The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-02-01

tiOns brought out Olusn on her cheeks
That fair color seemed to make the old
barn glow and all the haymow bloom
with fresh heads of pink clover.
Poor Jierck Dewitt recalled how there
were once smiles as gay and bushes as
tender between him and n dainsel as
buxom.
Poor fellowl his dinner did him no
good. He grew moodier and moodier
The little scene between his sister and
Hendrecus had made him miserable
He could not sleep like Van Wart. nor
play cards with Galsworthy nor sky.
lark with Hendrecus. He sat brooding
over his sorrow. His powers of self
control were weakened. He could not
throw of this weight Of an old bitter
ness. A great vague misery oppressed
him. He began to fear his wits were
going.
IF L could only get these ugly feel
ings into shape" he thought, ~ could
grapple with them and choke them down.
must do something or | shall 20 mad.
| believe I'll steal round through the
woods to where can see old Bilsby's
house and the chestnut tree where Abby
first said she'd have me. Looking at
the places may help me to drag this
grief out OF myself and put IL on them"
Now that the British troops were with
drawn for Vaughan's expedition, Jierck
felt quite secure in lodging about the
woods Of the manor. He left his com.
panions in the barn and stole off toward
his father-in-law's old red farmhouse.
He felt as IL he were his own ghost,
compelled to haunt spot where he had
been murdered.
1t was quiet sunset. The golden light
Of evening was among the golden woods.
The forest showered golden leaves upon
the ground and melted away in golden
notes across the level sunbeams.
Jierck stole along until he came to a
little glade crossed by u pathway. A
great chestnut tree had made the glade
its own. Lesser plants were easily
thrust back by its stout overshadowing
branches. and its brethren of the forest
he'd willingly given place to SEQ what
their brother would do with its chance
of greatness. 1t had done nobly. II
was an example to trees and the world
Of the wisdom of standing by ones
roots, expanding 10 ones sunshine and
letting ones self grow like fine old
vegetable.
This had been Jierck's trysting tree in
the times when the pastoral poem of his
life was writing itself, canto day.
Under this chestnut one summers eve,
when the whole tree was a great bou-
quet Of fiowery tassels, Jierck had sud.
denly ventured to pop his shy question.
Full throated robins up In those very
branches had shouted his sweetheart's
yes" for all the birds and breezes to
repeat.
Jierck, hidden in the thicket, looked
kindly at the old tree. He smiled to re-
call the meetings there when lie was
timid, clumsy lover For a moment rec
objections half comic and all pleasant ban
ished his agony of man betrayed by
disloyal woman.
But presently he heard sounds that
were not the light clash of falling leaf
with falling leaf. Footsteps and voices
were coming. Jierck withdrew little
and watched. Two women appeared up
the pathway, following their long shad-
ows. They came out into the glade. II
was his wife and her sister, furloughed
for the evening aud on their way home.
ward.
Jierck beheld the woman's story writ
ten on her face-the tablet where all
Sstories of lives are written for dUcipher-
sers TO read. He saw no wish there TO
expunge or revise the later chapters.
His wife was still an insolent, brazen
woman. the counterpart of her mistress
on q lower plane.
Poor Jierckl he had been drawn to
this spot, SO he felt, to see his murderess
and be stabbed over again. The ex-
ceeding weight Of his agony came crush |
ing down upon him. He shivered. II |
seemed TO him that snow must suddenly |
have fallen with sunset. A moment |
ago II was not spring nor summer, but |
very tolerable autumn; now winter had
come, chilly and dreary. A friendless
place to him this traitor worldl Jierck |
felt smitten with degradation. He was
utterly miserable, and the old chestnut
tree insulted him with memories Of his
dead hopes Of happiness.
II must have coinfot," thought
Jierck.
When sorrow Is too sharp TO be borne
and comfort must be had at once men
go TO the anodynes and stimulants. Kos
mos provides these in great variety.
The four OF most universal application
are:
Tobacco, alcohol, marriage, death.
Poor Jierck Dewitt wanted comfort ut
once. A Whit of smoke from his pipe
was not concentrated enough, and he
could not wait 10 try what virtue there
was in bigamy.
Rum or thisr he said wildly. The
"this" seemed to attract him
for an instant. He drew his knife from
his belt and felt along the cold edge.
Was he about TO taste that mighty mar
cotic. DEATH
Deathl He touched his knife blade.
Gloom alighted upon the landscape.
The golden woods grew lurid. Silence.
deeper than he had ever known. deep
ened and deepened, until he fancied that
nature was hushed and listening for his
death moan.
An imagined picture grew before his
eyes; Time, morning. Scene, this glade
Of the big chestnut. A man lies under
the tree. The first sunbeams melt the
frost that dabbles his hair. He must DO
4 sound sleeper, for chipmunk has
picked his pockets of their crumbs, and
now stands ON his forehead. chuckling