Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-07-09

TOMORROW I'll seek an ans,per to mn
question"
porafs face turned red and white and
darby purple in quick succession. The
farrier had risen to his feet ut the
sound Of the soldiers voice, and the
two faced each other in the cozy little
parlor with, for the first time since
they We're both recruits, fierce anger
In their eyes. The widow closed the
door and began to laugh and chatter.
How funny, noww she cried. Here's
you two, whom the folks at the post
call the brethren, you're so thick and
such old friends, and you've never met
at my house before. How funnyw
So she chartered, while her lips were
yet red with honest Fins kiss and
Healy's appeal crumpled in her pocket.
Old hearts are more slow to flame to
either love or anger than those that
are young. but once afire they burn
with the snap and glare of fury. Healy
heard nothing of Mrs. Bells chatter.
His ears We're full of savage hum
ming. like the buzz of Kafiir impi.
The farrier did not look at her. His
eyes were fixed on the corporal's. In
the breasts of both there bIazed the
same primitive passion of jealousy
which maddens MT times the stays of
the mountains. the. tigers of the jun
gle. For the sake Of II woman's lip
the comradeship of score OF years
was forgotten.
The corporal found his voice first.
"AXcuse me. Mrs. Bell" he said, with
u hoarse voice. fur dishturbin' yez
It's business I'm afther havin' wild
Farrier Strait. VIII yez come outs"
He shot the last words angrily at
his old friend, and as quickly as the
defiance reached his ear Fin took
step forward. Healy turned to the
widow and bowed with stiff, soldierly
formality.
''Pll be likely In town tomorrow"
said he, ION the matther av the busi-
ness betwixt u.s."
AT once the farrier faced the widow.
Mrs. Bell" said he, tomorrow I'll
seek an answer to my question:
But the widow made no answer.
She was now pale and trembling.
Corporal" she stammered. "AIr.
Strait"
They were swiftly gone, however,
the farr!er closing the door behind him,
and the widow sat down, no little
frightened ut such sudden mutual
wrath. The smaltest and most amor
GUS of youthful lovers she could have
managed, playing one against the 9TH
er, but the white heat of these veter-
ans was beyond her power to cool
She warmed her pretty white hands
at the stove and shivered and laughed
little and cried little In turn.
The two silly old things" she MUIR
INJURED. TO go and fight when ones
just as nice us the other"
The snow had ceased falling, and
the air was colder as the two soldiers
strobe away from the little house up
the trail to the post in grim silence for
many minutes. If the landscape, the
unutterable solemn calm of the snow
covered plain at eventide, had affected
them, the same great plain. with IFS
broad breasts yet more deeply blanket
ed In purest white, gllmmerlng shad-
owily in the light of an uncertain,
cloud chased moon, should have now
restored peace to their hearts. Moth
Ing of nnture's calm could yet do that.
Healy. his chin sticking out, his thin
lips rlgidly tight, marched on blindly,
clinching and unclinching his great
bony hands. a pace to the corporuls
rear Fin followed. but he, nftcr the
first few hundred yards, so far con
quered his passion MS to attempt non
chalance. He forced himself to whis-
tie and lessened the angry determine
ton of his stride. They were near the
old bridge, and at the sound of that
apparently merry tune Healy stopped
In the deep shadow of the cottonwoods
and faced his old crony. Many time
had the two followed that road wayer-
ingly late at night. stumbling against
each other, singing loudly and stopping
to laugh, on days when they had been
IN the town together for frolic be-
lore the widow had given each Sc
cret to keep from the other. Always,
then, they had chosen the bridge and
the shadows of the cottonwoods for
the last halt before their nearby hunks
should receive them to finish the bot
tie and exchange the last reminiscence
OF their PARKWAY youthful days In the
war. Now they halted here again, and |
Healy threw off his coat.
We're no recrooties, to want the |
Whoie troop to see us, Fin Strait said |
ne. I'VE can trust each other fur fair
play"