The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-10-16


the world? What else had any one7
The aged farmer and his wife-those
two good people fast asleep without a
thought in their nightcaps beyond the
potato crop; their daughter-in-law, the
men at work in the fields. all those de.
pendent on the great haryests, on the
bountiful farm; were they not happy,
contented, unquestioning? Was she not
happy too? Had she anything to com.
plain of, to regret, to wish for?
Suddenly out of the hush came the
cry of the whippoorwill, that piercing,
mournful voice of the vacant, wind
blown fields, of meadows Towering I'M
seen and far away. 1t thrilled her like
a pain. 1t stabbed her through and
through and cut her to the heart with
its questioning, solitary call, hidden In
the twilight of the woods.
She had heard it so often, year after
year, like the robin and the lark New
er had it sounded so lonely, 40 friend
less and apart. A strange longing
swelled up in her breast; tears filled
her eyes. Tile years of her life, with
their simple tasks, their ambitions,
hopes and dreams, came to her like
some vast tidal wave upon a sunny
shore, withdra wing In a long resound-
ing sigh Mt the absence of some I'M
known joy. She stared through the
warm darkness toward the edge of the
woods outlined against the evening as
though one should try to read the soul
of a silhouette. Then she dropped her
face in her>hands for single minute.
At 6 o'clock in the morning Mary
was in the garden picking the yegeta-
bles for dinner The sunshiny, dew
fresh day, the beans and cabbages in
their prim symmetry, the tall scarlet
hollyhocks nodding against the fence,
made the experience of the night be-
fore very remote and visionary.
As Mary reached the end of the row
of peas she pushed back her sunbonnet
and looked up; then her song stopped
and she knelt silently.
A young man was standing on the
other side of the garden wall looking
at her. He blushed as he met her
steady. smiling gaze. picking peasY
he asked. you've got a lot haven't
your"
Yes, indeed; plenty this year. Have
your"
All we can eat and more too. Get
ting old, though. How are these?" He
crossed the wall and stood beside her.
Yours are pretty tender yet" He tore
off another pod. "Shan't help you?
Two can work better than one"
"Oh. thank you; you needn't bother"
Yet she smiled at him.
"Oh. like to do this. I'll take the
inside of the row."
Its very kind of you" she an
swered, looking up at him Aveetly.
How brown and strong and sinewy
he had grown since he had begun to
work In the harvest fields. She had not
seen him for long while, not since
they were in school together. She was
looking at him again when he glanced
up and caught her eyes. This time
they both blushed. They said nothing
for some time Mary picked busly,
and the boy whIstled half to himself.
They were beside each other, with
nothing between them but the slender
trellis of pea vines, enough to give the
boy courage to say. Did you hear the
whippoorwill last night?'
Mary felt fash that made her
nerves tingle.
"Oh, did you, too?" she exclaimed,
then stopped. abashed at her own
eagerness. How could Alvy under
stand the confession she had made to
a whippoorwil just because it was I'M
seen? Where was it?' she asked,
with all the carelessness she could
summon.
down In the wood lot about half
past s. was coming home cross lots
back of your barn; been up at the 9th
er farm all day"
They We're picking slowly now. How
pretty Mary was with her braided yell
low hair, her rose pink ears. her
smooth lidded. down dropping eyesl
The rutfie of her apron, with its crisp
curves, seemed meant to hedge her
cheeks from kisses.
Alyy felt his heart throb dizzily. So
many words and thoughts went round
and round in his head that he could
not say one. And there was the screen
of brush and vines between them
The delicate film of green was strong
as a prison grille through which the
serene face of the girl glowed upon
him. Somehow their hands met upon
the same pods Mary's trembled. then
lay still in his,
Il saw you up on the roof" whis-
pered the boy. you were listening.
weren't you|
Mary nodded.
DO you-do you like to hear It,
Mary? Do you like the whippoorwlllf"
Mary's lip trembled. 81 don't know.
| guess So"
Because he-he loves you. Mary"
MARY, Mary, where are your
The two In the garden sprang up as
the shril voice called from the kitchen.
AS the boy leaped over the fence into
his own orchard Mary looked after
him. From the trees among which he
disappeared came clear. low and sweet
the call of the whippoorwill