The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-27
A Secret of the Hills.
Bv JTrT.IET Y. STRAUSS.

mind it was in harvest time, and the men
came galloping in from the fields with the
gears Gathering about the horses and the
lightning splitting at their heels for all the
world like the fash of gunpowder.
] had no fears of a hurricane myself, and
1 liked the break in the days monotony.
Silence was not always the portion of my
life; in my young days there was music and
laughter and happy voices; the patter of
dancing feet; the clatter of saddle horses;
the roll of carriages, and all of the varied
sounds that make up the measure of that
harmony to which is set the lives of the for
tunate.
Even after 1 welded with my sober-sided
husband, and came here to live with him in
the fastness of this rock valley, there was
life and hustle enough, and L was happy,
though many thought it was strange
choice, and, indeed, 1 wonder at it myself,
though perhaps it was his very gravity, so
unlike the gay sparks of our part of the
country, which won my fancy
We were not many years man and wife
before the war came on, and then came the
great silence, and was alone in the old
stone house Father brothers and husband
all went down, and / remained, though many
a time I wished that I, too. might have
manned about me and [ made shift to live,
and by and by found a certain interest in
the business of the farm, and as the black
men were faithful my affairs prospered. and
so the years passed by. L knew little of the
people around me; their ways and mine
were ever different. and changes came re-
moving from the neighborhood even the few
/ had known.
1 was busy all the day, for L had a dairy
and a garden and a small apiary and many
things to occupy my mind and it was only
at twilight that was wont to feel my lone
illness, and had fashion of standing in my
doorway peering up and down the road with
a feeling that somebody might be coming,
though none ever came, for was esteemed
a queer old woman by the ignorant young
sters of the neighborhood, and the older ones
whom my husband had known, good, sober
people they were, were either dead or too
infirm for visiting. However, as I stood
that evening watching the hurrying men
and the strange windridden twilight, L saw
a carriage scudding before the blast, and be-
fore I could think to wonder who might be
travelling this lonely road at this time of day,
the driver drew rein at my own door, and
the inmates of the vehicle sprang out and
ran laughing and gasping on to my veranda,
Just as the storm broke In an avalanche of
heavy drops.
In the tumult of the storm and the sur
prise of their sudden appearance had much
to do to receive them properly, but brought
them inside and gave them such welcome
as L could at the time command The two
strangers who had Unexpectedly laid claim
to my hospitality were man and woman
of surprising grace and beauty. Not since
the days of my girlhood had / met any per-
sons with just the bearing, the appearance
and the gentle speech of these two belated
travellers. In their soft voices their musical
laughter the texture of their clothing, the
daintiness of the woman's ensemble, and
the courtliness of the mans address. l
seemed to feel myself borne into the past,
and could almost have fancied that the
stormy twilight had blown me two ghosts
from the long ago Of my own life.
They had not gained the shelter of my old
house moment too soon, for no such storm
ever before broke over the valley as ragged
for hours that night. In the midst of it all
1 made shift to entertain them as best
could. l changed my gown to one of gray
silk which my dear husband had had made
for me at Richmond just before the war,
and L altered the appearance of the supper
table, which the black woman had laid for
me as usual, by placing upon it my best
l.
this part Of the country, and a service of
silver and china which had long been hidden
from the light of day also lit the candles
in the candelabra and gave out an extra
white apron for Susan, who was all agog
with delight at the presence of visitors. 1
gathered that the lady and gentlemen were
travelling to Washington and. attracted by
the wonderful beauty of our valley, had
left the railway and were proceeding by
carriage to point farther east, where they
might resume their journey by rail- The
qualification of such a within bespoke unlim-
tied means and leisure, besides. a goodly
perceived right well that they found me
quaint and interesting, and it was little
wonder that | seemed so in their eyes, since
had learned little and forgotten nothing
Tor nearly forty years. Their amusement,
however, had in it no flavor of ridicule
rather it was tinged with reverent tender
ness. grateful enough to me, who had at
times felt myself the object of the buffoon-
cry OF the ignorant young farming people
about me. 1t was years since l had met peo-
pie out of my own world and / was glad
enough to converse with them and to show
them many of my. little treasures, and note
their quick appreciation of things, the value
OF which | alone had known for many
years.
The rain kept falling heavily and 1 pre-
vailed upon my visitors to remain with me
over night, though they were for going for
ward to the village where there was taV-
ern or boarding house, little fitted. 1
thought, for the accommodation of such
guests. 1 cannot say but that I enjoyed
preparing for their entertainment; lighting
a little blaze on the hearth to drive away
the dampness from the great chamber and
laying out my best linen for the bed. l
doubted not they were a newly-wedded pair
for noted how his eyes followed her about,
and thought saw upon her face at times
a Wtstful questioning, natural enough on the
face Of a bride, but which I feared was more
pronounced than wished to see on one so
beautiful as hers.
l lay awake a long time that night. for
such happening in my quiet life was like
to drive sleep away and. besides, l was
plans hTP1
ing Susan up the hill for blackberrieS to
give relish to our plain fare. I fell into a
doze, however after so long time, but was
presently awakened by a strange sound,
which, on sitting up in bed, / made out to
be that of a woman weeping.
A. woman weeping at dead of night was
sound not wholly unknown to the old house.
for there had been times when grief lay
heavy upon my heart, and l had no wish to
servants eyes were upon me- But as I lis
tened to this desperate yet subdued weep
ing, sounding so strangely in the silent
house. 1t came to me somehow that l hGd
woman weep so in all my life before Susan
was sleeping soundly her pallet beside
my bed. and | stole quietly to the window
and looked out. The storm had subsidized,
and the rain died quite away and the moon
shining dimly through a veil of thin
white clouds By its light | perceived
woman, my guest of the previous evening.
crouched down in an old arm chair on the
upper veranda, a favorite seat of my own on
fine summer afternoons a door from the
guest chamber opened upon the veranda,
and being seepless, she had. no doubt
stepped out seeking repose in the quiet of
the night.
Never before had I felt upon my heart
such heaviness as her weeping laid there,
and there was in her whole attitude such an
abandon of wretehedness and despair that