The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-06-11

away and | was once more in the day
light, by Il mighty effort and without
venturing another glance, l took seat
in different part of the car and re-
versed the cushion. In vain l tried to
shake off the impression. 1t was
stronger than l, SO gave up trying and
endeavored to reason away my fears.
What had l to do with fear? Was it
like me to be afraid? Where was the
courage necessary for future under
takings if l could be so distressed by
single pair of eyes in broad daylight?
Reasoning thus | reached my station
and ordered q rapid drive to my des-
tination. Out of the car and away l
felt better. 1 tried to think it was all
a piece of folly, but l could not forget
those terrible eyes, and | remember
with what actual dread l looked into
the face of the first person with whom
l talked.
AS time passed began to feel more
myself, and as l dined just preparatory
to my return l had shaken the feeling
from me and could laugh at what was
pleased to term the fancies of a brain
overtaslled and heated.
1t was late when | arrived in F.,
and after stay of four or five hours it
was just gathering dusk.
THE sinking sun
a mass of gold and purple in the west
The feecy clouds
Were banking down to rest"
AS | reached the depot AMI heard in
the distance the roar and rumble of the
approaching homeward- bound train
wondered as it came in, snorting and
shrie king like a thing of life, if we
were not more than human, Il race
whose brain could fashion such ponder
| Gus machinery that single stroke
| from one of the wheels would crush out
of its own creators all semblance of
humanity.
AS | ascended the steps a tremor
| seized me for which | could not ac-
count. 1t brought back the scenes of
the day, but determining not to let this
silly weakness get the better of me |
turned resolutely to my freshly cut
magazine and soon became interested
in India scenes and Count Tolstoi's
work through Siberia and Russia.
read until | grew tired and until the
Pickering lights in the car threw
| dancing shadows on my book, when
turned my face wearily and looked out
Of the window.
The heated day had merged into a
cool night with signs of storm in the
| heavens. The moon, like broken
silver ring against the sky, had come
| up grandly, and in the mellow light the
flying clouds and scuttling shadows made
| a weird picture. A strong breeze was
rising, which brought TO me the fresh
scent of hay fields, and | could almost
! hear the drowsy twitterings of the
birds. The sweeping foliage of the
bees as we shot by bowed and swayed
In the night breeze, like dark phan-
t1,ns, pausing just long enough TO salute
eayh other in a grand courtesy before
the Fevelry of a wild night dance. 1t
J Dro6ght to me the lines:
% The lsy is merging into the night,
| FIohi the purple into the gray,
| And along the cattle trail over the hills,
| The H.NclSs are vending their way
| The heaEder mods itself TO sleep,
| Rocked ny the breeze of the night.
The swayi.g boughs have assumed strong
| forms,
In the weird fantastic light"
We whirled by farmhouses standing
in the shadow, and fields heavy with
fruit waiting for the sickle The
soughing of the wind had played upon
my ear until it seemed my window had
become transformed into an Eolian
harp that was playing the story of my
life, and with the silver moon, and the
trees like tossing plumes, and the
shadows-I listened.
The soft melody of the tender, witch
ing strains was the tiny fingers of my
childhood as they twiHed about my
mothers heart, and then they increased
and grew as they passed from child
hood into girlhood, losing the subtle
sweetness and pure note, but increas-
ing in the volume of grand sound and
harmonizing chords-eveI increasing,
ever changing, shifting, restless and
longing. Then a strange, weird strain
swept across the strings, so intensely
sweet with wild imaginings that the
very air seemed to grow thick and
warm and the strings quivered and
wavered and sobbed and moaned IN an
agony of pain, and cried out in anguish
and seemed to break into ghostly dis,
cord as we reached a wild prairie
waste.
The moon was out silyery white