The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-30


ed with the pictures and thoughts tina!
sat with her there alone In the freight
She turned the cakes over while the
wind hurled down row Of bricks
from the gable and made the walls
tremble.
Presently she paused and listened.
There was sound as Of something
knocking at the back doorway. But the
wind had raised it's level higher, and
she went on with her work. At last the
sound was repeated. Then she rose,
lighted the candle at the fire and went
to see, only to satisfy herself, she said,
that nothing could be out on such a
night.
She opened the door little way and
held the light behind her to defend it
from the wind. The figure Of tall man
stood there, and before she could speak
he had pushed his way in and was
forcing the door to close behind him.
"Waldow she cried in establishment.
| He had been gone more than year
and half.
"You did not expect to see me-" he
answered as he turned toward her. Il
should have slept in the clubhouse and
not troubled you tonight, but through
| the shutter saw glimmerings Of a
| l.s,.t."
"t'9me into the fire." she said. "It is
L .rific night for any creature to be
Out. Shall we not go and fetch your
thiE.ss In first?' she added.
II have nothing but this" he said,
motioning TO the little bundle in his
| hand
Your horseY
is dead"
THE cakes are almost ready" she
said. 81 will get you something to
eat. Where have you been wandering
all this while?"
up and down, up and down." he an
swered YEARLY. land now the whim
has seized me to come back here. En-"
he said, putting his hand on her arm
as she passed him. "have you heard
from Lyndall lately?'
YES" said EN-, turning quickly from
him
where is she? l had one letter from
her, but that is almost year ago now.
just when she left. Where is she?"
.'In the Transvaal. l will go and get
you some supper. We can talk after
ward"
| ICan you give me her exact address?
want TO write to her."
1 But EN- had gone into the next room.
When food was on the table, she
knelt down before the fire, turning the
cakes, babbling restlessly. eagerly, now
Of this. now of that. She was glad to
see him. Tant' Sannie was coming
soon toa show her her new baby. He
must stay on the farm now and help
her. And Waldo himself was well con-
tent to eat his meal in silence. asking
no more questions
Gregory is coming back next week."
she said He will have been gone 1O3
days tomorrow had letter from
him yesterday"
"Where has he beenw
But his companion stopped to lift q
cake from the fire.
How the wind blows! One can
hardly hear ones own voice." she said.
Take this warm cake. No ones cakes
|
nothing"
81 am little weary" he said. 1.-THE
wind was mad tonight"
II will write a few lines" he said,
"till you are ready to sit down and
talk"
En- as she shook out the tablecloth
watched him bending intently over his
paper. He had changed much. His
! face had grown thinner; his cheeks
were almost hollow. though they were
covered by a dark growth of beard.
She sat down on the skin beside him
and felt the little bundle on the bench
1t was painfully small and soft. Per-
haps it held shirt and book, but
nothing more. The old black hat had
\ a piece of unhemmed muslin twisted
: round it, and on his elbow was a large
patch so fixed on with yellow thread
that her heart ached. Only his hail
] was not changed and hung in silky
beautiful waves almost to his shout
t ders. Tomorrow she would take the
e ragged edge off his collar and put {
new band round his hat. She did no
interrupt him. but she wondered how
e it was that he sat to write SO intentl.
t after his long, weary walk. He wa
t not tired now. His pen hurried quick
S ly and restlessly over the paper. ant
: his eye was bright. Presently En-
= raised her hand to her breast, wher
( lay the letter yesterday had brough
8 her Soon she had forgotten him a
l. entirely as he had forgotten her. Eacl
It was in his own world with his OWL
He was writing to Lyndqll He woul'
d tell her all he had seen, all he ha,
e done, though it were nothing worth re
d lating. He seemed to have come bacl
g to her and to be talking to her nov
s he sat there in the old house:
e ''And then l got to, the next towI
It and my horse was tired, so could 6
v no farther and looked for work. 4
e shopkeeper agreed to hire me as
d salesman. He made me sign promis
# to remain six months. and he gave m
d a little empty room at the back of tn
J. store to sleep in. l had still t3 of m