New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-23


can" he said al parting. You needn't Worry about
getting married if you don't want to. All want is
for you 10 De happy and not work too hard" There
tears in the mans eyes. Tie girl thanked him
and said gOodby without looking ct him The mil
liner noticed supper that her eyes were red and
wondered if she had been crying.
AS for William. he took up MS lonely life with its
compensattons- He lived quite alone for fifteen
years. he never heard from Grace except indi-
rectly. Shortly after her departure the milliner
with whom she worked moved to Boston and the
girl with her William grieved il. and yet with
a sort Of subInIty OF unseIhshness more for the
lest she he overwOrked and not well protected
as he would have protected her sun he knew that
the miiner was good woman. ana he heard she
Knowing TINS, ana Poss-ssed oy nature Of almost
abnormal optimism, his life was not unhappy. he
seized upon all the small sweets The minor allevia-
tons of existence which within mis- reach and
more than peace h--- MS soul ne was never Idle,
delight to him lie kept mis- house in repair. he
tended his grass lands and his garden his chickens
and MS turkeys, and h-s TWO jersey cows, ana IN
It all he took delight The little front yard was gay
with flowers every summer. and his very soul
seemed to leap 70 new reaches OF life and coIor TO
turned red and gold and the frost killed the h0wers
soul. He banked ais kitchen windows with ported
plants. He laid m his winter store of hrewood de
on account of the impossible roads so to Lowe to
housed warmly He was baUpv even through the
long winters. He was happy m@n in spite Of the
untitled natural depths or his life Ets great sweet
ness Of nature had made even of the legitimate
hunger OF humanity blessing promoting or
spiritual growth. 1t had fostered within him that
grand acqUiesCence which is the essence OF perfect
personal appeara5ce Hs dressed himself more
carefully now, even alone as he wss with no human
bought collars and adjusted them carefully. He OBJ
served with personal application the style OF dress
Of the at the hotel in the summer He thought,
with a sort Of remorse, how seldom ne mad worn
| collar when Grace had been AT home he saw ms
own own awkward neck his ungainly motions; and ne
z" f ne hao some clotoSs nei s IA
Lowe instead OF buying ready made ones: as
| clothes from the tailor gave him certain awe
4Ie ars+ stI eaSIIy is fvRs hear TO
notice him; lie invited the winter to merry
| markings there. but he never went He was shy OF
| other women than Grace from species OF IN
called for loyalty and never once had ne given uP
nature was inborn he had not needed 10 cultivate
of sunshine, winds of calm. spiritual cata
| clysns Of peace. He said always to himself dur
that some day nearer by many she would come
rest ana Sooner 6r iater 5irds Nv hone There
| was pair OF robins which returned to their nest
| under the kitchen window every spring and the
| his own coming low Now il vas december and
the tree was bare and the old nest PLAINLY ms us
branches in the hot sun OF that unusual Decent er
| looked black and dsnI and ever tvrir stood out
slhouetted against the clear yellow OF the sI1Set
sky In the sky at sunset was a low reef OF yiole5
colder & % he told hse | Pfs he f
| tasks there, blast from the northward struek
|
| abroad. The man faced the bitter wind with de-
light The tnaW OF the day 59e sSst bad
awakened in him a happy sensitiveness; now me
n3rther did the same His soul gave out music i
again" told himself, and filed up his kitchen
cook some e S HG1u and eggs for his supper With
| poetleaI rather than physleaI sense OF CONDUIT
| He sat at his neatly. laid table. for he was as
ways had his maxim and white tabecloth and
polished silver spoons, when suddenly ne stopPeo
noise on the other side of the partition which sep
listened his face became Illuminated. he smiled.
then he laughed silently the laugh OF denght oL 2
wss. Grace had come home ,-,.-,. -, -.
other. He rose and opened it, and there was me
swift passing Of light and the rush OF a ngg 59
not wish him to see her and his mind fell at once
| Of love But the cold air from the other kitchen
was deadly. He did not shut the door out hurried
| ly got some embers from his own glowing stove
and carried them through on shovel and and, soon
ried in a slice Of ham and some eggs and plate
OF brad f6 and b5tE ana Tss S~n u 5s T a1
in one Of the cold rooms the While tne 5o ne a T
turned 70 MS own kllchen ana coSeo me U9oI an ~
heard movements on the other side Of the kitchen
supper With inefTabie content He never wondered
as he did the weather-without question or invesyi-
cation. She hau come. and that was al ne
5 o ne eIoss On the other side and he ssizei
~ S Srs,.,,Si+-. Carr-- g,oII- qfore
OF wood for her stove He also with the
Quilts from the bed in the little room adjoining ths
kitchen. where she would presumably sleep Tor tne
stove, reasoning that Grace had always been sensi
tive TO colds and inclined TO be careless. and that
II was dangerous TO steep IN long unused PED;
Then he retreated. after placing more ham and
cream, for her breakfast
The next morning he heard again the soft sounds
the other side OF the partition; he smelled the
coffee boiling He killed a chicken that morning
dressed IT, roasted IL with vegetables and watched
/
room. The day passed and he had Grace
but he not impatient. He told himself that
for some reason she did not yet wish to him
that he must wait and do what he could FOR heI
comfort. Suddenly, it occurred to him that it was
thought came TO him He would 60 70 Lowe anc
ternoon he put the horse in the Old cutter and
started He was gone about two hours lt was
| long drive over bad roads, and he was not an ex
Perienced shopper and soreyh nat hard TO please
and entered the kitchen with his arms 1qI
of parcels there was loaf Of frosted cak
cream toast set back the stove to keep II warm
snG tns TEA was $seePas The man 3qgne ,lr al
then examined his purchases He had spent
in a day IN his whole life. but he gIoated over tn
presents without thought Of the cost He haS
got more than the value OF his money
The weather was very bitter. He was careful .
keen enough wood for the other kiIcnen stove i
neys but ne never saw Grace she always led be
fore him. He was very patient and none the les
Ne remembered how once he and MS mother hac
; and ne resolved that she should have one now sh
had come home. SO he took his axe and went on
into the woods and looked about for perfect hrtl
He returned an hour later with fine little tree
, pine trailing his shoulder. As he neaTed nj
old house face swiftly disappeared rom one o
the front windows. and his own face III up witt
=. g tender smile That niEnT aIter re wa
! sure Grace had gone 10 bed. he So W III
: little FIR tree the parlo~ On the other side Q
some wood readT to kndle in the stove Early IN
next morning he arose and lighted the fire in N