The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-04
HOW SHE CAME HOME.
Kennedy King, in The Speaker.

Kennedy King, in The Speaker.
1t was cleaning when Janet Goudie
crept to the white gate leading to her
fathers farm. on the ridge between
her and the west she saw the two long
shafts of tilted roller standing up
dark, gaunt. The sight made her sud
denly afraid. She thought of her faith
er. Was it he who had been working
v h the roller-who had left IT there
an Nour since? She paused with
beating heart.
After little she opened the gate and
| slipped quietly through, holding it
carefully in her hand as she turned
to fasten it. She remembered how it
always swung to the post with "a clap,
and, though she was far from the
| house, she shrank from making a noise.
Then she turned up the hilly road.
| When she came out upon the bare
uplands they were flooded with un-
| canny light. 1t dazzled Janet so that
she could scarcely see the house lying
straight before her. Her whole body
felt how visible to the farm folk 1t
must be, coming on illumined in the
yellow glare. She covered so closely to
the stunted hedge that the struggling
brambles tugged at her. A burst of
terrible splendor came athwart the
world, an awful dying gloom. Far and
wide famed the red and silent moors
like affairs lighted for the end of time.
Janet crept on, feeling mean and little
in the great desolation.
At last she stood within the long
shadow that was cast toward her by
the house. So dark and silent were the
buildings that her heart stopped beat
ing with a sudden dread. But present
ly familiar sound fell on her ear, and
she breathed with relief on looking
| round over In .the little croft the
ducks were waddling home, late as
usual, and Gathering away to them
selves. When the drake stood up and
tapped his wings the white round OF
his breast shone vividly.
The farm road led to the square close
| Ut the DdCh Oh the uWelllnB HOuSe-lne
front was to the sunset. Janet stole to
the corner of the barn and peered down
through the shadows to the kitchen
door. She was shaking with fear Her
father had threatened that If ever she
came back he would hound the dog at
her, She. hoped it would not be a new
dog. Bauldy, she knew, would not
bite her. The tall white wooden pump
| O M ilEn nh In he of1A
She remembered every feature of the
place as If 1t were yesterday she went
away. Yet she felt she was looking
at it athwart an eternity. The double
feeling of familiarity and strangeness
made her conscious OF her physical
abasement; everything at home was
the same-it was she who was different,
different
stall-tied COW lowed loudly in the
empty byre, and the mournful sound
was echoed by the gaunt buildings.
Janet shivered and drew her poor shawl
about her shoulders. At last she ven
tured out creeping down the close on
her tip-toes, trembingly. When she
reached the step of the back door, she
turned and listened for a sound within.
The house was silent as death.
Twice she raised her hand to knock
and twice she let 1t fall in cowardice.
Then sef-pty came over her with a
burst in the throat, and her lips whs-
pered In dull repetition: "Oh, it's a
pity o. me; it's pity o. me: My Cod,
ay; it's a geyan pity O. mel" She
knocked family. There was no re-
SPONGE. AS she craned to listen she
heard the old-fashioned kitchen clock
tick with a dreary loudness.
She knocked again, The scrunt of a
chair being pushed backward on the
stone floor made the blood prick her
veins suddenly. a silence followed
and then the shuttle of slippered feet
coming slowly. Would it be her faith
er? And would he curse her? Her
tongue was dry in her mouth.
A bolt clanked to the wall; the door
creaked on its hinges; and somebody
peered out at her, hand over eye
J brows.
ITS you!" said her mother at last
The woman stared at her daughter
; for while, and then turned away
without a word, leaving the door open
behind her. Janet followed to tn.
: kitchen with a tlmorous foot that was
: ready TO start backward But heI
father was not In the kitchen.
There was a Strange stiffness The
rich light came streaming through the
[ bare window and fell fun upon the
dresser. The dishes shone weirdly
against it. There, on its old hook
Janet's mug was still hanging, hel
name on IL in bright grt lettering
! With sudden stab of memory she
l thought Of the night her father had
brought II home to her from the winter
fair at Carbie. coming in from the won
, derful darkness, with snowfiakes on hi.
coat, to his little girl by the great