Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-06-21
And take me away
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And take me away
To the Blue Water
that quaint childish song of the people
that has a world of sweetness and sad,
vague yearning when sung over ana
over dreamiIy by woman's voice rs
she sits alone at her work. But Greg
ory heard neither that nor yet the loud
laughter of the Katfir maids that every
now and again broke through from the
kitchen. where they Joked and worked.
OF late Gregory had grown strangely
impervious TO the sounds and sights
about him. His lease had run out, but
EN- had said: do not renew II. | need
one to help me. Just stay on" And she
had added: You must not remain IN
your own little house. Live with me.
You can look after my ostriches better
so'
And Gregory did not thank her.
What difference did 1t make to him,
paying rent or not, living there or not!
1t was all one. But yet he came. En-
wished that he would still sometimes
talk of the strength and master right
of man, but Gregory was as one smit-
ten on the cheek bone. She might do
what she pleased, he would find no
fault, had no word to say. He had for
gotten that II Is mans right to rule. On
that rainy morning he had lighted his
pipe at the kitchen fire and when
breakfast was over stood In the front
door watching the water rush down
the road till the pipe died out In his
mouth. En- saw she must do some
thing for him and found him large
calico duster. He had sometimes talked
OF putting the loft neat, and today she
could find nothing else for him TO do.
So she had the ladder put to the trap
door that he need not go out In the
wet, and Gregory with the broom and
duster mounted to the loft. Once at
work. he worked hard. He busted
down the very rafters and cleaned the
broken candle molds and bent forks
that had stuck In the thatch for 20
years He placed the black bottles
neatly In rows on an old box In the cor
ner and piled the skins on one another
and sorted the rubbish In all the boxes,
and at II o'clock his work was almost
done.
He seated himself on the packing
case which had once held Waldos
books and proceeded to examine the
contents of another which he had not
yet looked at 1t was carelessly nailed
down. He loosened one plank and be-
gan to lift out various articles Of fe-
male attire old fashioned caps.
aprons, dresses with long pointed bod
les such as he remembered to have
seen his mother wear when he was a
little child. He shook them out care
fully to see there were no moths and
then sat down to fold them up again
one by one. They had belonged to
Ems mother, and the box as packed at
her death had stood untouched and
forgotten these long years. She must
have been a tall woman, that mother
oe Ems, for when he stood up to shake
out n dress the neck was on level
with his. and the skirt touched the
ground. Gregory laid nightcap out
on his knee and began rolling up the
strings. but presently his fingers mov-
ed slower and slower, then his chin
rested on his breast, and finally the I'm
ploring blue eyes were fixed on the
frill abstractedly. When Ems voice
called to him from the foot of the lad
der, he started and threw the nightcap
behind him.
She was only come to tell lin that
his cup of soup was ready, and when
he could hear that she was gone he
picked up the nightcap again and
great brown sun "kapJe," just such
"kapje" and such a dress as one Of
those be remembered to have seen
Sister of Mercy wear. Gregory's mind
was very full Of thought He took
down a fragment Of an old looking
glass from behind beam and put the
"kapje' on. His beard looked some
what grotesque under 1t. He put up
his hand to hide it. That was better.
The blue eyes looked out with mild
gentleness that became eyes looking
out from under "kapje." Next he
took the brown dress and, looking
round furtlvely, slipped 1t over his
head. He had just got his arms In the
sleeves and was trying to hook up the
back when an increase in the patter of
the rain at the window made him drag
1t off hastily. When he perceived there
was no one coming, he tumbled the
things back into the box and, covering
II carefully, went down the ladder.
EN- was still at her work, trying to
adjust new needle In the machine.
Gregory drank his soup and then sat
before her, an awful and mysterious
look in his eyes.
IL am going to town tomorrow" he
said.
I'm almost afraid you wont be able
to CO." said En-, who was intent on her
needle. 81 don't think it is going to
leave off today"
am going" said Gregory.
En- looked up.
But the 'sloots' are as full as rivers.
You cannot go. We can walt for the
post" she said.
81 am not going for the post" said
Gregory impressively.
En- looked for explanation. None
came.
"When will you be backr
81 am not coming back"
"Are you going to your friends"
Gregory waited, then caught her by
the wrist
look here, En-" he said between
his teeth. II can't stand 1t any more.
| am going to her"
Since that day when he had come
home and found Lyndall gone he had
never talked of he-, but EN- knew who
II was who needed to be spoken of by
no name.
She said when he had released her
hand:
But you do not know where she isf
Eyes, do. She was In Bloemfontein
when | heard last. VIII go there, and
| will find out where she went then,
and then, and then! | will have her!
EN- turned the wheel quickly, aud
the Ill adjusted needle sprang into 20
fragments.
Gregory" she said, ''she does not
want us. She told US so clearly In the
letter she wrote" A flush rose on her