The Republican journal., 1901-11-14

Lynn, Mass, for special advice
It is free.
she called. "They went away yester-
day"
The old woman looked up, her hand
dropped from the bell.
"What did you say, dear?' she falter-
ed. Il didn't understand. want to
see Tom,-Im his mother"
The girls pretty face softened with
quick pity she left the window, and
ran down the steps, and across to the
old woman.
"l'm SO sorry," she said gently.
Don't you understand? They've gone
away; I don't know when they'll be
back, they couldn't tell. Oh, don't look
/ SO. Come in our house and rest. You
must come. You can't stay here, you
know"
The people were very good to her.
! She wanted to go back that night, and
they had to tell her over and over that
there was no train before they could
make her understand, and even then
she seemed daZed and bewildered. So
they gave her quiet room and left her
alone. For hours she sat there in the
dark trying to order her dizzy thoughts,
and gradually one idea became clear,
/ that no one must ever know. 1t was
all her fault, all hers but people
/ would not understand, and they would
! blame Tom and they must not blame
| him.
In the morning she was pale ald tired,
but quite her old self again. The girl
was delighted at the change, and sat be-
! side her at breakfast, coaxing her to
Hr,01 ly To 10 u,
her and put her on the train.
/ When, late in the afternoon, the
train began climbing up the hills once
! more, she pushed open the window and
breathed the keen air with a sigh of
deep content. She had left the city be-
hind forever
j. The train would reach Holmesburg
about seven. Four miles before that
was Farrars, new station, and be-
tween Farrars and Holmesburg was
road nearly all through the woods and
not much used except in summer; she
had never been over this road but once,
but she was sure she could find the
way. Only one or two other people,
strangers to her, left the train at Far
rar's; that was as she had hoped, and
she plunged resolutely into the woods.
1t was long walk, and her valise was
heavy for her; as it grew dark, too, she
began to stumble on the road; she had
to stop and rest more and more fire.
quently, but her resolution never fall
tered.
1t was ten o'clock when she finally
reached the house; she had crept around
| through back ways, and felt sure she
had not been seen. Indeed, for an hour
the lights had been out in the houses.
She stood still for a moment in the
sweet, silent night; the apple trees
were all silver in the moonlight, and
the daffodils cleaned family down the
path. She unlocked the door and drag
ged in her valise. She was home at
last.
For a moment she stood thinking;
then softly opening the door she crept
out to the wood pile. AS she was re-
turning with her arms full she STUN
bled over an animal at the door. Check
ing her exclamation, she leaned down;
it was her cat purring softly about her
feet. With little cry of joy she pick
ed him up and carried him into the
house with her. She made fire and
went busily to work, so that by day
light, when she put out her fire. her
breakfast was ready, and fresh bread
and cake was in the closet. About
eight o'clock she heard Miss Martha
come and call the cat. After she had
gone the old woman took in the milk
and gave it to him, but she did not let
him go out-she wanted some one to
talk to.
She was very lonely and oppressed by
a strange sense of unreality; as she sat
behind her closed blinds and watched
the neighbors 60 by she felt almost as
if she had died, and from another world
was looking back upon her old life.
Once the minister came to the gate,
and she heard Miss Martha call across
to him that Mis- Haswell was in the
city visiting her son. A hot flush burn
ed in her cheeks, and she turned hasti-
ly away.
Monday was the last day of her i'm
prisonment. At daylight Tuesday she
slipped out of the house with her va
lise, and began the journey back to
Farrar's.
The first up-train from Boston came
at ten O'Clock, SO that she had several
hours to wait, but she had known that,
and until the station was opened she
sat on the platform outside with stoical
patience. When the train came she
rode the four miles back to Holmes
burg, and then took the stage to the
house. She drew a long breath as she
walked again up the path between the
daffodils. She went in the front door,
and began pulling up the shades and
uncovering all the ornaments. When
Martha came over she talked much of
the city, and of Toms neighbors, but
little Of Tom and his family. After
her visitor had left she dropped her
face in her hands.
''Oh, Lord, hope 1 amt done any