Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-06-14
CHAPTER XX.

WALDO GOES OUT TO TASTE LIFE, AND
EN- STAYS AT HOME AND TASTES IT.
At 0 o'clock In the evening packing
his bundles for the next mornings
. start, Waldo looked up and was sur
prised to see Ems yellow head peep
. ing In at his door. 1t was many a
/ month since she had been there. She
said she had made him sandwiches for
his journey, and she staid awhile to
help him put his goods into the saddle
bags
"You can leave the old things lying
! about" she said. II viii lock the room
and keep 1t waiting for you to come
back some day
To come back some day. Would the
! bird ever return to its cage? But he
! thanked her. When she went away, he
stood on the doorstep holding the can
! die till she had almost reached the
! house. But En- was that evening in
no hurry to enter and, instead of going
| In at the back door, walked with lag
! ging footsteps round the low brick
/ wall that ran before the house. Oppo-
! site tie open window of the parlor she
| stopped. The little room. kept careful
| ly closed In Taut Sanaie's time. was
! well lighted by pnratiin lamp; books
| and work lay strewu about it. and 1t
wore bright. habitable aspect. Be
side the lamp AT the table in the corner
! sat Lyudall. the open letters and pa
! pers of the days post lying scattered
! before her. while She perused the col
| unus of newspaper. 1T the center
table. with his arms folded on an open
! paper which there was not light
! enough 10 read. sat Gregory. He was
! looking At her. The light from the
open window fell on Ems face under
| its white e. apple" rs she looked in. but
no one glanced that way.
go and fetch me glass Of water"
! Lyndall said ut last
| Gregory Went out To llnd It. When be
| put it down 1T her side. she merely
| moved her head I'm recognition. and he
went back to his seat and his old occu-
| patton. Then En- moved slowly away
| from the window. and through ii came
| In spotted. hard winged insects. to play
| round the lamp, till, one by one. they
stuck to it's glass and fell to the foot
| dead.
Ten o'clock struck. Then Lyndall
rose, gathered up her papers and let
tiers and wished Gregory good night.
Some time after En- entered. She had
been sitting all the while on the loft
ladder and had drawn her "kapje"
down very much over her face.
Gregory was piecing together the bits
of an envelope when she came in.
Il thought you were never coming"
he said. turning round quickly and
throwing the fragments on to the floor.
You know have been shearing all
day, and it is 10 o'clock already"
"Tm sorry. did not think you
would be going SO sooa," she said In
low voice.
81 can't hear what you say. What
makes you humble so? Well. good
night, EN-"
He stopped down hastily to kiss her.
al want to talk to you, Gregory
"Well, make haste" he said pettish
ly. I'm awfully tired. I've been
sitting here all the evening. Why
couldn't you come and talk beforeT
w III LlOl hGtp NOi lphS' Slit an
swered very steadily now. Il think,
Gregory, 1t would be better if you and
We're never to be married"
Good heavens! EN-, what do you
mean? l thought you were so fond Of
me? You always professed to be.
What on earth have you taken into
your head now?"
81 think it would be better" she said
folding her hands over each other, very
much as though she were praying.
Better, EN-! What do you mean?
Even a woman can't take a freak all
about nothing! You must have some
reason for it, and I'm sure I've done
nothing to offend you. wrote only to-
day to my sister to tell her to come up
next month to our wedding. and I've
been as affectionate and happy as pos
sible. Come, what's the matterT'
He put his arm half round her shoul-
der very loosely.
81 think 1t would be better" she an
swered slowly.
"Oh, WELL" he said, drawing himself
up, "if you won't enter into eXplana
tiOns you won't, and I'm not the man
to beg and pray-not to any woman,
and you know that. If you don't want
to marry me / can't oblige you to, of
course"
She stood quite still before him.
"You women never do know your
own minds two days together, and Of
course you know the state of your
own feelings best, but it's very strange.
Have you really made up your mind,
Em|
YES"
"Well, Pm very sorry. I'm sure I've
not been in anything to blame. 4 man
can't always be billing and cooling;
but, as you say, If your feeling for me
has changed. It's much better you
shouldn't marry me. There's nothing
so foolish as to marry some one you
don't love, and l only wish for your
happiness, I'm sure. dare say you'll
find some one can make you much hap
pier than l could. The first person we
love is seldom the right one. You are
very young. It's quite natural you
should change"
She said nothing.
Things often seem hard at the time,
but Providence makes them turn out
for the best In the end" said Gregory.
You'll let me kiss you, En-, just for
old friendships sake" He stopped
down. You must look upon me as a
dear brother, as q cousin at least. AS
long as l am on the farm | shall al |
ways be glad to help you, En-"
Soon after the brown pony was can
tering along the footpath to the daub |
and waffle house, and his master as he |
rode whistled John Speriwlg" and the |
"Thorn Kloof Schottische."
The sun had not yet touched the out
stretched arms of the prickly pear
upon the "kopje," and the early cocks |
and hens still strutted about stifIly aft |
er the nights roost when Waldo stood |
before the wagon house saddling the |
gray mare. Every now and then he |
glanced up at the old familiar objects. |
They had n new aspect that morning.
Even the cocks, seen In the light of /
parting, had n peculiar interest, and
he listened with conscious attention |
while one crowed clear and loud as It |
stood on the pigsty wall. He wished |
good morning softly 10 the Kaffir wo-
man who was coming up from the huts |
to light the fire. He was leaving them |
nlI 70 thot old life and from his bnlpht |