New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16

that But thought it over, and somehow II
seemed to me there was truth III those "oi"S'
though | didn't understand.
| told mother, and l shall never forget how
disturbed she looked. What she said was:
I'VE all have peculiarties
1t was a year ago since | graduated-i had
been at home all that time. People seemed 10
think / ought to get a school to teach some
where, but l told father. TO begin Wlth' Wneh
he began TO talk about sending me to south
Hadley, that wasn't going to be scnool-
teacher I would rather work in some factory
He said he guessed there wasn't any hurry
about my earning anything. So was at nome,
and / helped mother and Aunt Lowry: but
didn't work very hard. / liked to SIT out Oh
doors 1t come mild. liked TO sit
and let the shine On me-just loaf. Aunt
Lowry said l was the biggest loafer she ever
saw.
Sometimes 1 would repent and set to work
hard. and make biisters on my hands. -
To-day | hadn't done much. | had taken the
scythe and moved down the grass between the
two naples and put barrel-stave hammock
there. | had made the hammock the day be-
fore. This forenoon 1 had spent lying there
under the naples. until an hour ago
Now l looked down the long white road which
led past the house. | looked in the direction of
the village which lry two miles away.
The birds We're flying about swiftly. utterns
short calls they do when a tempest is com
I'VE shall catch it," I said aloud
In frort of me the west. and there the
clouds bluer and blacker than ever. except
the very tops OF them which were SOFT nut
brilliant white.
There was distant roar somewhere. and
knew 1t the wind rushing through the
gorge between the high hills few miles to the
north Of us
The breeze would be here presently, but now 1t
was so quiet that one wanted to gasp.
How excited 1t does make feel to look
right at a coming tempest. 1t was as If some
thing alive were on the way. and would present
~ snatch you up and toss you somewhere.
My heart began TO beat. Somebody says It's
the electrical state of the air that is excit-
ing. ] used to read about it up at Holyoke.
But it didn't lake the mystery away. this cX-
planning
stepped out into the road and began to run
down It, for l saw, far along at the curve. a
carriage coming. The horse was trotting fast.
stepping high. and making cloud of dust.
was sure II was the gray colt that father had
just trained and that was for sale
AS ran l saw that there were two people on
the seat Of the light buggy, and then | almost
thought / had been mistaken in thinking II
was father coming.
But no-there was no other horse with such
dash and stride as that
And now l saw that 1t was woman with
father-somebody he had taken up on the way,
Of course.
The Of the wind grew louder and nearer
The gale bent the trees II swept up
binding cloud OF dust and dashed II at me SO
that turned and scuddcd back to the house.
my skirts flying out before me and feeling as
II some great hands were pushing me forward.
At the same moment some big drops spashcd
santing along, then floods and floods sluiccd
across the hot earth, and boiled. and roared.
and Kissed
Through the falling water / saw the big gray
spank on by me- and whirl the buggy in at the
open gate of the road that led to the barn.
| heard my father shout: "Hulo Billy, Scud
into the house this minute Scud."
The woman with him had her head bent and
she was holding her hat down with both hands
That's all seemed to see, yet | did scud
bor. :" ''''O 'a'O 4 '"o0s" ' one 'Sh a neigh
A flash of lightning came full across my eyes
as stepped into the entry. Mother caught my
a nd and flrax in eln
The thunder cracked and split, and appeared
to be tearing the world apart. clapped my
hands over my
You're wet as sop" heard mother say eco
right upstairs and change your cloes'
But didn't go directly. ! stood in the mid
die Of the large comfortable kitchen and looked
out at the tempest. Though II was the fore
noon how dark it was. The rain itself was
mex enough to shut out the light OF heaven.
Aunt Lowry came in from the other part OF
the house. She had been shutting a north
window which had been overlooked ana the
front Of her gown was drenched
The winds goin' to change" she said
There's strip Of clear sky below the cloud
Already Twon't rain more'n five minutes more.
N we shl have rainbow. / guess. | always
do love to see a rainbow. 1t makes me think
Of Gods promise"
Did somebody come with your father. SIS"
asked mother Il thought he want alone when
/ had glimpse Of him"
There's woman with him." ! answered.
+ pose It's Eunlce small, amt II? ! knew
she'd gone up to the village this morning"
NO; IT isn't Eunice. It's a stranger"
I'm sure d know who II be-" was the
response Il guess she'll go on when 1t Stacks
up. OF course they'll stay in the barn while 1t
| comes down like this
We three women drew our chairs into the
| centre Of the kitchen, after We had shut all
| the doors so that there should not be draught
| anywhere for we thought that lightning was
liable to follow current Of air. We always
| talked in low tones during a tempest Mother
said wasn't "Seemly' De
| at such times She said that to her 1t was az
If the Lord was speaking in His holy temple.
| Mother was Second Adventist She didn't
| say much about her belief. and she went every
| Sunday to the orthodox Church" the vii
lage. But once in a while. when / was alone
with her. she would speak Of the coming OF the
| Lord. and her face would flush and her eyes
begin to shine, while her voice wasn't quite
| steady
At such times used to look at her in wonder
| and feel In my soul some curious and strange
answering cry Of mysticism. But didn't be
| lieve in the second coming OF Christ, though
l used to try to believe 1t. thinking that such
| a belief might perhaps make me good
| woman as mother was.
Now all sat In the kitchen and waited
| for the tempest to abate. couldn't help motto
ing the kind OF glorfod look there
mothers face. She watched the binding
| flashes. her eyes growing brighter and brighter.
| Once Aunt Lowry reached forward and put
her hand on mothers arm
"Serissy." she said. now don't go and get
| excited"
mo, no. was the answer. but ! can't help
thinkin' it's awful grand What If He should
come in His might rldin on the cloud?'
| / heard this. though did not appear to hear
| 1t. / wondered what father thought OF this
| kind Of talk and then | knew intuitivcly that
| she would never speak In that way before him.
Presently there came longer spaces of time
| between the flash and the thunder. and then
| the rain grew less heavy
| The sun out. ] ran to the door and
| opened IT; there was the rainbow growing
| brighter every minute. great rush of damp.
| sweet smells came in The birds began 10 sing
| in hat fru
| after q rain.
! Two figures came hurryng In from the barn.
| They father holding an umbrella over the
| woman. They stepped into the porch, and
| mother went forward to meet them
| "Who in the world is she?" exclaimed Aunt
Lowizy; I'm sure l don't know her from
|