Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-08-12

the table. and Mr.. Foster. who had been
over for the mail. had just come in.
~ heard something ab-ut young Dor
rance leaving. he said. "lf 1t is true. it
is something very sudden. ! saw him this
morning. and he didn't say anything Of it,"
"Why. he was over here only this after
noon" said Mrs. Foster, "and went over
to the ridge to see Elnor." She looked
sharply at the girl, and then at her hus-
band.
well he was a very fine young man,
Mr.. Foster could not help saying.
supper was over, and Eliuor threw a
light shawl around her, and slipped out of
the house. going down by the lake. How
still everything was. and how lonely, She
looked up at the ridge it did not seem pos
sible that they had been there only that
afternoon. She remembered so much that
she wished she had said TO him. If she
could only talk with him again! She
might even see him now if she would 20
over the crossroads But how ridiculous
OF course she would not do that. She
passed the lake. and strolled aimessly
down the Guch road. They had always
been so friendly. so sympathetic! 1t
might be that she would never again meet
any one who would be to her exactly what
he had been. He had never obtrudcd his
maSculnity upon her in any way. She
liked that in him. She must see him. but
it was too late to 90 over the cross roads
now for he had started by this time If
She would 20 through the gulch- She
could not do 1.-THE narrow lonely gulch-
SO she would never see him again. Then
she drew long breath and started to run,
gently and with long, swinging steps. her
lips lightly closed, and she was running
down the Gulch road.
Dorrancc was riding down the canon
road. His horse was walking with gentle.
easy motion. and he himself was lost in
thought. He seemed to be in dream.
His traps were ready to be forwarded. and
he was leaving without a single farewell
visit, He had no intention of going away
when he went on the ridge that afternoon.
hut when Elinor had said SO calmly that
she was going away so soon, it had seemed
to him the only thing for him to do. He
had hoped that She would not let him 20
without one word TO stay him. He did
not want to 90, but he wanted less to stay
after what he had said. II was the only
alternative. Perhaps it was better so.
Then he thought OF what She was 10 him,
and all the youth lac might not have.
Why, to think Of her made his blood run
faster. But She was not for him. and only
the old silent life awaited him He shut
his mouth until two lines deepened around
his lips.
1t was dusk. and the air was sweet with
late summer odors from the mountains.
from the pine woods that rose darkly on
either side, from the clematis which make
patches of white in the gloom as il trailed
its fragrant starry blossoms over rock and
log, and even from early fall weeds The
river had a rhythmic swish in its roar. and
as he swayed with his horse it was now
loud, now low. He remembered when a
boy how he had loved to close his eyes and
move his head slowly forward and back
ward when he was within hearing of run
ming water. He tried it now, but his horse
stumbled. He must have been mistaken,
after all. She could not have cared for
him as he did for her, or she never would
have let him 90. Then he told himself he
ought not To have put her to the test. \
woman feelings were not 50 strong as a
mans
II seemed dark and lonely. but the can
on was widening a little now, the Gulch
road was near He could see where it Ell
tered. and it was certainly forbidding.
side ru>tlcd. and his horse SHE'D violently.
Something came out and toward him. II
was woman.
Kenneth. she called. with little sob
bling cry.
"Elinor'" He jumped off his horse,
and as he felt her tender shape pressed
against him, her arms around his neck.
and her wet cheek against his, it seemed to
him he had nothing more to ask for.
This is the only way he said.
There was no light or sound save from
the stars and the river. once she raised
her head and would have spoken. "Oh. ="
She said IL was all wrong-nothinc was
true"
Never mind" he said. This is"
But the river drowned his voice 1t roared
and eddied and foamed, and even seemed to
pause in its mad hurry and leap into the
air that it might see and carry another $40
ry on its way.
In the happy rush of her lite since, Mrs
Kenneth Dorrance has hardly had time to
analyze herself out of the ranks of the
many women who dream On the contra
ry, she thinks trembingly of the very mar
row thread on which her tenth chance
hung, and she will never know how she
got through the gulch, past the ghosty
willows and the deserted cabins. through
the little meadow with the sound of water
running where she could not see, and
around the curve and into the canon. If
she had stopped to think. she could never
have done it, But if she speaks about il
to her husband, he only says, simply, 1T
was the only way. - lIUbertiHe letters in
/ Hdrper's Weekly.