Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-12-20

| and all nature told or tne not WeaIneT.
The ground was parched and bare.
Grosvenor approached small house
and stepped inside the doorway. He
| found himself in a room bare with the
| exception of few shaky chairs and
counter evidently once used in "a store.
! Back Of this was another room. through
the doorway OF which GrosvenCr saw
BARRIERS chair. The whole aspect IF the
| place was deserted and lonely. 1t was
re UGH like neglected corner in barn
apart from the odor of freshly cut hay,
the lowing Of cattle and the stamping
OF horses.
There were shufHing steps from some
where, and man appeared. He had
well shaped head, with forehead OF
| decidedly Indian cast. His nose and
mouth were those of negro. His eyes
were blue and watery. and his temples
were destitute of hair. In the back his
hair was very long; the gray locks hung
below his neck. He was dressed in a
shabby suit of black clothes and wore
shirt, but no collar.
Grosvenor smiled, chiefly perhaps
Nth amusement. Are you MI. Bill
! iie?'' he asked.
/ The man returned his smile. His
| eyes shone in a gentle manner. He was
evidently pleased at Grosvenor's kindly
greeting and at bis knowing his name.
Yes be replied. Il am Mr.. Billie.
She was q handsome woman when
| married her and before she ran away
and left me. But it's all over now. like
a dream that will come no more. Some
times when the day is over and the sky
out in the west is burning walk on the
| beach, and when the moon rises out of
| the sea, sometimes far across the water,
! in that light. | see her face again, with
/ her black eyes and her silky hair. Some
times hear her voice, and close my
eyes, and some one comes and lays her
hand in mine and says, Billet! And
then when wake up it is a dream. But
10 you know continued the man sud-
,enly, posing the razor over Grosven-
ur'a face, Il think she will come back
10 me some time. | have a feeling that
shall come to the door some night and
ind he1e there, and she will say Billie
TO me, ard | shall have her with me
again forever
Grosycnor was little startled by the
Id man S manner. There was strange
light in his eyes, and sometimes he
J!curished the razor in q way that made
t1rosvenor almost fear he might let it
fall on his face, and he was sorry he had
started him off on his hobby.
The man told him how when he was
ii very young man he had married this
beautiful woman, who was a waitress
in hotel, and how when they had been
married but a short time she went away
and left him.
But it wasn't her fault said he.
She was enticed away, know. was
d blind fool then, and said if she want
I'd to 60 away she might, and wouldn t
follow her, and she could 60 where she
wanted to. And then l drifted around
g travelling barber until / came to
iarwich, and somehow have been here
ever since The sea talks to me some
times. and | couldn't bear to go away
and leave it. And if | did go away it
would be harder for her to find me, for
she is locking for me- now and will come
20 me some time He paused and said
IN businesslike tone, Bay rum, sir!'
Grosvcnor was glad to get out Of the
chair alive. The old man kept on talk
ing and fascinated him SO that he staid
with him until it was almost dark. 1t
was growing cooler now, and the sun
left a mass Of dull lavender clouds as it
set. In the fields the crickets were chirp-
ing. and the hoarse croak of frogs came
from neighboring pool. The air was
oliciously salt for the wind came from
the sea. Mr.. Billie and Grosvenor sat
on the doorstep and enjoyed the cool
breeze.
Mr.. Billie was smoking furiously.
He seemed uneasy and nervous, and he
kept telling Grosvenor that he must
stay with him, for he had a feeling that
sonething;was going to happen, and al
though the young fellow thought he
ought to go away he reflected that Grace
Boardman, even if she had got back,
would be compelled to eat her supper,
and as it cooled his brain to sit there he
concluded he would do it. And SO he
staid there with the old man until the
stars came out, and the old man told
him how they were trying to get him
to give up his shop and go to the poor
house. and he said he would kill him
self before he would do that. Would
he want his wife to come back and find
| him III poOrhouse?
Grosvenor idly watched the firef1ies
darting about in the salt laden fields.
He thought of the great load of sorrow
on this mans heart, and he wondered
how any one could think of making it
heavier by trying to take him to poor
house while he was yet able to provide
for himself
\ short distance down the road there
were the glow of forge and the sound
of the hammering of the belated black
smith. The clouds were moving over
! the sky Some of them were white like