Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-07

INTO cLOn 3 Lace strange lux h@-a
suddenly come. Yes, there's souaethng
worse than that. Psrre.'
'.Sos bislr
Shon made the sacred gesture OF his
creed ITO be punished BY the dead
And not see thsn-onIy hear them
And his eyes stesdied firmly 70 the
others.
Pierre was about 70 reply, bat there
came the sound OF footsteps through thu
open door and presently Vending en-
tered slowly. He was pale and worn,
ani his eyes looked out with searching
anxiousness. But that did not render
him lees comedy. He WAS always dressed
in black and white, and this now added
10 the easy ana vet severe refinement OF
his person His birth and breeding had
occurred in places unfrequented by such
A. Shon and Pierre. but plains and wild
lfe level al. and men are friends &C
cording 10 then taste and will, and by
no other law. Hence these with Wend-
hing.
lie stretched out his hand 10 each
without q word. The hand shake was
unusual; he had little demonstration
ever. Shon looked up surprised. but re-
sponded. Pierre followed, with swift,
inquiring look; then in the succeeding
pause be offered cigarettes. Vending
took one, and all, silent, sat down. The
sun streamed Unexpectedly through the
doorway. making broad ribbon OF light
straight across the floor 10 Weddings
feet. After lighting his cigarette he
looked into the sunlight for moment.
still not speaking.
Shon meanwhile started his pipe. and
now, as il he found the silence awk-
ward, ..It's q day for Gods country.
this ne said; Ito make man Chris
tian for little or much, though he play
with the divil betunewhiles." Without
looking at them, Vending said in low
voice: 1T was just such q day, down
there in Quebec, when 1t happened.
You could hear the swill of the river,
aud the water licking the piers, and the
saws in the big mill and the little mill
Is they marched through the timber.
flashing their teeth like bayonets.
1T Is wonderful sound on a hot,
clear day-that wild. keen singing OF
the saws. like the cry of live thing
fighting and conquerng. Up from the
fresh cut lumber in the yards there came
a smell like the juice of apples, and the
sawdust. as you thrust your hand into
il, was as cool and soft as the leaves OF
a Glove flower in the dew. On these
days the town was always still. 1t
looked sleeping, and you saw the heat
1uivering up from the wooden walls
and the roofs Of cedar shingles as though
the houses were breathing"
Here ne paused, still intent on the
shaking sun. Then he turned to the
others as if suddenly aware that he had
been talking TO them. Shon was about
to speak, but Pierre threw a restraining
glance. and instead, they all looked
through the doorway and beyond. In
the settlement below they saw the effect
that Vending had described. The
houses breathed. A grasshopper went
clacking past, dog at the door snapped
up fly. but there seemed no other life
Of day.
Vending nodded his head toward the
distance. 1T was quiet, like that. ]
stood and watched the mills and the
yards, and listened 20 the saws, and
looked at the great slide, and the logs
ON the river; and said to myself that
it was all mine; all. Then turned to
q house on the hillock beyond the
cedars, whose windows were open, with
a cool dusk lying behind them. More
than all else, loved to think owned
that house and what was in it. She
was a beautiful woman. And she used
to SIT in a room facing the mill-though
the house fronted another way-think-
ing of me, did not doubt, and working
at some delicate needle stuff.
.'There never had been sharp word
between US, save when / quarreled Bit
terly with her brother, and he left the
mill and went away. But she got over
that mostly, though the lads name was
never mentioned between us. That day
was 50 hungry for the sight of her
that got my fieldglass, used to watch
my vessels and RATS making across the
bay, and trained it on the window where
| knew she sat. l thought IL would
amuse her, too, when l went back at
night. If told her what she had been
doing. l laughed 10 myself at the
thought Of it as | adjusted the glass.
looked. There was no more laughing.
saw her. and in front of her man,
with his back half on me.
II could not recognize him, though a.
the instant thought he was something
familiar. failed TO get his face at all.
Hers found indistinctly. But saw
him catch her playfully by the chin!
After little they rose. He put his arm
about her and kissed her, and he ran his
fingers through her hair She had such
fine golden hair, so light. and lifted to
every breath Something got into my
BRAN. / know now it was the maggot
which sent Othello mad The world in
that hour was nalicious-swful.
After a time-it seemed ages. she and
everything had receded so far--I went
home. At the door I asked the servant
who had been there. She hesitated. con-
fused. and then said the young curste Of
the parish. was very cool, for mad
ness il strange thing; you see every
thing with an intense aching clearness
that is the trouble. She was more
kind than common. DO not think
was unusual. | was playing part well
my grandmother had Indian blood
hike yours, Pierre-and I was waiting
was even nicely critical Of her 70 my
self. | balanced the mole on her neck
araipz. nor srauaral baara4,-. Tho rrfrva
Of her instep. decided, was a little too
emphatic passed her back ard forth