New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-23


The elder sirl flashed quick look at Nelly, who
was sitting back on her heels WIFI "'' mop
drippIng in her hands.
1t isn't good taste TO talk about 1nrs io'eis-
not that | had lovers, answered SaiVhic'
oh, dear" cried Ney .appihs a., me mop 10 on
the floor But ] do wish you u,H nv ~ you
were crossed in love. Sometimes ! gus, Almost '
wish | could be- crossed in love. 1t mus niIhe one
feel so important Don't you think So ~ w iouilu
with long face, you know, ana 20 i, 80 v0,,'Is
and weep and To pine away Jlst a. IL Sou "tr1
eating STATE pencils and cloves hut hnoMins an
onI,. M Invc declare il must b. splendid.
Gniv lust before | really died sioulu want 10
takr :; t,un and oct well and curl up my lip in
scorn when NV beau came Craving airf me 10
make il all up. | should ceflai,N val, 'i,r' ~
come crawling on his marrow Don's i',a'N, :"
| could scorn him. Oh, wOuldn IL De Jun
Nelly bent over and began scrubpihg WIN great
force. She had very uncertain ieelihS as 10
whether Salome had been crossed III ipfr ", mo''
She thought not, however, Tor sie oo.''d ~. i
ceivc that any young man shouiu HUI W "'''s
to give his eyes Tor her favor. - ,,.;,,
Tie housekeeping below stars went Vi WIFI
unnecessary fury Tor some time. , ,,i.,
Above, the mating was AT ias, spl'1u Ni'' an
ac"ornpanim.nt of gentle, amiable talk on ms
Scuddcrs and serious silence Oh MIS- "'iiS
part r, . 20 b
school duties She gayly kissed her mother who
followed her into the dooryard, and watched lcr
walking away with that swift, easy gay WHICH
was characteristic of her now she was Wcni
Now that Moore had not come immediately
Salome knew that he was on one OF Ills DuSlhoss
trips and she could not know when tC eNp,c'
him, or rather she could not help expecting mn
all the time But she said nothing more ABOUT
him. She went every morning down me solitary
high road toward the village. Ana her ho'her
SAID nothing. She could not help going to the
end of the garden which overlooked 'ic srcp
hill along which her daughter descended on her
way to her work. She would watch thc grl
there. furtvcly watch. lest Salome might turn
round and See her and imagine that SHE was
anxious. -.
And as the days went until they became
weeks, Mrs Gerry did become 80 anNlou, that
she hardly dared 10 look fully at the srl fac"
There grew up IA significant silence between the
two-a silence on all topics but tine most iIivhi
ones. They would talk for many minutes on the
advisabllity Of having eggs or cornrd bcci Tor
dinner the next day or whether Nalomc should
take her umbrella or not. And when friend
from the oil ncighborhoOd tOilcd up IN" hill to
see Them the visit was material for almost never
ending conversation.
the middle of il. Iut there was no lin" on the
girls forehead. She grew serious OF iacr' aGd
there came thoughtful, wondering droop 10 the
corners of her mouth And the clear pa"n"'N OF
her skin increased. She cOnvcrscd a good deal
about her pupils and The characteristics OF few
10 whom she felt attached. She studied algebra
in the little time there was after the lamp was
lighted. when the long twilight was over. She
continued 10 be- amiahlc. 81" looked openly nj
her mother. but her mother avoided her glance
a. if she had something TO conceal
\ bitterness began 10 grow In Mrs Gerry
heart. Sclf-contrOllcd as she bad tried 10 b"
all her life, Size found II now strangely difficult
for her 10 maintain her usual manner. when
her daughter AZ school Mrs. Terry had times
in the day when she would walk swiftly along
the road in the direction of the railway station,
two miles distant. She would walk until She
c,mc to where the road turned and IN" would
stand there looking along the highway, her eyes
contracting. the frown on her forehead deepen
ing. If Sic any Of the townsp"op" approach
Ing would walk on in her ordinary pTim, straight
her face 10 settle directly into that expression
of bitter, painful inquiry. The stern eyes seemed
10 question every foot of that road that led To
the station. But nothing had thus far answered
thos.. stern questions. The sunshine fell
peacefully on III" solitary road. When the crows
those times in lorida when Salomc had shrlnl
from the sight of thosc birds. Nh" WAS afraid
that she also was growing superstitous
II was the end Of TN" fourth week and Moore
had given no word. Already the hot sun and
the intensely blue heavens gave token that th"
meridian of the summer had conc. that the srason
was rpcning and that ,oue TING il would fadc
Even if he hal been in Europe h. ought by this
TO make some sign"
Mrs Gerry in this fourth week was continually
saying thos. words 10 herself ~ She went about
her work. or when she took thoS" walks 10 the
corner Of the road that led 10 the station.
She did not notice that salomc ever looked in
the direction Of that corner.
In This wc"k the woman ros" in the night and
moved nois''c>>ly 70 the door OF her daugiltcrd
room which the girl kept shut Formerly this
door had been allowed TO remain open
The mother would stand motiOnless her white,
straight form dimly outlined.
But her keen ears never heard any sound in IN"
girls room Once Mr. Gerry, PM her hand softly
door and So. Salomc. liut sli' restrained herself.
At last she crcpt back 10 her bed again.
Mrs. Gerry always cndcavorcd not 10 b"wan
Whit had hippnncd. what was beyond recall in IN"
past. But now she could not help cNclaimins
manv times day in her solitary work
If she only had not written! If sh" only had
How can she bear IL lie is like other men. He
has consocd himself, as he had right 10 do. YES,
lie has consolcd himself. That makes everything
simple. Since nothing has changed Salome should
These words repeated themselves SO many times
in Mrs Gcrry's mind that She almost thought She
was possessed by them. She WAS mprll'd 10 say
them 10 Salomc, but she would not
Finally it 10 the two women who 50 loved
each other aS If they were living in an exhausted
receiver, where they could not breathe freely. AZ
least il seemed 80 10 IN" elder of the two. Ard it
ominous Of she knew not what that Salon"
should choose 10 be 80 silent or course il was
a phase that would soon pass.
At last in the fifth week ~ Mrs Gerry was
saying. "Of course he has consolcd himself" -h..
looked up from the dishes she was washing through
the little window over the sink. She saw Moore
coming along the road where she had SO often
walked to meet him lie was coming quickly and
yet she thought there was no cagcrncss IN his
aspect He was far away that she might easily
have been mistaken a. 10 his identity. But she
knew THAT she not mistaken
She drew her hands from the dshwator and
wiped them on the roller towel. her eyes fixed all
the time upon that figure which grew more and
more familiar.
II was In vain for Mrs Gerry 10 condemn herself
for being 50 excited. There WAS nothing left for
her but Salomc and Salomcs ifc and she felt that
she had less strength a. contend with unhappinoss
and Loss for her daughter than she had had when
unhdTpness and loss were possible in her own
individual destiny.
But the woman who Enclosed the door in re-
Spouse 10 Moorcs knock did not reveal traces Of
excitement.
The moment the door was opened the vonnq man
mechanically took off his hat and stepped into The
little entry. He put ont his hand hooking with
some entrcaty at his companion
When Mrs. Gerry. after a pcrccptible hesitation
put her hand in his Moore suddenly bent down
and kissed her check. His eyes were visibly full
Of tears. but the tears did not fall and they were