The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-11-23

NE. Will Sldu1N ItcOulLleuQ y our HIttl-
iclne to every one wherever l go. -
Mrs. NJ. L. SHEARS. GUN MARSH, MICH.
The train would reach Holmesburg
about seven. Four miles before that was
Farrar's, a new station, and between
Farrar's and Holmesburg was a road
nearly all through the woods, and not
much used except in summer. She
| had never been over this road but
once, but she was sure that she could
find the way. Only one or two other
people, strangers to her, left the train
at Farrar's; that was as she had hoped,
and she plunged resolutely into the
woods 1t was long walk, and her
vaise was heavy for her; as it grew
dark, too, she began to stumble on the
road; she had to stop and rest more
and more frequently, but her resolution
never faltered. Several times she heard
some one coming, and she hid in the
bushes until all danger of discovery had
passed. once she fell and hurt her wrist,
so that after that she could only carry
her valise in one hand; but nothing could
daunt her.
1t was ten o'clock when she finally
reached the house she had crept around
through back ways, and felt sure that
she had not been seen; indeed for an hour
the lights had been out in the houses.
She stood still for a moment in the sweet,
silent night; the apple trees were all
silver in the moonlight and the datfodis
cleaned family down the path She I'M
locked the door and dragged in her valise,
and fell down in heap on the floor. She
was home at last.
When she came to herself there were
yellow streaks of light under the door,
and the room was full of bright gloom.
Her wrist was paining badly; she crept
to her feet, and started to get the arnica ;
then she stopped and shrank down on the
chair, for outside she could hear Miss
Martha talking to the cat. She sat
there guilty in she heard the heavy
footsteps down the path, then she rose
cautiously, as if Miss Martha could hear
her, and went to the panty. 5 e longed
fol some tea, but dared not make fire,
SO size ate little dry bread and jelly
Then Sine went up stairs to her bedroom
and lay down.
When she awoke she was startled by the
darkness at first, but memory came
back to her she slipped down stairs. For
moment she stood thinking; then softly
opening the door she crept out to the
wood-pile. As she was turning with her
arms fuil she stumbled over an animal at
the door. Checking her eXclama ion,
she leaned down; it was her cat purring
softly about her feet. With little cly of
joy, she picked hin up and carried him
into the house with her She made fire
and went busily to work. so that by day
light, when she put cut her fire, her
breakfast was ready, and fresh bread and
cake was in the closet. About eight
O clock she heard Miss Mart a come and
call the cat. After she had gone the old
woman took in the milk and gave it to
him, but she did not let him go out she
wanted some one to talk to. Late that
afternoon she lay down again; she was
not at all sleepy, but she would not get
up until after midnight, when she again
did her cooking.
She was very lonely, and oppressed by
a strange sense of unreality; as she sat
behind her closed blinds and watched the
neigh bors 60 by, she felt almost as if she
had died, and from another world were
looking back npon ht old life. Once the
minister came 10 the gate, aud she heard
Miss Martha call across to him that Mis-
Haswell was in the city visiting her son.
A hot flush burned in her old cheeks, and
she turned hastily away.
Monday was the last day of her impris-
onment. At daylight Tuesday he slipped
out Of the house with her vaise and be-
gan the journey back to Farrar's.
The up-train from BOSTON came at ten
o'clock, so that she had several hours to
wait, but she had known that, and ultil
the station was opened she sat on the
platform outside with stoical patience.
When the train came she rode the four
miles back to Holmsburg, and then took
the stage to the house. She drew long
breath as she walked again up the path
between the datfodils She went in the
front door, and began pulling up the
shades and uncovering the ornaments.
| When Martha came over she talked much
of the city, and of Toms nice neighbors,
but little of Tom and his family. After
her visitor had left she dropped her face
in her hands
ooh, Lord, 1 hope 1 amt done any
thing DREADFUL - she cried, ''but | couldn't
let her say anything against Tom, i
couldn' -
She looked very old and tired as she
went feebly about getting supper, and for
once she forget to set open the front
door; she remembered it as she was going
to sit down to her supper, and she bur
rled to open it. A young man was just
coming with springing steps up the path
between the daft dils,-a sturdy young
fellow with a yellow haired baby in his
arms. She looked at him absently, but
he ran forward and caught her.
''Mother, mother, don't you know
me?' he cried, as he Rugged and kissed
her.
After supper she went over to the
Wbipples. Tom was lying out under the
apple trees as he used to do years ago, but
Toms baby was cliDging to her with one
dimpled hand, while the other was full of
daffodils. Miss Martha met her at the
gate.
"Well, now, l guess you are happy"
she said. ''When see you come, thinks
l, well, that explains it; couldn't under
stand what made Mary seem so sort O.
numb this afternoon, but now l see.' And
this is Tom baby! 1t certainly does fav-
or him Do come in
''Pve got something to tell you first"
she said. II deceived you awfully, Mar
tina. | was mad because of what you said
about Tom, SO 1 went off in a hurry, an
when l got to the city the house was all