Evening journal., 1905-04-12

taCc. 4 suppose ne Lnuusul OF an ll
had cost him-the toll OF many years.
the strength Of his young manhood. the
youth and beauty OF his wife. hun
dred things that were far better than
money.
Fifteen thousan' dollars" he said
slowly Not q cent less"
The man parleyed a little over the
price
~Don' care e take any less t'day,"
said David calnly. "No harm DONE"
"How much DOWN.
David named the sum
cant possessiong'
"Next week"
Everything as Il stan's?'
"Everything as it STAINS 'cept the beds
an bedding"
Here's some money on account he
said "We'll close tmorrer3"
"Close t'morrer" said David little
sadness in his tone as he took the
money.
It was growing dusk as the man
went away The crickets sang with a
loud, accusing clamor. Slowly we
turned and went into the dark house.
David whistling under his breath
Elizabeth was resting in her chair
she was humming an old hymn as she
rocked
"Sold the farm, mother said David
She stopped singing, but made no an
swer In the dusk as we sat down I
saw her face leaning upon her hand.
Over the hills and out OF the fields
around US came many voices the low
chant in the stubble, the baying of a
hound In the far timber, the cry of the
tree toad-a tiny drift Of odd things
Qike that one sees at seal on the deep
eternal silence Of the heavens. There
was no sound IN the room save the low
creaking OF the rocker In which Eliza
beth sat. After all the going and com
ing and doing and saying OF many
years here was a little spell Of silence,
and beyond lay the untried things of
the future For me il was a time Of
reckoning.
"Been hard at work here all these
years. mother" said David "Oughter
be glad to git away"
"Yes." said she sadly, "it's been hard
work. Years ago I thought | never
could stan it. but now I've got kind o
used TO H."
"Time ye got used { pleasure an COM
fort" he said. "Come kind O hard at
fust, but ye mus try e stan IT, If
we're goin' Z hev sech fun in heaven
as Deacon Hospur tells on we oughter
begin T. practice er wen be 'shamed
NV ourselves"
The worst was over. Elizabeth began
TO laugh
At length a strain Of song came out
Of the distance;
'Maxwelton's braes are bonnie where
early falls the dew"
SITS Hope and Uncle Eb," said Da-
vid, while | went for the lantern,
Wonder what's KEEP 'em so late?"
When the lamps We're lit the old
house seemed suddenly to have got a
sense Of what had been done. The IN.
miiar creak Of the stairway as l went
to bed had an appeal and protest
The rude chrome Of the voluptuous
lady. with red lips and the name OF
Spring, that had always hung I'm my
chamber had a mournful accusing
look. The stain upon her cheek thai
bad come one day from a little leah
in the roof looked now like the path oi
q tear drop. And when the wind came
M In the night and | heard the creak
ing Of lone pine it spoke Of the doom
OF that house and its own that wal
not far distant
We rented new home in town tha
week and were soon settled in it. Hop
went away to resume her studies th'
same day I began work in college
Not much in my life az college is Is
sential to this history save the train
ing. The students came mostly fron
other and remote parts OF the nortl
country, some even from other states
Coming largely from towns and cities
they were shorn Of those simple an
rugged traits that distinguished th
men Of PARKWAY aud made ther
worthy Of what poor fame this boo
may afford In the main they wer
like other students the world over,
take H. and mostly. as they hav
shown. capable OF winning their ow
fame. II all seemed very high an
mighty and grand TO me. especially III
names of the courses.
had my baptism Of sophomore
seorn and many a heated argumeT
over my title to life. liberty and Il
pursuit Of learning. 1t became nece
sary 70 establish IL by force OF arm
which did declslvely and with as Ii
tie delay as possible, took much 4
terest in athletic sports and was soon
good ball player, a boxer Of some SIX
and the best wrestler in college.
In my second year at college Hol
went away to continue her studies
New York. She was TO live in Il
family of John Fuller. friend Of d
Fld. who had left Farswax years b