The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-03-16

the house, then he turned and came
back to where she sat in the doorway;
and leaning down he kissed her and
said, I've alwus loved you Jest the
same, Lois, an l do now, if / haint
amounted to much"
She put her arms around his neck
and said: You'd oughter think bet
ter of yourself, Joe. You got it in you
to be smart. Don't stay long, for
there's clouds comm up"
She leaned her head against the cas-
ing of the door and watched him walk
ing away. Then she turned her ewes
towards the western sky, and followed
the movements of the heecy clouds
creeping onward. The heat was in
tense. A breathess stiffness held all
nature in It's grasp. There was no
motion save that of the hot air, which
seemed to radiate upward from the
ground. She looked till her head was
giddy, and closing her eyes for mo-
ment fell asleep. She awoke with a
start as sudden ominous roar sounded
in her ears. She rubbed her ewes and
looked above. The sky had grown
dark overhead, and the black, ragged
edges of heavy, apidly.moving cloud
hung like a fringe over the shining
thunder heads below. She sprang to
her feet and called "Joel Joel but
no answer came. The sky grew darker
and darker. She ran for her shawl and
hat, but just as she started out large
drops fell against her cheek, and the
wind began to blow. She remembered
that Joe was to come back there for
her, and in spite of her present terror
she feared to miss him if she started
for the village, for the sand and dirt
were driven before the wind so that
she could scarcely see the houses. She
went back inside and listened to the
roar of thunder. The lightning was
incessant, and, dark and gloomy as was
the room, it was Illuminated from mo-
ment 10 moment by the flashes of light
ming which cut across the heavy cur
tain of cloud like a giants scimetar
plunged into the ground. She shook
from head to foot with a sort of dumb
horror. She had never been afraid of
a thunderstorm, but this was something
more terrible than she had ever dreamed
of. Occasionally, when a particularly
heavy gust seemed to shake the house
to its foundations, she would utter a
despairing cry, "Joe, why cont you
Gomez" If she had been capable of
thinking connectedly for an instant
she would have been sure he had taken
refuge in some house or the depot, as it
would be utterly impossible TO try to
get to her till the storm should have
spent its first fury. He would know,
too, that she was sheltered.
She could not measure the time. 1t
seemed to her she had spent a year
alone in the empty house. She had
been so shaken with sobs and spasms
of fright that when at last the clouds
lifted and it grew lighter, she felt com
pletely exhausted. The flashes came
with less frequency and the thunder
rolled in the distance. She reused her.
self with mighty effort and stage cred
to the door. The rain was still falling,
but the strength of the storm was spent.
Along the western horizon line of
light had broken across the cloud,
which began to disperse. The wind,
after wearying itself in ftful gusts,
had settled into gentle, invigorating
breeze. She drew in few long, deep
breaths; then she scanned the prairie
in every direction. No sign of life.
Where was joe? He surely might
come now. They would miss the train
if she did not start for the village soon.
She had no watch, but it was Just sun
set when they left the train the night
before. She remembered looking at the
red sun and thinking, as it sank from
sight, she never knew it was so large
before. If the clouds would only break
little more she might guess how late
it was. Obi would Joe never come?
Only few drops were falling W.
She would start to meet him; he must
be between here and the village. Gath
ering her shawl about her, she stepped
to the ground, and hurried forward
1t see med as if she were being dragged
along. She scarcely knew where she
set her feet, and sometimes they sank
into the wet ground. All at once a ray
of sunlight struck almost horizontally
across her face, and she was stopped a,
suddenly as if an arm had grasped hel
from behind. She turned and louseC
her dress, which had caught on SAGE
bush. Then she called once more il
an agOnized voice her husbands name
A slight sound caught her ear; she
lifted her head and listened; then she
made an abrupt turn to the right, anC
pushed hurriedly on. Once she stun
bled and almost fell; she regained be
footing, but when she stumbled st C
ond time, she looked closely about her
She had reached the edge of the little
graveyard. She shivered. What haC
led her in that direction? She seemed
to be irresisiibly drawn forward til
she reached the little open space in the
center. There at her feet he lay, hi
cheek resting against one of the mounds
"Joe!" she whispered, as she bent ovel
him and lifted his head.
A faint red mark, the stamp of The
lightning, just above the temple where
it had struck him, and delicate line al
if traced by needle across the cheek
and neck. She put her ear to his heat
it was still and pulseless. The life was
gone. Joe could never begin again
with her. A wave of remolse swep
over her. She would never have s
chance to try again to be patient with
him. She raised her eyes as the SUI
broke through the filmy veil of clouo
with awful splendor. 1t lighted all the