still small patches of snow, fast
melting beneath this sun.
On one of those patches of white,
close to where a small group of walnut
trees had been left standing, both men
saw at the same instant the same OBJ
ject
That object was spot bright red on
the snow, something resembling what
women call cloud. "
/ 1t was like what Naomi Barto had
worn a half hour ago
/ Holt dashed forward a step by the
side of Barron; then, recalling the
smile he had seen given to that man, by
an effort which took all his will, which
was not weak, he drew back, and fol
lowed the impetuous rush that Barron
made down the hill.
II will be ready to help but will not
be first" was what he thought.
AS they came nearer they saw that a
tree seemed to have fallen, and the next
moment revealed to their eyes that a
woman waSpinncd down beneath one of
the branches.
They saw the dark hair loosened and
lying on the snow. The lace was
turned from them, but neither seemed
to see it to know that it was the woman
they both loved who was in such need
OF help.
Hollis eyes mechanically took in the
whole scene, aside from that
helpless figure. He saw that the
tree which had fallen had been sawed
nearly through the butt, and that it
stood ready for the first blow of wind
from the right direction.
lie knew, too, or thought he knew,
whose careless work il WAS
Strange how many swift thoughts
raced through his mind in the brief time
while he was flying down the hill.
Barron reached the spot an instant be
fore Holt. The two men saw at glance
the position of heavy branch across
the girls chest, and saw also from what
place it must be moved.
But Holt had the better judgment, and
in this terrible moment the cooler eye.
He felt as though every nerve and mus
Gle were strung TO the utmost tension.
His swift glance at the suffering face
on the snow told him with almost uner.
ring precision how many minutes longer