Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-09-27
since the last time smoke. Good Lor;,

then he opened his eyes, and saw Mar,
coming up the path; she was on he
way home from school, and stopped t.
know how he was getting along.
Look at you. you careless fellow.
she scolded, you've dropped tina
shawl OFF your knees; what woulC
Mother Hayes say?"
''Oh, Mary" he said, and somehow
the tears stood in his eyes, he was ST
weak. alive got TO go away!'
Mary's instant look Of concern, ani
light touch upon his wrist, showed
what she thought of such crazy words
and poor Dick gulped and tried to &c
back to his resolution not to tell her
Il don't know why | said that-I didnf
mean to" he told her
"iou are tired she said. soothing
ly, you've been sitting up too long"
Nothing OF the SORT" Dick an
swered, Grossly. Il am only tired Of
this business. Good Lord! Mary-thcre
l can't help it; tciH you take ne? didn't
mean to ask again; was just saying
wouldn't, when You came up the path
Mary, will You take me? Ii you won't
I'm going OFF. I've stood this just as
long as I'm going to-
Poor Mary turned red and white
with pity. "Oh. Dick" she said.
You know he's dead and gone;
you're only making another man mis-.
cradle; and = and you'd be happier
yourself"
''Of course he's dead" she said,
TREMENDOUSLY, that isn't it; it's because
IL shall always love Dom" she burst
out, and then fell to crying; and Dick
swore at himself and was ready to tell
her that he didn't care the least in the
world for her-if it would comfort her
any.
But nothing comfortcd her. She
went home along the river road in the
pleasant spring dusk, her eyes blu1ring
and smarting. She did not want Don's
mother to know she had been CRYING,
SO left the path and sat down under
little pine tree that clutched at the
rocks and stretched its starved, lean
branches out over the tumbling foam
below. She and Don had often sat
here and listened to the steady beat of
the waves on the broken rocks. The
light paled and faxed, and the sea
grew gray and cold; far OF a sail
leaned like wing against the sky and
caught sudden flush from the glow IN
the west. How often she had watched
Don's boat beating in, when the twi-
light was settling over the lonely shore.
He used to know without seeing her,
that she was there, under the pine.
She wondered if he knew that Dick
had asked her to marry him? The sea
was quito dark, except where faint
wreath of white came and went where
the waves broke on the rocks. How
dear and kind Don had been; how full
of laughter; how simple and trusting:
how careless and good-natured; she re-
membercd this or that drollcry, this or
that dear unreasonableness; q hundred
tendernesscs. No wonder she loved
him; to love such man was enough
for one girls life, she thought And
yet, Dick Wheeler had thought she
might marry him!
But I've been true" she protested
to herself, as if in excuse. Then she
turned back to the path, and went on
to the little gray house. Don thought
it wasn't as nice as Dicks" she
thought, half smiling; "wcll, you see,
I've chosen it, anyhow" she said, half
aloud, as though he were beside her
She saw the kitchen door open and
shut, and heard burst of laughter.
'Why, who is here at this time of
night?' she thought. And then she
saw that there were people in the door
yard, and two figures at the gate sud
denly saw her, and came running
towards her:
MARY, he's back. Mary! Don's
home!'
Mary stood still at the gate; she was
perfectly silent. Eager hands clutched
her and would have pulled her along
thepath. Hes home! He's back, Mary;
do you hear? Hes back: he says he's
been meaning to come these five years;
but he's been on three voyages"
Like a woman walking in her sleep,
Mary was pushed to the door, which
SN ullS CibtA sAii " esttlillN tlltSS
friendly on-lool1ers, who had come to
rejoice with those that did rejoice
Afterwards She did not know whcth-
or she saw him or not; the kitchen was
crowded. she heard Mrs. Hayes
and crying, and saying:
And Mary's been true to you-but
not because she hasn't had chances.
But why didn't you ever write to hcr?"
And chen voice, voice from the
grave, q dead voice, that made Mary
thrill with horror; voice that made
her heart culver, as though the founda
tons of the solid earth moved and
melted-a hearty, kindly voice, said:
We'll, was always meaning to-"
and, somehow, she turned and slipped
away between the pushing, jostling.
congratulating friends: slipped out into
the night, and ran, stumbling, crying, |
away from the house Of JOY |
and thanksgiving.
Dick Wheeler was certainly tired |
enough TO have Jacob help him back to |
Led; but Jacob was at the grocery store
listening, opcn-mouthcd, to the story |