Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-24

How SHE ga
GAME [H]0mE.
: -
!, By Kennedy Bling.
. A Vivid Sketch of q Girl Who
Had Erred Returning
. to Her Parents. .
BY Kennedy Bling.
81

1t was cleaning when Janet Goudia
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 a tilted roller standing up
dark, gaunt. The sight made her sud
denly afraid. She thought Of her ia
Their. Was it he who had been work
ing with the roller-who had left 1t
there an hour since? She paused with
a beating heart.
After a little she opened the gate
and slipped quietly through, holding It
carefully in her hand IS she turned to
fasten it. She remembered how it al
ways 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 billy
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 stray
Cling 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
beating with a sudden dread. But
presently a 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 wildly.
The farm road led to the square close
at the back of the dwelling house. The
front was to the sunset. Janet stole
to the corner Of the barn and peered
down through the shadows to the
kitchen door. She vas shaking with
fear. Her father had threatened that
If ever she came back he would hound
the dog at her. She hoped 1t would
not be a new dog. Badly, she knew,
would not bite her. The tall white
wooned pump glimmered like a ghost
in the gloom. She remembered every
feature Of the place as If 1t were yes
terday she went away. Yet she felt
she was looking at it athwart an eter-
nifty. The double feeling of familiari-
ty and strangeness made her conscious
Of her physical abasement. Every
thing at home was the same. 1t was
she who was different, different.
A 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 ventured out, creeping down the
close on her tiptoes tremblingly.
When she reached the step OF the back
door, she stood 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 self pity came owe her with 3
burst in the throat, and her lips whis-
pered In dull repetition: "Oh, it's a pity
O. me! It's a pity O me! My God. aye!
It's a gevan pity O. mel" She knocked
family. There was no response. AS
she craned to listen she heard the old
fashioned kitchen clock tick with a
dreary loudness.
She knocked again. The scrunt of q
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 ia
Their? 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 eyebrows.
"Its you" said her mother at last.
The woman stared at her daughter
for awhile and then turned away with
out a word, leaving the door open be-
hind her. Janet followed to the kitch.
en- with a timorous foot that was ready
to start backward. But her father was
not In the kitchen.
There was a strange stiffness. The
rich light came streaming through the