The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-06-05

Ihey drove away waving their hands
to him in farewell. "Good-by, father
they called again.
Somehow he had almost forgotten
the meaning of good-by. Once he had
realized it years ago, when he sale
good-by to Nancy just before they
fastened down the lid of the coffin
Since then there had been no occasion
for farewells. John had never been
gone any length Of time. He had
married shortly after his mother
died, and brought his wife and settled
down on the old homestead. Life had
drifted along comfortably for them
all. Now he felt the significance OF
the waving hands as he saw them
fade away III the distance and ia
miliar things give place to strange
surroundings.
He looked out Of the windows al
the swiftly passing fields. John
Wlnchell's wheat; pretty badly
winterkilied. Couldn't count on mere
than half a crop" he decided. Sam
Green's corn "a beginning to roll
some. Hadn't kept the c%ultivator go
ing or it would stand the hot weather
better. Sam was a little slack; and
Jerry Sloan's apple orchard needed
trimming scandalous. He wouldn't
have 4 bushcl of marketable apples
in the lot"
And presently he lost his bearings
in strange lands; field and forest and
marshy places passed swiftly by, upon
which he had " looked, and he
turned his gaze inside to meet strange
faces. 1t gave him a queer feeling.
he had never passed beyond the reach
of familiar faces but Il few times in
his HE. 1t was more comforting to
lean back and close his eyes to his
strange surroundings and follow John
and Sarah. They must be nearly home
now, and Curly would come down the
road to meet them and bark distract
ingly, and old Doll would lay her ears
back and pretend to leer at him. John
would help Sarah out and drive
around to the barn; then he would
unhitch and pump a trough full of
4 i>oiAf'hL'l. liS Sould DtdI inc on
pump creak and the plash of the
cool water. 1t made him thirsty and
he got up and walked ~unsteadily down
the aisle TO the water tank and drew
a cupful, but it was warm and brack-
"Itiver water" he decided dis
gustingly.
1t was dark when he went on board
the boat. His eyes were tired already
with strange sights and he went di-
rectly to bed. The u was shining
on the city of Milwaukee when he got
up. He had not slept any; he had
only dozen off" nee or twice when
the horrible clanking and Changing
had eased UP a bit, but he had not
heard anything of the rain storm
which swept the lake.
Here It was still worse. He had not
imagined there were so many differ
ent kinds of noises in the world;
steamboat whistles, the shrek of es-
steam and the clangor of ma
chinery, the ringing of bells and the
roar and thud of trampling feet. He
dizzy and faint. He always Law
down on the sitting room lounge
when he felt like that, and Sarah
drew the curtains and brought him
q cup of green tea. He had not seen
bit of decent tea since he left home.
He walked ~uneasily about the wait
room. There was no one to whom
might talk but the policeman, and
the crowded city streets oppressed
He watched the rushing tide of
people which ebbed and flowed con-
tinually. For once in his life Father
felt cowed. Once he ventured
ask a small boy how far it wa to
the street car station, and he had been
advised to hike down to the corner"
lie regarded his informer su~spiciously
a few minutes and then went back
.nto the depot.
at n o'clock he bought a ticket
Duluth and presently found him
self speeding across country again.
He rested his head on the back
II the seat and his white hairs stray
sled over the velvet edge. 1t was an
uncomfortable position, but he must
nave dozed off, for he awoke with a
start. The train was standing still
n a piece of woods and people were
eaying the "a excitedly. He got up
followed them. He found a wash
and an undermined bridge Just
1head of the engine, which had been
by the section men. He went
tut on the bank of the turbid stream,
which last nights storm had set
eething and Tuning, and looked
Town upon it. Probably he had just
sscaped an awful death. He had read
counts Of terrible railroad accidents
n the Dumfries Bulletin, but he had
lever expected to come so near one
S this.
Hc went back to his seat in the
presently. There would be a long
ighht Of waiting lese ! train could / |
ONE to meet them on the other side,
he conductor said. 1t was the long
st night Father Harlan could re-
IrInber in years. They q back to
he last station, a little hamlet which
onsisted of a sawmill and a board
lgshouse, and sidetracked, but there
ere no accommodations for travel