Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-04
DAILY SHORT STORY
AN AUTUMN EPISODE.


dotted here and there with handsome
summer cottages. l did not arrive till
October was half spent and the regu-
lar summer bOarders had gone back Iol
town and We're doubtless hard at work
again. Morning and evening there
were blazing logs in the great fireplace
in the main hall. where the hotel office
was located, but during the middle CT
the day artificial heat was unneces-
Sary.
l was very indolent. / sat most of
the day at the window i'll this office
room looking out on the white hard
road over which occasionally bowleil
Il carriage. Beyond the road were
woods looking for all the world as il Il
painter had dabbeJ them with different
colorS. Above the woods was the blue
sky. | say the blue sky because dur
ing my stay il was seldom hidden by
clouds. In Il leather covered easy chair
l sat and looked at the road, the car
riageS. the variegated wood and the
blue sky.
one day u carriage passed in which
sat an old gentleman and young girl.
The girls was one of those serious
y
people-the face of one who endures or
has endured some great grief. The
eyes were large and in them ole
might see in connection with other fea-
lures of the face Il marvellous depth of
feeling, an unusual strength of char
acter. | can best describe her by COM
pairing her with one who lives under a
physical blight. such as being deaf and
dumb or blind. However. the carria ge
quickly passed. and these impressions
which | have given at length We're but
mOmentary.
The next day at the same hour
about 3 O'Clock i'll the afternoon-th
same carriage with the same occupants
drove by again. This time Il revelation
was given me. The girl and the old
gentleman We're speaking the sign Ian
guage for deaf mutes with their fingers.
| was surprised ut how hard hit l was
by the discovery. | had felt sure some
physical blight was on the poor girl,
but hoped that il might be something
less than thiS-a lameneSS. Il withered
arm. But not To hear the sound of
voices. TO be deprived of all sweet
sounds, especially those conveying
sympathy-it is terrible
After that | used TO take my seat at
the window every day shortly before 3
o'clock. and the carriage with the old
gentleman and my sad faced deaf mute |
usually went by. | asked the clerk of
the hotel if he knew who they We're |
He gave me Il name and said they |
drove every day to the house of a rela- |
tive-an old woman. This is all the |
Information he could give me. As the |
season progressed and it grew colder |
the driving became less frequent and |
before the 1st of November ceased.
One day, buttoning IL light overcOat |
about me. | went out for walk. / |
kept the road for awhile. then struck |
into the woods The summer was long |
dying. Usually at the time i'll that 10 |
cality there is nothing green left ex-
cept the cedars and some vines. Now |
the naples We're yellow and red, the |
oaks We're faded green. the chestnuts |
We're withered, but the leaves still |
hung To the trees. The ground WAS |
strewn with acorns. hickory nuts and |
chestnut burS. Most of the burs had |
been opened. but 10y hunting about, |
pushing the dead leaves aside, | would |
occasionally come upon fat nut. ON |
coming to an Opening l looked out on |
an expansive view lying below. The
trees through which | gaZed. their yell
low leaves gilded by the afternoon
sun, We're fitting frame for the pie
ture The landscape itself was bathed |
in the same autumn light and was
screened by thin mist-a garment |
finer than the finest lace that nature
puts on when about 10 retire for her
winter nap.
Naulting IL stone wall, l descended a
slope. kicking the leaves-as | love TO
do-making my way toward a rustic
bridge. but seeing traces of nuts under
some trees | WAS passing | yielded TO
a childish propensity to gather d few.
l was busy at this when / heard voices
behind me and, turning, saw my girl
OF the carriage with several children.
She WAS looking at me with those ex-
pressive eyes as much as TO ask, What
axe you doing here?' ] realized that |
was in private grounds and wished to
apologize. but. alas, / did not know
the sign language.
Are you finding any nuts?''
The words came like an angels voice
out OF the sky. Could il be possible
that they had been spoken by my deaf
mute: L was too surprised. too de-
lighted, TO take any notice of what had
been said to me, though my hat came
of instinctively.
Can it be possible that / am tres
passing? / said at last
These are private grounds. but you
are quite welcome. In summer. when
the country is full of people. We put up
a sign, but now it's a little ioneIy@here,
and We like to see some one"
You are very kind Do youaknow
have seen you often pass the Booking
ham inn, where / am staying, and I
have made singular mistake about
you? l thought you a deaf mute"
That's uncle. You saw me talking