The midland journal., 1903-08-21

| the gatep0Sts, and trail of bMony
swayed from the bramble hedge to her
left. A slope of pasture land, barren,
with patches of golden hawkweed
| burning here and there in the sunlight,
stretched down to meet a cornfeld,
white in the afternoon heat. Insects
Eroned among the coarse dust covered
weeds along the ditch. There was a
sleepy summer smell i'll the air, hay
and seeding dandelions and sun scorch-
ed earth. In distant field reaping
machine was at work.
She stood for long while, her chin
resting on her hands, gazing out over
| the familiar face of the land The
CLINT of scarlet poppy was near her
| foot. 1t was one of the small, kindly,
unaltered things that brought back her
| girlhood to her.
She was reused from her reverie by
the slow CRATE of wheels on the stony
road. They came to pause just op-
posite her Without turning her head
she was aware of the neat dogcart, the
sleek, we'll conditioned black horse. the
man who sat on the driving seat look
ing at her.
| "Rosew
Her ungloved hand gripped on the
gate rail. When she turned round un-
| hurriedly her face held commonplace
smile of greeting.
why, how do you do, John?'
He had shifted the reins TO his left
hand. Aren't you going to shake
hands with meT'
She came forward to the side of the
trap. ITS hot, isn't it?'' she said. 81
came up here to try and get breath
of cool air There nearly always used
to be breeze up this way. So you've
got Roden STILL"
She reached out her hand and touch
ed the horses satin neck. He turned
his head and shifted at her sleeve in
| quiringly. The man in the cart was
watching her. Suddenly he cleared his
throat.
"How are you getting onI"
every we'll"
She went on stroking the horses neck
with her small, work hardened hand.
1 - ~ NY S-haNtiJ liiC ptSlSoi llII ~ tl4l
| world" she said after a moment.
you know l would have helped you
any time
She took a step backward. Her face
flushed swiftly. Il have not required
your-help, thank your
"Of course" he went on, without
| looking at her. "You chose to cut
yourself away from us like this. You
know it was entirely your own doing.
If
She smiled little bitterly. "Oh, you
aeedn't worry, John! Don't be afraid
that / shall ever want to come back.
Your unassailable responsibility is not
in the least likely to receive a shock
by my future reappearance."
He bit his lip. "That was not what l
meant"
"My dear John, have known you so
very long that perhaps | know what
you mean a little better than you do
yourself. If you weren't so afraid of
my claiming acquaintance with you
this morning why were you so anxious
not to appear to see me? You hoped |
hadn't recognized you. You wouldn't
look up because you We're in panic
for fear some of your we'll to do friends
should come along and see you lift
your hat to woman in a circus pro-
cession. You are awfully afraid some
one will come by now and see you
talking to me-"
He opened his lips, but her voice cut
in upon his stammered words:
"You haven't improved with prosper
ity, John. 1 used to think you narrow
and pharisaical enough in the old
days, God knows; but you We're moth
ing then to what you are now, and
you'll go on getting narrower and mar
rover all the days of your lifer
do you never think you might have
helped to make me differently"
She looked at him straightly. II was
never quite such fool as to suppose
that, even when l cared for you most!
Your self sutticiency was too deeply
rooted in you. l could see it then. 1t
killed all the love l ever had for you
inch by inch. What? Oh, yes, you
cared for me-in a way. But you
cared for yourself most of all. 1 think
you regarded Inc as not quite-respect-
able even then. Responsibility! That's
been your idol John, all your life.
It's written all over you now in big
letters, oh, you've succeeded mag
niticently."
you are hard" said the man in the
dogcart slowly.
Hard? What were you-what We're
your parents when they chose to make
life uncomfortable to me? Everything
was hemmed in and narrowed down
till the very sunlight and fresh air
seemed doled out-a bit here and n bit
there. They grudged me every small
pleasure they couldn'tp prevent. l might
have had a happy girlhood, but it was
spoiled for me, / made up my mind
then that when | was of age they
should never have the chance to kill
another day for me! l broke away,
and I've thanked God for it every night
and day since l left. The world has
been kinder to me than you We're. Per-
haps am hard. You see, it's the re-
suit of the kind of teaching I've had
all my life
He sat there, his head little bent,
holding the reins between his gloved
fingers. The black horse shifted its
weight from one hind foot to the other.
The girl put out her hand with an i'm
patient gesture.