The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-24
SING ME TO SLEEP.

The little fishing village lay enwrapt in
a gloomy mist. Over the sea It hung IKE
/ a gray curtain. but in the village it was
| dark and purplish, giving thick velvety
| outlines to the hedges and lending to the
| houses unaccustomed shapes.
! But there was one man in Keston who
| did not see the fog or feel its moisture.
house and looked out: but the cloudy
street might not have existed for all the
| ter few seconds of that dull stare he
pulled the door roughly behind him and
| strobe down the street.
The sound of his footsteps fell sharply
| in the silence. The fishers were all in,
so We're the laboring people. Each tiny
yellow eye of light That eye looked
askance at any person foolish enough to
iea lea ft eomfor tai home on such night
covered it with an eyelid of dusky gloom
Keston might have lain in the glare of
to David Greet; but the fog was more in
accord with his mood. With a sure foot
When he found the house he wanted he
paused moment at the door. That was
not the pause of hesitation. On the man s
dark face no wavering showed itself. only
dull foreboding. His lips moved as if he
were terminating some speech OF which
before entering Finally he turned the
ha 4gsa s Of the he door and entered
lighted room of the house, for the front
door gave upon it,
1t was. occupied by two women-one,
Dough looked up from the fire and the
compound she was stirring to greet the
not raise her head from the work at
which she sewed.
rather than otherwise. dark skinned and
dark eyed. About her was a regal air
that seemed to fill the small room and
dwarf all it contained.
The mans gaze was upon her, but she
showed no consciousness of the fact. She
went on sewing, sewing, pulling the need
lie out with deliberate movement that
in some subtle way spoke of nerves all
curves, that the silence might remain un-
broken for ever before she would break
it After one uneasy glance at her face
stick and turned again to her son. It's
you. David, is it?'' She said, stifly. Shut
the mist in, and the air is chill"
The man shut the door. When he turn
on his face I'm not going to wait long,
mother he said quietly. Il have come
to fetch Margot home.'''
There was a silence.
DO you hear Margot?" said Jane
Greet.
The other woman did not reply But
for the moving needle she might have
been carved from stone.
The old woman looked from the girl to
her son, from one dark face to the other.
They were curiously alike, those two
strong and stubborn will; they were curl
ously unlike, too, the. varying fires in the
practically and steadfastness in those of
the man.
-Margots are you ready2" said David
He waited again, and again the needle
went in and out his only reply.
After a pause, She says she is not goin'
back to you,' said Jane Greet unwilling
ly.
She has said that to me, too.'' said Da-
vid Greet; that is to say, she has writ |
ten it. She wrote it in hard, cruel letter
which she left for me to. read when I
came in"
In spite of himself his voice shook He
pa used for a moment to steady it. T
shall not believe that letter, Margot. 1t |
was unworthy of you. I shall not believe |
that YOU mean to do anything so cruel
and wicked The word came out with a |
jerk '-Margot, am willing to take you |
home
She would not answer.
With q quick stride he crossed the |
he cried. Il not dog that l do rot |
deserve a word-though you are not a |
woman, but stone, you would not |
sit there and refuse to. utter it! Speak
are you or are you not coming homer"
Without raising her eyes: Il am not |
coming" said Margot Greet
These were her only words; she could I
not be induced to speak again.