The Red Cloud chief., 1905-03-17

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and then let ii fall quickly.
"Goodby." he said again. II shall go
out the orchard gate. Please tell them
good night for me. Won't you speak to
mcI Goodby!'
He stood waiting, while the rising
wind blew their garments about them.
She leaned against the wall Of the
house. won't you say goodby and tell
me you can forget my
She did not speak.
"No!'' he cried wildly. "Slncc you
don't forget IL! | have spoiled what
might have been n pleasant memory
for you, and | know it. You are al
ready troubled. and | have added, and
you won't forget 1t. nor shall I-nor
shall |. Don't say goodby! | can say It
for both of ~. God bless you, and
goodby, goodby. goodby!'
He crushed his hat down owe his
eyes aud ran toward the orchard gate.
For n moment lightning flashed repeat
eddy. She saw him go out the gate
He ran through the field and came out
on the road. Heaven and earth were
revealed again for II dazzling white
second. From horizon To horizon rolled
clouds contortcd like an illimitable
field of inverted haystacks, and be-
meath them enormous volumes Of blu
ish vapOr were tumbling In the west,
advancing eastward with sinister swift
ness. She ran to Il little knoll ut the
corner of the house and saw him set
his face to the storm. She cried aloud
10 him with all her strength and would
have followed. but the wind took tht
words out of her mouth and drove her
back, covering, To the shelter of the
house.
out on the road the lashing dust
came singing him like II thousand net.
ties. 1t smothcrcd him ANA beat him
30 that he covered his face with his
sleeve and fought into the storm shoul.
der foremost, diInly glad of its uproar,
yet almost unconscious of II, keeping
westward on his way to nowhere.
West or east, north or south, ii was all
n to him. The few heavy drops that
fell boiling into the dust ceased to
come; the rain withheld while the wind
kings rode OH 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. There was
no n who belonged TO him or to whom
he belonged. For n day his dreams
had found in n girls eyes the precious
thing that is called home. Oh, the wild
fancy! He laughed aloud.
There was IA startling answered.
lance of fire hurled from the sky, irving
the fields before his eyes, while crash
on crash numbcd his ears. With that
his common sense awokc, and he look
ed about him. He was two miles from
town. The nearest house was the Bris-
Goes, far down the road. He knew the
rain would come now. There was Il big
oak near him at the roadside, and he
stepped under its sheltering branches
and leaned against the great trunk,
wiping the perspiratlon and dust from
his face. A moment of stunned quiet
had succeeded the peal Of thunder. 1t
was followed by several moments of in
cessant lightning that played along
the road and the fields. From that in
tolerablc brightness he turned his head
and saw, standing against the fence,
five feet away, Il man, leaning over the
top rail and looking at him.
The same flash swept brilliantly be-
fore llclcn's eyes rs she crOuched
against the back steps of the brick
house. 1t revealed Il picture like II
marine of big waves, the tossing tops
of the orchard trees, for I'm that second
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, and she struggled TO
close it in vain. The house seemed to
rock. a candle flickcred toward her
from the inner doorway and was blown
out.
"Helen! Hclcn.' came Minnie's voice
a%nXlously. ''Is that you? We were
coming to look for you. Did you get
wet?'
Mr.. Willctts threw his weight against
the door and managed to close 1t. Then
Minnie found her friends hand and
led her through the dark hall to the
parlor, where the Judge sat placldly
reading 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 Hank
less?" he asked. Didn't he cOme with