The morning times., 1895-08-11

OF seemed 10 care where-and 10 less than
ten minutes from tie time that they had
returned from the door the hush of sleep
and rest seemed t6 possess the whole house.
There was no light but that Of the fire in
the front room, which threw Pickering and
gigantic shadows on the walls OF the three
empty chairs before it. An hour later it
seemed as If one fthe chairs were occupied,
and a grotesque profile of ColliDson's
slimberlng-of rheditatiug-face and fig
lire was projected Gfimly on the rafters
as though 1T We're the hovering guardian
spirit OF the house. But even that passed
presently and faded out, and the beleaguer-
ingdarkness thathad encompassed the house
all the ewing began To lowly creep in
through every chiuk aud Granny of the
rambling ill-join ted structure, until it
at last obliterated even the faint embers on
the hearth. The cool fragrance of the wood
land depths crept In with it until the steep
or human warmth, the reek of human cloth
Ing, aud the lingering odors OF stale human
vlctldl were swept away in that iucor-
ruptible and omupotent breath. n hour
later and the wilderness had repossessed
itself Of all
Key, the hghtest sleeper, awoke early,
so early that tho dawn announced itself
only IN TWO d-n squares OF light that
seemed 10 grow out of the darkness at
the end OF the room where the windows
looked ou upon the valley. This re-
minded him of his woodland vision Of
the night before, and he lay and watched
them until they frightened and began to
outline the figures of his still sleeping
companions. But there were faint stir
rings elsew where-the soft brushing of q
squirrel across the shingled roof, the tiny
flutter of invisible wings in the rafters,
the peep and squeak" of baby life
| below the floor. And then he fell into a
deeper sleep, and awoke only When 1T
| was broad day
The sun was shining upon the empty
| hunks; his companions were already up
| and gone. They had separated as they
| had come together-wtth the light-hearted
| irresponsibility OF enimals-without re-
| gret, and scarcely reminiscence; bearing
with cheerful philosophy and the hopeful
| ness of q future unfettered by their past
| the final disappointment OF their quest.
| II they ever met again they would laugh
! and remember; if they did not, they would
| forget without sigh. He hurriedly dressed
| himself and went outside to dip his face
| and hands in the bucket that stood beside
the door; bat the clear air, the dazzling
sunshine, and the unexpected prospect
! half intoxicated him.
| The abandoned mill stretched beside
| him in all the pathos OF its premature
! decay. The ribs of..the water-wheel ap-
/ peared amid a tangle or shrubs and drift
wood, and were twiucd with long grasses
| and struggling Vines: mounds OF saWdust
and heaps OF brush" had taken upon
! themselves a velvety moss where the
| trickling slime Of the vanished river lost
| itself in sluggish pools. discolored with
the dyes OF redwood. But on the other
side Of tho rocky ledge dropped the whole
! length OF the valley, alternately bathed
in sunshine or hidden in drifts OF white
| and cliuging smoke. The upper end oi
tl,a G,P
| ridge above him. were lost in this fleecy
cloud, which at times seemed TO overflow
the SUBMITS and fan in slow leaps, like
lazy CataTacts, down the mountain side
! Only the range before the ledge was clear;
! there the green pines seemed 10 s"e
onward and upward in long mounting
| binows, until at last they broke against
| the sky.
In the keen stimuIous of the hour and th'
| air Key felt the rn0untaineer's longing TO
| action, ana scarcely noticed that Collin
! son had patheticauy brought out his porl
barrel to scrape together few remnant
for his last meal II was not until he ha'
finished his coffee and Collinsonhad brough
UP his horse that slight sense or sham
/ OF his own and his comrades selfishnes
embarrassed his parting with his patien
host. He himself was going 10 skinner
10 plead for him. He knew that Parker h az
left the draft-he had seen it lying In tn
bar-but a new sense of delicaSy kept hiu
from aIluding to- II now. 1t was better Il
leave him with his own peculiar idea
of the responsibilities of hospitality VI
changed. He shook his hand warmly an'
galloped up the rocky slope. Bat whe
he had finally reached the highr level AM
farcted he could even now see the dus
raised by his departing comrades on thei
two diverging paths, although he knew tha
they had already gone their different ways
perhaps never to meet again, his thought
and his eyes reverted only 10 the ruine'
mill below him and its lonely occupant.
He could see him quite distinctly in tina
clear air stiIl standing before his door. An
then he appeared 10 make parting ges
ture with his hand, and something like snow
fIuttered in the air above his head. !
was ONLY the torn fragments OF Parker
draft. which this homely gentleman Of tn
Slerras. standing beside his empty por
barrel, had scattered to the four winds
(To be conttnuedl