Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-06

l n
dered down through the att
!csg.ssgT:ys ernoon sunshine. stopping at
k9s.sSD every village and every coun-
try postoflice on the line. There was a
passenger in the smoker who found
the stops at these wayside hamlets in
terminabie. He got up and paced the
aisle now and then. and his companion
remiude him that this was not GER
tain to hasten the hour of their arrival
ut their destination. II know that"
answered he, but I've got to beat
Mcclure
'By the way" observed Meredith,
you left your stick behind
"You don't think | need club to
face
Tom choked "Oh no: wasn't think
ing OF your giving ii. Fisbee beating.
meant to lean on
Il don't want it. I've got to walk
lame all my life, but I'm not going TO
bobble on stick
Tom looked at him sadly for 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 If, ms 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
in soothed like balm, yet held tang
and spice in it, Il hint Of walnuts and
Of coming frost There was newness
in the atmosphere that day. bright
Inauguration, 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 uron muscle and laughter, breath
ing g;lyety into mems hearts The little
stations hummed with hustle and noise,
big farm wagons ratified off up the vii
lage streets and raced with "cut under
or omnibus; people walked with quick
steps; the baggagemasters called
cheerlly 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, ard 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. 1t takes a long time for the
full beauty of the fiat lands to reach
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
Indiana beautiful word, but let 1t
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 larry with. And in place of it
q strong sense of home coming began
to take possession of him. He was go
ing home Back to Plattville, where I
belong he said to himself without bit
terne.;s, and it was the truth. Every
man cometh to his own place in the
end"
Yes. as one leaves 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 We're 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 II his
life was saoder it was infinitely richer
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 nan could wish to be healed
of such hurt? Far better to have had
it than to trot snug pace unscathed.
He lad been dullard, sluggard,
weary of himself, unfit to fight, a fail
ure iii life and failure in love. That |
was ended. He was tired OF falling,
and Il. was time to succeed for awhile.
To accept the worst that fate can deal
and to wiring courage from it instead
of despair-that is success, and 1t was
the success that he would have, He |
would take fate by the neck. But had |
it done him unkindness? He looked I
out ever the beautiful, .monotonous"
landscape, and he answered heartily, I
"No. There was ignorance in man,
but no unkindness Were man utterly I
wise he were utterly kind. The Cross
readers had not known better that was
all.
The unfolding aisles of corn swan
before his eyes. The earth
hearkened to mans wants and answer
ed The clement sun and summer rains
FASTENED the fruition. Yonder stood
the brown haystack, garnered to feed
the industrious horse that had earned
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 with
the harvest, for this was Carlow coun-
ty. and he was coming home.
They crossed byroad. An old man
with a streaky gray chin beard was
sitting on u sack of oats in 81 seatless