The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-06-23

/ tilnent Of Sister Marthas near iepar
ture. The world looked very beautiful Il
her eyes that crisp. blowy day. There wa
little gap between the Woods house and
old Mr.. Sim0ns' place, where she could
catch q distant glimpse Of the hills with
the yellow foliage shining against thu
blne like, golden pillows fringed with
dame. The pale glimmer Of the fad,
ing willows, the white stems Of young
birches seen through thinning wells Of
leaves, seemed like new AMI delightful
picture To-Day there were no troops Of
school children passing by with their
dinner baskets and books. but q great
company Of emigrating birds settled
down in her front yard. preened their
feathers and consulted together with
noisy talk on the wall. and at last rose
and few away with a great whir Of
wings. The smallest incident made her
happy.
It was eAsier to love her neiyhbors
when her head ached llSi and the films
Of weakness. spotted with black, ceased
to dance before her eyes. She held up
the little rose colored garment she was
making in her thin, pale fingers. and felt
an unusual sense Of comfort and warmth
steal over her as she listened to the soft
swapping Of the logs on the ola brass
andirons. The large empty house seemed
warmer and cozier now that she knew
Sister Martha was speeding homeward
on the train. In country phrase Mrs.
Whitcumb was mo company" for her
sister-in-law. They could not find a COM
mon meeting ground, and to have her in
the house, even though unseen. brought
with it n sense Of oppression.
Meantime the captain sat just where
his visitor had left him, when she closed
the front door and he heard her foot
steps retreating down the walk. He felt
utterly weak and unnamed; the water
stood in great drops on his forehead as
no lived over the scene and saw what
was in his heart when he WAS tempted
to clutch the wuman's throat. lie had
knocked down a mutinOus sailor once on
shipboard with Delaying PIN and he
remembered having had the same sensa-
tons then, before the fellow began &c
show signs Of life. But thereRlere other
things TO think Of. terrible as that mur.
derOus impulse looked to him. aud deel
as was the precipice over whose brink
he had taken flying glimpse.
The confession Of that woman came
hack to him bit by bit out of the turmoil
Of his sensations He saw how poor
vinie had been tricked by Martha Whit.
cuInb and her own mother. who was
rabid to seize upon any rumor to his
hurt, however black. But Vinie had
loved him all the time. Her soul. inno-
cent and white, had taken no stain.
Even II she believed he had wronged
her she had forgiven him. She had
faded and withere1 and suffered in
silence through the years, but had kept
a glinimeF Of trust In him alive in her
gentle heart. She had sat by her win
dow to watch him as he passed with
averted head. She had listened for his
footsteps and lived ON the signs Of bis.
existsuce-the smoke going up from hia
chimney, the light in his wln.,gw. had
known when he came and when ha
went, had trained her ear to catch all
reports Of him in the wind.
He felt his strength quite broken q
be sat there with his dark head in his
hands. and the tears began slowly to
trickle through his brown fingers. The
impress Of the mothers hard. unjust
words seemed all washed away by those
drops wrung from the soul Of q stalwArt
man, to whom an outward show Of emo
ton was kind Of agony. George Bligh
had shed no tears when his mother died
or when he buried his last sister and
was left alone. But now he was crying
like child. These were the drops Of
awe and pity that are said to purge and
purify the heart.
He never knew how long he thus eat
The sunlight faded out Of the room and
Travelled westward. His Maltese cat
jumped upon the table, stopping softly
among the neglected dishes. The par.
rot, in weak, cracked voice, kept scold-
ing and fussing about on his perch.
"Hullo, GeorgeF' he would cry. don't
be fool He had lived a long time on
shipboard. and the sailors had taught
him the use Of bad language. and some
times he varied his advice to George by
the introduction Of q ''swear" word.
Bat the captain did not hear him. He
was reviewing all his past. He seemed
10 be standing outside himself. where
he could soc his life In all its defOrmity-
the warpinS and perversion of his better
nature. layers Of hardness and selfish
ness that had gathered In moody. I'M
sympathetic years, the appetite for greed
and gain that had grown upon him
stealthily like n creeping mold. He had
struggled for advantage like other men.
and some weaker brothers had neces-
sarily gone to the wall A strong,
masterful. self willed man, he had made
his purposes tell In the world Of affairs.
while he shut himself away from his
neighbOs and lived in q narrow groove.
A good lover. n good hater. valiant
fighter. half way measures were not
possible to George Bligh. But now his
purposes all looked poor and mean and
sor,lid. He had lost his only love long
years ago. Had fercely denounced her
because be believed she had swallowed
the evil reports Of his enemies. and the
good that was possible 10 him had turned
to bitterness. the wound in his nature
had gathered gangrene and proud flesh.
But these hours had brought vinie
back TO him. She seemed to have come
from the pale shades Of the other world,
after their long separation. and 10 b
standing there in the room with her
gentle, beseeching face. he could think
Of nothing but Vinie. and her presence
and neaEness seemed TO wrap him around