The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-15


All" he cried. you are glad enough,
now, to see me go! 1 knew IT.. 1 want
ed to spare myself that tried not to
be hysterical fool in your eyes" He
turned aside and his head fell on his
breast. God help me-" he said. what
will this place be to me now?"
The breeze had risen; it gathered
force; it was chill wind, and there
rose a wailing on the prairie. Drops
Of rain began to fall
You will not think a question i'm
piled in this" he said more composed
ly, and with an unhappy laugh at him
self. Il believe you will not think me
capable of asking you if you care
mo" she answered; IL do not
love you
"Ah! Was 1t a question, after all?
You read me better than l do, per-
haps---bu If asked, I knew the an
swer."
She made as if to speak again, but
words refused her.
After moment, "Good-by." he said.
very steadily. Il thank you for the
charity that has given me this little
time with you-it will always be-prec-
lous TO mel shall always be your serv-
ont His steadiness did not carry
him to the end of his sentence. Good
by"
She started toward him and stopped,
ms SeelilS ner. Sne answered
nothing; but stretched out her hand to
him and then let it fall quickly.
'Good-by," he said again. II shall
go out the orchard gate. Please tell
them goodnight for me. Won't you
speak to me? Good-by."
He stood waiting while the rising
WIND blew their garments about them
S Sne leaned led, against the wall of the
mouse. Won't you say good-by and
tell me you can forget my
she did not speak
mo-! he cried, wildly. "Since YOU
don't forget it! 1 have spoiled what
might have been a pleasant memory
Tor you, and l know it. You were al
ready troubled, and 1 have added, and
you won't forget it, nor shall I--nor
shdI L! Don't you say good-by-I can
say 1t for both of us. God bless you
and good-by, good-by, good-by!''
He crushed his hat down over his
eyes ana ran toward the orchard gate
FOR a moment lightning flashed re-
peatedly; she saw him go out the gate
ana disappear into sudden darkness.
he ran through the field and came out
on the road. Heaven and earth were
reVeaIed again for dazzling white
second. From horizon to horizon rolled
clouds contorted like an illimitable field
or inverted haystacks, and beneath
them were tumbling in the west, aad-
vancing eastward with sinister swift
ness. She ran to a little knoll at the
corner OF the house and saw him set
ms race to the storm. She cried aloud
10 MIN with all her strength and would
nave followed, but the wind took the
words out of her mouth and drove her
PACK covering to the shelter of the
house.
Out on the road the dust came lash
ing and singing him like a thousand
nettles; it smothered him, and beat
upon him so that he covered his face
with his sleeve and fought into the
storm shoulder foremost, dimly glad
of its rage, scarcely conscious of il,
Keeping westward on his way to no.
where. West or east, south or north
1t was all one to him. The few heavy
drops that fell boiling into the dust
ceased to come; the rain withheld while
the wind-kings rode on earth On he
went in spite of them. On and on,
running blindly when he could run at
all. AT least, the wind-kings were
company. He had been so long alone.
He could remember no home that had
ever been his since he was a little
child, neither father nor mother, no
one who belonged to him or to whom
he belonged, except one cousin, an old
man who was dead. For a day his
dreams had found in girls eyes the
the wild fancy! He laughed aloud.
There was startling answer; a
lance of living fire hurled from the
sky, irving the fields before his eyes,
| while crash on crash of artillery numb
ed his ears. With that his common
sense awoke and he looked about him
He was almost two miles from town;
the nearest house was the Briscoes' far
down the road. He knew the rain
would L.
oak near him at the roadside. He step
ped under its sheltering branches and
leaned against the great trunk wiping
the perspiration and dust from his f<ce
A moment of stunned quiet had sue
ceeded the peal of thunder. 1t was
followed by several moments of inces-
SAINT lightning that played along the
road and danced in the fields. From
that intolerable brightness he turned
his head and saw, standing against the
fence, hVe feet away, a man, leaning
over the top rail and looking at him.
The same flash staggered brilliantly
before Helens eyes as she crouched
against the back steps of the brick
house. 1t SCARED a picture like a ma
rine of big waves; the tossing tops of
the orchard trees; for in the same Sec
ond the full fury of the storm was
loosed, wind and rain and hail. 1t
drove her against the kitchen door
with cruel force; the latch lifted, the
door blew open violently, ard she
struggled to close it in vain. The house
seemed to rock. A lamp fiickered TO-
ward her from the inner doorway and
was blown out.
Helen! Helen!" came Minnie's
voice, anxiously. as that you? We
were coming to look for you. Did you
get wet?"
Mr.. Willetts threw his weight against
the door and managed to close it. Then
Minnie found her friends hand and led
her through the dark hall to the par
lor where the judge sat, placidly read
ing by a student lamp.
Lige chuckled as they left the kitch-
en-. 81 guess you didn't try too hard
to shut that door, Harkless," he said,
and then, when they came into the
lighted room, why, where is Hark-
less?" he asked. Didn't he come with
us from the kitchen?"
NO" answered Helen, family; hes
gone" She sank upon the sofa and
drew her hand across her eyes as If
to shade them from too sudden light.
|. "Gone!" The. judge dropped his book
and stared across the label at the girl.
Gone! When?"
Ten Enthusiastically an hour-T
don't know. Before the storm COM
menced."
"Oh!" The old gentleman appeared
to be treasured. Probably he had
work to do and wanted to get in before
the rain
But Lige willetts was turning pale.
He swallowed several times with diff
Guilty. (which way did he go? He
didn't come around the house; we were
out there till the storm broke"
Ia hxyt hn rr1ao r6 81