The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-04-05

l8I i candlelight, the gentle half
I66z6Ay hour when the kind old sand
k2eYsSj man steals up the stairs of
houses where children are, when rustic
lovers stroll with slow and quiet steps
down country lanes and old bachelors
are loneliest and dream of the things
that might have been. Through the
silence of the clear dusk came the
whistle of the evening boat that was
to bear Tom Vanrevel through the first
stage of his long journey to the front
Of war, and the sound fell cheerlessly
upon Miss Betty's ear as she stood
leaning against the sundial among the
lilac bushes. Her attitude was not
one of reverie, yet she stood very still
so still that in the wan simmer Of the
faded afterglow one might have passed
| close by her and not have seen her.
The long, dark folds of her gown show
ed family against the gray stone, and
her arms, bare from the elbow, lay
across the face Of the dial with unre-
Taxed fingers clinching the cornice; her
head dropping not languidly, but with
tension, her eyes half closed, showing
the lashes against a pale cheek; and
thus motionless, leaning on the stone in
| the dusk. she might have been Sorrows
self.
She did not move; there was not even
a flicker Of the eyelashes, when a step
sounded on the gravel of the driveway,
and Vanrevel came slowly from the
house. He stopped at little distance
from her, hat in hand. He was very
thin, worn and old looking, and in the
failing light might have been taken for
tall, gentle ghost, yet his shoulders
were squared and he held himself as
straight as he had the first time she
had ever seen him.
"Nlrs. Tanberry told me should find
you here" he said hesitatingly. "Ihave
come to say goodby.''
She did not turn toward him nor did
more than her lips move as she an
swered, "Goodby," and her tone was
neither kind nor cold, but held no
meaning whatever, not even indiffer-
ence.
There was an interval of silence.
Then, without surprise, he walked sad
" to the gate, paused, wheeled about
suddenly and returned with a quick,
firm STEP.
II will not go until know that I do
not misunderstood you," he said, mot
even if there is only the slightest
chance that I do. I want to say some
thing to you if you will let me, though
naturally | remember you once asked
me never to speak to you again. It is
only that have thought you did that
under misconception or else I should
still obey YOU If you
"What is it that you wish to saw"
Her tone was unchanged.
"Only that think the hardest time
for you has passed, and that
do your she interrupted
eyes," he returned, "the saddest of
your life. think it has gone forever.
And think that what will come to
you will be all you wish for. There
will be little time Of waiting''-
Waiting for what?"
He drew step nearer, and his voice
became very gentle Cummings and
I reach our, regiment tomorrow night.
and there in the camp is q group of
men on the way to the war, and they
all go the more bravely because each
one Of them has you in his heart-not
one but will be better soldier be-
cause of you. want you to believe
that if all Of them don't come back. vet
the one whose safety you think of and
fear for will return. For, you see,
Crailey told me what you said to him
when-when he met you here the last
time, I have no way to know which of
them you meant; but-he will come
back to you! I am sure of it, because
I believe you are to be happy. All.
you've had your allotment Of pain!
"After all. there is so little to regret.
The town seems empty without it's
young men, yet you may rejoice, re-
membering how bravely they went and
how gayly. They will sing half the
| way. to Vera Cruz. You think it strange