The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-05-06

i dered down through the aft
kE=SzsSJ ernoon sunshine. stopping at
kSGS every village and every coun-
try postoffice on the line. There was n
passenger in the smoker who found
the stops at these wayside hamlets in
terminable. He got up and paced the
lisle now and then. and his companion
reminded him that this was not GER
tain To hasten the hour of their arrival
at their destination. II know that"
answered lie. but I've got to beat
McCune'
by the way" observed Meredith.
you left your stick behind"
"You don't think I need club to
face
Tom choked. "Oh. no: wasn't think
Ing of your giving III. Fisbee beating.
meant to lean on
Il don't want IL. I've got to walk
lame all my life. but I'm not going to
hobble on n stick"
Tom looked mt him sadly for n mo-
ment. 1t was true. and the Crossroad-
ers might hug themselves In their
cells over the thought. For the rest of
his life John Harkless was TO walk
with just the limp they themselves
would have had II. as in former days.
their sentence had been to the ball and
chain.
"Sit down. boy. sit down." said
Meredith. and his friend obeyed.
The window was open beside the two
young men. and the breeze that blew
I'm eoothad Ike N hahn vaf hold N top1
and spi,e i'm II. hint of walnuts and
of coming frost. There was a newness
In the atmosphere that day. a bright
IMMIGRATION, that set the blood tin
Cling. The hot months were done with;
languor was routed. Autumn spoke to
industry, told of the sowing OF another
harvest. of the tawny shock, of the
purple grape. of the red apple, and call
ed upon muscle and laughter, breath
ing gayety into mems hearts. The little
stations hummed with hustle and noise,
big farm wagons ratified on up the vii
lage streets and raced with ''cut under"
or omnibus; people walked with quick
steps; the baggagemasters called
cheerily to the trainmen. and the
brakemen laughed goodbys to rollick-
ing girls. At times the train ran be-
tween shadowy groves, and delicate
landscape vistas. framed in branches.
opened. closed and succeeded each 9th
er, and then the travellers were carried
beyond into the level open again and
looked out to where the intensely blue
September skies ran down to the low
horizon, meeting the boundless aisles
of corn. Ii takes a long time for the
full beauty of the fat lands to reach n
mans soul. Once there, nor hills, nor
sea, nor growing fan leaves of palm
shall suffice him. 1t Is like the beauty
in the word Indiana. 1t may be that
there are people who do not consider
Indiann a beautiful word, but let il
ring true in your ears, and it has a
richer sound than vallombrosa-
All at once the anger ran out OF John
Harkless. He was hard man for
anger to tarry with. And in place of IL
s.rSngs sense of home coming began
to t....a possession of him. He was go
ing home. Back to Plattville, where
belong" he said to himself without bit
teri =. and II was the truth. Every
man Cometh to his own place in the
end"
Yes. as one leaves a gay acquaintance
OF the playhouse lobby for some hard
handed, tried old friend, so he would
wave the outer world gOdspeed and
come back to the old ways of Carlow.
What though the years were dusty. he
had his friends and his memories and
his old black brier pipe. He had a
girls picture that he should carry in
his heart till his last day. and IL his
life was sadder IT was infinitely riche'
for it. His winter fireside would be not
so lonely for her sake. and. losing her
he lost not everything. for he had had
the rare blessing of having known her
And what man could wish to be healed
of such hurt? Far better TO have had
it than to trot a Snug pace unscathed
He had been a dullard, n sluggard
weary of himself. unfit to fight. fail
ure in life and failure in love. Thai
was ended. He was tired of failing
| and IL was time to succeed for awhile
| To accept the worst that fate can dea
| and to wiring courage from IL instead
| Of despair-that is success. and 1t wa:
| the success that he would have. IL,
would take fate by the neck. But hat
II done him unkindness: He looked
| out over the beautiful. 'monotonous'
landscape. and he answered heartily
"Nor' There was ignorance in man
| but no unkindncss. Were man utterly
wise he were utterly kind. The Cross
readers had not known better, that wa:
all.
The unfolding aisles of corn swan
| pleasantly before his eyes. The earti
hearkened to mans wants and answer
ed. The clement sun and summer rain
FASTENED the fruition. Yonder stoo'
the brown haystack. garnered TO fee'
| the industrious horse that had earnet
| his need. There WAS the straw thatch
ed shelter for the cattle. How the or
chard boughs bent with their burdens
The big red barns stood stored witt
the harvest. for this was Carlow coun
ty. and he was coming home.
They crossed byroad. An old mai
with u streaky gray chin beard wa