The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-26
CHAPTER HI.
Loneaomencsa.

When the rusty hands OF the ONCE clock
marked half-past four, the edttor-in-chief OF
the Carlow County Herald took his hand out
Of his hair wiped his pen on his last notice
from the White-Caps, put on his coat, swept
out the close little entry and left the sane
tum for the bright June afternoon. 4
He chose the way to the west, stroillpg
thoughtfully out of town by the white. hot.
deserted Main street, and thence onward by
the country road into which its proud half
mile of old brick store buildings, tumble
down frame shops and thnly painted cot
tages degenerated. The sun was In his face,
where the road ran between the summer
fields, lying waveless, low, gracious In pron-
ise; but, coming to q wood of hickory and
beech and walnut that stood beyond, ne
might turn his down-bent hat-brim up and
hold his head erect. Here the shade fell
deep and cool on the green tangle Of rag and
iron weed and long grass In the corners Of
the snake fence, although the sun beat upon
the road so close beside. There was no move
high in the boughs there was a quick hirt Of
crimson where two robins hoped noiseless-
ly. No insect raised resentment of the lone
someness: the late afternoon, when the air Is
quite still, had come: yet there rested
somewhere-on the quiet day, faint, pleas-
ant, woody smell. 1t came to the editor
OF the Herald as he climbed to tho top rail
OF the renee ior q seat, anu uo uFeW q Aou6,
deep breath to get the elusive odor more
luxuricusly--and then It was gone altogether.
"a habit Of delicacies," hs said aloud, ad-
| dressing the wide silence complainingly. He
drew faded tobacco bag and brier pipe
from his coat pocket and filled ana lit the
pipe. zone taste-and they quit" he nm
ished, gazing solemnly~ upon the shining ht-
tie town down the road. He twirled the
pouch mechanically about his finger, and
then, suddenly regarding it, patted it caress-
| ingly. 1t had been a giddy little bag, long
ago, satin, and gay with embroidery In the
| colors OF the editors university; and although
now it was frayed to the verge Of tatters,
| 1t still bore an air OF pristine 3auntiness,
an air Of which Its owner in no wise parr
! took He looked from it over the fields
| toward the town in the clear distance and
sighed softly as he put the pouch back In his
| pocket, and, resting his arm ON his knee
and his chin in his hand, sat blowing clouds
| of smoke out Of the shade into the sunshine,
absentIy watching the ghostly shadows dance
| on. the white dust Of the road.
A little garter snake erept under the fence
beneath him and disappeared In the under.
! brush; a rabbit progressing tirnsdiy on his
travels by a series Of brilliant deshes and
terror -smitten halts, came within q few
yards of him, sat up With Quiverang nose and
| ewes aIight with fearful imaginings-van-
1 ishea, q fash Of fluffy brown and white.
Shadows grew longer: the brter pipe sput-
tered feebly in depletion and was reflied. A
cricket chirped and heard answer; thefs was
! woodland stir OF breexss. and the pair of
robins laft the branches overhead In eager
aisht. vaeating before the arrival OF q great
/ fiook Of blaekbirds Fastening thither ere the
| eyentide should he upon them, The black
| birds came chartered, gossired, quarrelled,
and beat each other with their wings aboya
the smoker sitting on the top fence rail.
But he had refnembered-ft Was Commence
ment. To-day, thousand miiea to the east,
1 o company Of grave young gentlemen sat In
senieircular rows before central altar,
while above them roaa many tiers OF mothers
| and sisters and sweethsarts, listening TO ths
/ Anal word, He could sea It eli gefs clearly:
the Hines OF freshly shaysa, boyish faces, TIE
Edainty gowns. the flowers and bright eyes
above, and the light that altered 10 through
stained glass to fall softly over thern all,
with here and there vivid ssiaah Of color
/ Gethie shaped, He could see the throngs
Of white-cIad loungsrs under the elma With
/ nut under -eiassrnen, bored by the Latin ad-
| dresses and escaped to the sward an6 breext
i Of the campus. there were troops Of foisterine
graduates trotting about arm IN arm. and
singing; he heard the maHdoiins on the IT.
tie balconies play an old refrain and fht
4 university cheering afterward; saw the ole
professor he had cared for most Of all, viii
Il the thin white hair struggling over hia aiikei
4 heod falloving the band In the spasse ranlk
Il of his class And he saw his own Com
mencemsnt Day-and the statten at the june
|. tion where he stood the morning after, look
ing acreas tha valley at the oil
towers for the laat time; say
tha broken groups nf his class, stand
4 ing upon the platform on rho other side OF %
Il tracks. waiting for tha aouth-bound train a
ma and others waited for the north bound
and they all sang Should aaid aoquaintane