Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-07-19
NDar0aret.

The door was wide open, and upon
It's threshold stood a woman whose
NAne. full figure was prettily outlined
! I8ainst the soft glow of the interior.
She had on crimson wool wrapper
and an odd little bibbed apron with
rfGsed edges, and there was sprig of
scarlet geranium tucked in her plenti,
1uI Brown hair. She had wrapped her
hands in her apron, for the evening
had set in cold, and sharp little wind
was blowing from the sound. Over
and around her broke fragments of
pleasant clamor from the children s
frolic that was going on inside, so
that she had to lift her voice in order
to make it heard by the other woman
who had paused for a parting word
or two, half way down to the gate
It's going to be a cold night, Mar
garet," she was saying. I'm glad
you haven't far to go to get home.
Did you ever hear such a racket" as
ID fresh burst of merriment fairly 81
fenced her It's always so ON Satur-
day night-their hilarity reaches a
elm Ak then, and l can keep them
Sproty quiet over Sunday. l actually
.Ssread trying to get them all away to
D6eM Little scamps! 1t almost makes
me wish l were child again to
hear them, doesn't it you?"
les, it does" Margaret said. She
looked wistfuIly at her friend through
the gloom. Then she turned round
toward the gate again. Goodnight,
Hetty," she called back. Don't stand
there another minute or you'll freeze.
I'm going to run home now. Good
night"
Good-night!" the woman in the
doorway responded. She had stepped
nack and was drawing to the door.
Good-night!" she cried again through
the Iessening space.
Then the door closed upon her, and
upon all the warmth and light and
gayety of the home life that EMBODIED
her and Margaret found herself in the
chill outer gloom of the growing night,
with sweet sounds echoing in her ears
and d dazzle of fair sights before her
eyes cropping her way through the
little gate that marked the extreme
limit of this paradise.
All she walked swiftly down the
village street, with faint guarded
CLEANS of lamplight on either side and
the rattle and crack of icy branches
over her head, one hand holding the
thick white shawl under her chin, the
other wound in the long swaying
fringes at her side. she tried to re-
member how long it was since she
had Had a good time such as she had
5ugf left in that house back yonder.
Fifteen years-yes, nearer twenty,
for after her mothers death the good
times grew more and more infrequent
until they ended utterly in Bob's go
Ing Alway To be sure there was moth
ing To keep him in Longford; there
was nothing to keep any young man
who was bright and energetic and had
his own way to make in the world,
Bob had gone West; he was married
now. and had home ties and a large
practice that bound him to the bust
ling new city where he was located.
She had lived on with her old father
Ia the big, desolate house under the
NAPLES, doing faithfully the little du-
ties Of her home life and social life
hs they arose, but doing them after
the manner of any woman for whom
the aweet choice flavor has gone out
at life forever. Years passed. Then
In the chill first light of certain
March morning she found herself
standing at her fathers bedside, try.
ing to awaken him who had already
awakened to new light and life and
great glory in another world.
Three days later Bob came. She
hardly knew her brother in this grave
DARK man in whose fondness for her
had sprung up that strange growth OF
resn0teness which separation fosters
He wanted to take her home with
him. but Margaret would not go. She
felt hat she could not leave the old
landmarks Of all that was best and
hKinhtest in her life Woman-like
MhW Feared the new and untried, and
Nn RI came to pass that Bob went back
iii Nik work and his own dear ones
= was left in the old house
5eTs hArdly seemed possible she
sver leave again until she left
rgar6t was no longer young, and
fo the simple folk of Longford she
IA n6k seem old. True, there was
SONS graz In her hair and the beau
fiflil| calm eyes had long since
hee{ lied of all their dreams and
fnnEz But she still had much Of
the 9rAHN md lightness of bearing thai
md cE acterized her every actor
whan title child, she had run bare