Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-05-02
out here in hurry. Wish to goodness
she would,

then a breath of perfume from the
orange groves in the valley came up to
mingle with the wild mountain odors.
Brice worked every moment with great
energy, and the pile of gnared roots on
the clearing grew steadily larger. With
all her loveliness, Nature failed to WOO
him. What was the exquisite languor
of those days to him but SO many hours
of patient waiting The dull, hungry
eyes saw nothing of the lavish beauty
around them, looking through it all
with restless yearning to where an
emgrant train. with its dust, and dirt,
and noisome breath crawled over miles
of alkal, or hung from dizzy heights.
"To- morrow's the third, neighbor !
reckon she'll be long now direckly."
THAT'S fact what rattler time is.
The days had not been long to Joel.
"We'll go in tomorrow, and if they
don't come you can stay and watch the
trains awhile. She won't know you,
Brice, you've picked up amazingly"
81 think likely Loisey'll know me if
she comes.
But she did not come. Joel returned
the following night alone, having left
Brice at cheap lodgings near the station.
Numberless passers by must have
noticed the patient watcher at the in
coming trains, the homely pathos of his
face deepening day by day. The
dull eyes growing a shade duller, and
the awkward form trifle more stopped
with each succeeding disappoint-
ment. 1t was two weeks before he re-
appeared on the mesa, walking wearily
like man under load.
Il reckon there's something wrong,
ma'am. I come out to see eff yer man
'ud write me letter. l hadn't been
long in Plattsville, but l worked a spell
for man named Yarnell; like enough
he'd look it up little. amt much at
writin, an I'd want it all writ out care
full like, you know" The mans voice
had the old, accomplishing monotony.
Joel wrote the letter at once, making
the most minute inquiries regarding Mrs.
Brce, and giving every possible direc-
ton concerning her residence. Then
Brce fell back into the old groove,
working feverishly, in spite of Mrs.
Brandt's kindly warnings.
Il can't stop, ma'am; the settin'
round 'ud kill me.
The answer came at last. a business
like epistle, addressed to Joel. Mrs.
Brice had left Plattsville about the time
designed. Several of her neighbors re-
membered that astranger, a we'll dressed
,,lxr
week before her e: 2arture, and the two
had gone away iugether. taking the
western train. Che writer regretted
his inability to give further information,
and closed with kindly inquiries con-
cerning his former employees health
and earnest commentator of him to
Mr.. Brandt.
Joel read the letter aloud, something
some sturdy uprightness. of his own,
no doubt-blnding him to its terrible
significance.
will you read it agin, neighbor, for
Pm not over quick, you know"
The mans voice was a revelation full
of an unutterable hurt like the cry of
some dumb wounded thing.
And Joel read it again, choking with
indignation now at every word.
"Thank ye, neigh or. I'll trouble you
to write a line thanl n him; that's all. !"
He got up heavily, staggering little
as he crossed the floor. and went out
into the yellow sunlight. There was
the long, sun kissed slope, the huge pile
of twisted roots, the rude shanty with
its clambering vines. The humming of
bees in the sage went on drowsily. Life,
infinitely shrunken, was life still. A
more cultured grief might have swooned
or cried out This man knew no such
refuge; even the poor relief of indigna-
ton was denied him. None of the thou
sand wild impulses that come to men
smitten like him fitted across his
clouded brain. He only knew to take
up his burden dunbly, and go on. If
he had been wiser could he have known
more?
No one spoke of the blow that had
fallen upon him. The sympathy that
met him came in the warmer clasp of
hard hands and the softening of rough
voices, none the orse certainly for its
quietness
Alone with her husband, however,
good Mrs. Brandts wrath bubbled in
cessantly.
"Its crying, burning, blistering
shame, Joel, that's what it is! l sup
pose it's the Lords doings, but can't
see through it.
"If the Lords up to that kind o busi-
ness, Barbara, don't see no further use
fur the DEVIL" was the dry response.
Joels religion was as free from any
theological timidity as a child's, and
quite as simple.
These plain honest folk never dreamed
of intruding upon their neighbor's grief
with poor suggestions of requital.
Away in the city across the mountains
men babbled of remedies at law. But
this mans hurt was beyond the jurisdic-
ton of any court Day by day the
hollow cough grew more frequent, and
the awkward step slower. Nobody
asked him to quit his work now. Even
Mrs. Brandt shrank from the patient
misery of his face when idle. He came
into her kitchen one evening, choosing
the old quiet corner, and following her
with his eyes silently.
SIS there anything lackin', Brice?"
The woman came and stood beside him,
the great wave of pity in her l.ssart well.
ing up to her voice and eyes.
"Nothin', ma'am, thank ye. I've
been thinkin'," he went on. speaking
more rapidly than was his wont, "an' l
dunno. You've knowed Nv people git
tin wrong in their minds, s'pose. They
wuz mostly smart. KNOWN chaps,
wuzn't they?" The low, monotonous