The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-16

w ONG after the speakers
words had died away the
listening people waited in
HL\ hushed expectancy, unwili-
ing to believe that he hal
A-@ finished, and unable to come
down all at once from the
heights to which they had
been raised. At length they began to
file slowly out through the high mar
row doors into the frosty air. In al
most total silence the crowd separated,
with the unconsciousncss of surround
ings which comes to men when their
minds have been stirred deeply.
John Ordway and his wife came from
the church among the last, and walked
arm in arm to the long low she'd whore
many wagons were waiting; both had
been strongly moved by the evenings
sermon, but in different ways, indiCa-
tive, perhaps. of their widely differing
temperaments. In the man the newly
awakened feeling resulted i'm an uneasy
mental condition. which only intensi-
fled a natural SeCretivenoSs. Like many
others Of strong character he kept 81
lent on the subjects which most inter-
ested him, fearing lest he should be un-
able to rightly express his thoughts, or
should be misunderstood. The woman's
nature spoke in her face, which was oc
the highly emotional type so rarely
met with among those whose lives are
busy ones; the eyes were those of n
dreamer, always hoping to find in each
new experience the realization of a
hundred half-comprehendcd longings:
the parted lips showed the probable
sway of impulse, and the absence of the
flrmness which should have been it's
check, was evident in the lines Of the
delicately sensitive chin.
Ordway helped his wife to mount the
high seat of the wagon, the horses
struck into a swift trOt, and the driver
leaned forward to draw the blankets
more closely about his companion,
peering up into her face solicitously.
"Is it too cold for ye, little girl?"
he asked.
She started nervously at his voice,
and shook her head
I'm plenty warm enough" she said,
mechanically.
They moved swiftly past the scattered
houses Of the village, through the ech-
oes of the covered bridge, and out into
a short stretch of open country.
Three or four times the woman
raised her head as though about to
speak, but checked herself with an
effort
Il have something to tell you John"
she said at last. II am afraid I
ought to have told you long ago"
Her tone was so serious that he
turned ana looked at her with quick
anxiety.
Are We sure ye ought" he asked.
,i, 4
There is a need" she answered.
"I have known all along that it would
be better to speak out, but somehow l
never felt that | could, until tonight"
She paused as though to gather cour-
age. ITS about myself and Willis"
she said you remember"
Ordway bent forward suddenly with
warning shout to the horses, and
the wagon jolted heavily in a deep
rut.
That's me, all over" he said with
a chuckle. II took special notice of
that hole so as to skip it on the way
home. and here l am, drvin' right
into it again. like an old fool That's
what comes of listenin' TO sermons ye
can't quite understand"
won't YOU listen to me, John his
wife asked, pleadingly.
"Of course | will" he answered.
"Only, what with my nerves ben' so
wrought up and the team bein' 50
skittish, I'm sort of afraid to have
any big shock come on me sudden.
I'm a delicate blossom, We know" and
he smiled broadly down at her.
"You make it so hard for me-" she
said. And | am in earnest. Oh,
trulV | am in parDaSt
Her voice trembled with the warm
ing of tears. Ordway put his arm
around her and drew her closer to
him protectively, as a mother soothes
nervous, sleepy child.
Il wasn't jokin', exactly" he said.
81 am always glad to listen to ye; only
I think ye'd best wait till we get
home. We're most there now"
The wagon swung around a sharp
turn, and the splash Of the horses
feet in the half-frOZen mud, changed
to a sharp clatter of iron ard stone.
Far up on the hill ahead of them
the clear-cut outline of the farm build
ings showed against the horizon. Ord
way lifted the reirs in his hand, and
pointed to tiny CLEAN Of yellow light
which shone like a half-opened eye in
the largest of the black silhOuettes.