New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-14
XVIII
TO LEARN TO SING.

TO LEARN ~ SlN'r
The summer went on just as swecty after this
day az though it were assisting at some gay
nuptials.
Mother and We're busy ut the housework. !
learned to milk and | sen, away the boy whom
Bidwen had engaged to do our chores. wac
young and strong. and l could do more work than
/ had beer doing.
Mother expostulated but would not listen to
her. labored from morning until night. and the
moment laid myself on the bed dropped into
dreamlees sleep But between ! ard > always at
the same time I woke with start. and then lay
staring at the open window at the foot of my bed
Then l recalled every word that Nane had said
to me or written to me. every look. every IN
Election Of voice until thought l came near gong
mad.
But thank heaven. God has made his creatures
able to bear a great deal without going mad.
Sometimes did not go To sleep again; some
times slept uneasy for all hour.
knew that Miss Runcman watched me. once
she called brave girl and once she said.
1T will pass: everything pasres
But made no reply to either Of these remarks.
I had noting to say. Lotus followed me about.
looking wstfully al my face.
/ had Immediately written 10 Nane. First |
wrote long epistle saying many things That
promptly destroyed. Then wrote this:
Miss Runcimar has just told me Of your mar
rage to Olive Jewett Please DO not write 70 me
This sent: and tried tc forget the date Of my
sending it, so that might not think Of the time
when he would probably receive il. Even then
hated to hurt him. And like many other women
in similar circumstances, | believed that ne
| loved me He had done an evil thing, but he
| loved me. He had wronged and deceived me. but
ne loved me. YOU Will perceive that was no
moro reasonable in regard To him Than tht OF
binary girl would have been. And. indeed, was
but an ordinary girl, and could not be expected
to act differently from one
| And | hope you do not greatly wonder that,
| now that IT was all over, and was not Nanes
| he | L.
mother that had once believed was MS VII.
DID tel her that my frenashd3 9e for ,b MT @
| day she should know all. She acquiesccd. and
forbore TO question me. ] never knew untll
long afterward how she had read me IN the
| silence she preserved during the summer
1t was not quite a month since had sent my
note to vane. OF course, his letters had kept
| coming-those he had written before my word
| had reached him. But did not open these;
put them with the others. 1t was now fall. the
early, hot days Of September. when, II 1t be
| dry time" as It often is at that season. the
earth seems to he about to break into flames
| and consume like stubbc.
Miss Runciman still maintaining her more
| comfortable state. The heat was like balm 20
| her At the coming of the earliest frOsts she
| and her husband were going South. They would
follow the She might. by doing that, live
| a few months longer she said 1t was foolish
| thing to make a fight for few months but it
was human nature. She hurried our prepare
| tiOns for leaving home.
| once she caught my skirt as was passing
you will learn to sng?" she exclaimed with
her old imperiousness; you are in earnesi?'
| looked full in her eyes, my heart swelling as
| I answered.
| Il am in earnest"
| She sank back on the pillows.
| Il see / can trust you" she returned well.
| after ALL the world will owe a great singer to
went on out of the house I hurried, FOR
| would try my voice For the first time in weeks
| 7 would sing the scale. My heart began to beat
| at the mere thought Of doing this
| | ran down the river patch as the nearest
| way of escaping from interruption. | reached
| the bars where | paused to recover my breath
Not since that marriage ceremony on the train
| had been stung with the longing TO sing
That longing had lain partially dormant. but
ready to be reused, and Miss Runciman had
I began the scale Halfway through 1t Lotus
| who had come with me. made dash In among
| the bushes. AS he did so Vane parted the
branches and came toward me.
gave him one look that took in his haggard
| eyes his pallor his wretchedness: then turned
| / think | began to run My one dominant feel
| ing was that dared not see him. In a moment
my arm was caught. ] vaguely saw the dog
not notice him.
Are you running away from me?" asked
Vane, savagely.
| ] stood on the instant, perfectly still.
Yes | answered.
He held my arm yet more closely.
"Do you dislike me much"
made no answer He did not repeat the
question. He had dropped my and was
looking intently at me. This / knew, though
my eyes were lowered
at was because loved vcu So" he said sud-
denly
| Now raised my eyes.
| "You deceived me because you loved me SOL"
| I said.
yes. / was afraid. II told you. you would
turn from me; and hoped to arrange about a
divorce-and there was Mavcrick-and II all
came upon me in the train that II you could only
think you We're my wife should feel secure, and
I could arrange g-everything-and I
| should not lose you. IT was death. perdition. 10
think OF losing you-my darling-my darling."
Vane's voice pitched low. and IL thrilled
upon tho hot air almost 0s II 1t were part OF the
| beautiful day itself And / knew that Vane's
| very soul was in his voice and words. But what
had come over me? / was excited. but was in
| way unmoved There was no answering. I'M
| reasoning thrill in my heart. And was keenly
thankful for that-yes, l could have gone on my
| knees then and there and thanked God that
| Nane's presence was not to me what | had
thought 1t would be, not what remembered H.
| not what his Letters had been. Why? All, yes
| why had the strange glamour gone from my
Ma l.