Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-12-06


10 the easy and yet severe refinement o
his person. His birth and breeding ha'
occurred In places unfrequented by sucl
a. shon and Pierre. but plains and wilt
life level all, and men are friends ac
cor,iing 90 their taste and will, and b,
no other Law. Hence these with wend
ling.
lie stretched out his hand to eacl
without q word. The hand shake wa
unusual. he had little demonstration
ever. shon looked mp surprised. but ~
sponded. Pierre followed. with swift
inquiring look; then In the Succeeding
pause he offered cigarettes. wendlins
took one. and all, silent, sat down. The
sun streamed intemperaisly through th'
doorway. making broad ribbon Of ligh'
straight across the foor 20 wendling''
feet. After lighting his cigarette h'
looked into the sunlight Tor moment
still not speaking.
shon meanwhile started his PIPE. and
now. as II he found the silence awk
ward. "lt's . day for Gods country
this" he said; ito make man q Chris
tian for little OF much. though he play
with the divil betnnewhile-." Without
looking a, them. wendling said In low
voice. 1T was Just such day, down
there In Quebec. when u happened
you coull hear the swill of the river
aud the water licking the piers, and the
saws In the big mill and the little mill
as they marched through the timber
flashing their teeth like bayonets.
1T Is . wonderful sound on . hot,
clear day--that wild. keen singing oi
the saws. like the cry of q live thing
fighting and conquering. Up from the
fresh cut lumber In the yards there came
Q smell like the Juice of apples, and the
sawdus,. as you thrust your hand into
II, was A. cool and soft a. the leaves o!
a Glove flower In the dew. On thess
days the town was always still. j,
looked sleeping. and you saw the hea,
quiyering MP from the wooden walls
and the roofs Of cedar shinglesas though
the houses were breathing"
Here he paused, still intent on the
shaking sun. Then he turned 10 the
others as II suddenly aware that be had
ben talking to them. Shon was about
90 speak. but Pierre threw q restraining
glance. and instead. they all looked
through the doorway and beyond. Ia
the settlement, below they saw the effect
that Vending had described. The
houses brcathed. A grasshopper went
clac king .,ast, dog at the door snapped
up a fy, 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 ~ the saws, and
looked at the great slide. and the log
on the riyer. and said 10 myself that
IL was all mine; all. Then turned TO
. house on the hillock beyond the
c..iar-, whose windows were opcn. with
q cool dusk lying behind them. More
than all els.. | loved 30 think owned
that house and what was Ia II. She
was q BEAUTIFUL woman. And she used
20 II, in room facing the mill-though
the houss ironied another way-think.
ing % me, did not doubt. and working
at some delicate needle stuf.
There never had been q sharp word
between Us. save when ! quarreled bit
,erly with her brother. and he left the
mill and went away. But she got over
that mostly. though the lads name Wa
never mentioned between us. That day
was 80 hungry for the sight Of her
that got my heldglAss, used to watch
my vessels aud RATS making acro-- the
bay, and trained u on the window where
| knew she at. thought u would
amuss her. too. when went back at
night, II told her what she had been
doing. laughed 10 myself At tho
thought of IL a. I adjusted the glass.
I looked. There was no more laughing.
I saw her. and In front of her man.
with his hack half on me.
II could not recognize him. though a.
the instant I though, he was something
familiar. lfailed 10 get his face At all
Hers I found indis,inctly. But ! saw
him catch her playfully by the chin'
After little they rose. He pat bis arm
about her and kissed her. and he ran his
fingers through her hair She hal such
fine golden hair. 80 light. and lifted Ia
every breath. Something got into my
BRAIN. know now II was the maggot
which sent Othello mad. The world In
that hour was malicious-awful.
After q time-it seemed ages, she and
everything had rece,ied 80 far-I went
home. At the door I asked the servant
who had been there. She hesitated. con.
used. and then said the young cura,e Of
the parish. was very cool, for mad.
ness Is q strange thing; you see every
thing with an intense aching clearness
that Il the trouble. She was more
kind than common. I do not think ]
was unusual. Twas playing q part well
-my grandmother had Indian blood
like yours, Pierre-and ! was waiting
I was even nicely critical Of her 10 my
self. I balanced the mole on her neck
against her general beauty; the curve
Of her instep. I decided. was little too
emphatic. ipassed her back and forth
before me. weighing her at every point
but yet these two things were the only
imperfections.
"I pronounced her an exceeding piece
Of art-and infamy. Twas hugely In
terested TO see how she could appear
perfect IN her soul. encouraged hei
10 talk. I saw with deyilish irony that
an angel spoke. And 10 cap it all sh'
assumed the fascinating air of the medi
Ator-for her brother. seeking q recon
ciliation between us Her amazing ar
OF person and mind 20 worked upon M
that II became unendurable, u was =
exquisite and 80 shameless.
IL was sitting where the priest haa
sat that afternoon, and when she leanes
toward me I caught her chin light,
and trailed my fingers through her hal
As he had done. and that ended IL. for
was cold and my heart worked with hor
rible slowness. just ~ q wave poise'
at its height before breaking upon tn
shore II hung at every pulse beat an'
then seemed 10 fall over with sicken
ing thud. I arose and. acting still
spoke impatiently of her brother. Tear
sprang to her eyes. Such divine dis
similation. I thought-too good fo
earth. She turned 10 leave the room
AMI did not stay her. Yet we were 10
gether again that night. i was onl!
waiting"
The cigarette had dropped from hi
fingers 20 the floor and lay there smok