The Washington times., 1905-08-13


carpet beside The bed. It was the crucial
| test in the gIimmering light the blue
! and orange stood out with sharp dis
tinetness; the pattern seemed cut as
with knife She looked in perfect sill
ence. as she might have looked on an
unconscious animal. Her eyes sn1arted,
her throat sweiled. Then suddenly she
| dropped to the ground, picked up her
boots, and carrying them IN her hand,
walked steadfastly to the door.
The door handle turned with creak
! that brought her heart to her lips; but
| she stepped across the landing. At the
top of the stairs she paused. but the
pause was momentary. At the third
step she stopped and leant against the
wall; the smartins behind her eyes had
become a burning pain. an ache of part
ing no longer to be denied. Her whole
form swayed backward with her i'm
pulse. but she caught herself in the nick
of time. With a steaithy rush she be-
gan to descend the stairs
At each crack and strain of the worn
| out steps her breath caught: at each
succeeding silence it was let go again.
From the attic Johann could hear
nothing. Her father slept like the dead.
! She reiterated the knowledge silently
again and again. Then at last the foot
of the stairs was reached. There she
stopped.
From the thought Of the shop door.
with It's bar and It's cumbersome hinges,
her mind drew back; instinctiyely 1t
turned to the kitchen and the yard with
their narrow entrance into the passage;
and almost without volition her decision
was made.
| Downstairs, the ticking of the clock
filed all the spaces. The kitchen with
/ its raked-out fire possessed a human
| loneliness. IT'S bare grey windows had
| the look of eyes; its familiar objects the
| sense Of outstretched hands. She crept
| through hastiiy-the great eyes seemed
| to pierce her soul. The door into the
| yard was easy of management; the key
turned smoothly. the latch lifted with
| scarcely a click. and the raw air poured
| through the aperture with a rush
She stepped hastily out and drew the
door behind her. Then she sat down
upon the doorstep and pulled on her
boots.
| With the chill of the day the wave
of her resolution receded, leaving q dull
fear A dazed, overwhelming loneliness
seemed to lift from the enfolding gloom; !;
her fingers fumbled with the boot laees; I;
her head dropped. Then suddenly she
rose.
"I cannot! Oh, I cannot" The
| words rushed out, inarticulate and
| vague She laid her hand against the
mouldering plaster of the house; but
| the crevices seemed to whisper back,
echoing her words; the heavy shadows
to combine and push her forth. She
gripped the wall, but the plaster and
the mould peeled off between the fin
gers IN green strips.
In sudden panic she turned and rails
ed the latch. Needless OF her boots
upon the tiles. she re-crossed the
kitchen floor The dream that had
wrapped her since her sleeping had
dissolved. She was awake.
From the kitchen she passed into
the parlor: there, too, were the staring
window and the raked-out fire II
was like walking through house OF
death. The longing to call. 10 raise
her voice till the whole house ans wcr-
ed, filled her; but she gripped Eei
hands and set her lips.
She walked across the room and laid
her finger on the farther door; very
gently she pushed 1t forward and the
sparse light from the parlor window
fell into the shop.
It fell on the counter. worn shiny
by many hands; on the cobwebs, fes-
toontng the ceiling like dusty banners
on the ancient firearms and rusty
swords.
She stared, holding her breath. She
I had never loved these things, but they
had been her life; they had meant
existence. She moved forward steE
by step.
For ys-months-years TO come
| thew would remain unchanged. Morn
ing after morning the shutters would
be taken down; morning after morning
the dazzling daylight would pour in
like an invading army Her fathei
would take his position by the desk
Johann would take his place behinC
the counter; the quiet uneVentfu
round of barter would go on and on
Day after day-day after day. Onll
: in the kitchen, in the parlor, IN the lit
: tie yard all would be still-Quite still
She closed her eyes, but with close'
. ewes the Image of Johann, so FIRE
duentIy recurrent, rose painfully. Sh
started alert again.
, Johann would never understand
With new confusion the new though
sprang up Johann would think
: would Johann think? Leaving lik
this-without a word-without mes
sage-without a good-by!
E Her eyes Travelled down the coun
e ter. over pile of military cloaks, thet
. upward to the black slate and its re
n cording chalk, hanging side by sid
a upon the wall How many games o
t ..Noughts and Crosses" they had serv
ed for in childish days.
She stood with a daZed mind; he
: Ideas rose and fell-each lifting itsel
to SURROGATE the last. Then with
little cry she sprang back. her ham
. upon the door. The silence had bee
: / rudely broken. The Dutch clock ha
struck again-seVen ineXorable beats
In half an hour Johann would b
downstairs Even now he was awake
In sudden fear she drew back int
: the parlor; but she left the communi
! cation door ajar.
She glanced to the right, then I
. the left; she passed her hand agai
: over her eyes. Then she raised he
; ! glance to the clock It marked fiv