The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-10-11
While They
Waited ~

Maverick oliver wasn't ulau 10 cry
over spilled milk He sat himself
plhlosophicals down ia shady recess
Of the waiting room aud extracted
notebook Tie would look over some
memoranda be had jotied down for his
solicited article fof the Review aud
then take stroll along the country
hedges. There seemed 10 be- rather
attractive hlt OF woodland Just beyond
How long must walt for connec'
tions for Itoseclllfr'
Something In the womaD's voice, bali
4ontralto, half alto, made the man With
the notebook suddenly start He'd
been so engrosselly coming his mem
orandn that he had scarcely noticed
the incoming train, with all It's attend
ant hustle. Now. however n single
woman's voice made him start and
caused the Review article TO be as far
trom his thoughts as the military az
fairs OF nations Il. @.
The woman's bnck wns turned TO
ward Oliver, but he knew II was Flea
nor Who else IN all the world had
that queenly carriage, that soft slope
OF shoulder, that bewltehing mass OF
soiled chestnut hairY
For RoseclIffy" came the ticket
agents monotonous voice ns he caress-
ed his wrlnkled forehead with the
back OF his hand "a half bour,
ma'am. Trains sixteen minutes late"
The woman turned impatiently away
from the window.
II was then they came face TO face,
your cried Oliver, sprIngIng up
She stood there In the barren waiting
room, filling It's emptiness with the
richness OF her charm. TO the mans
hungry eyes she was food OF the most
satisfying as well as OF the most dell
cate sort.
She did not hold out her hand. Never
ybeless she encountered him not In her
old lmperlous fashion, but with Il smile
including him In some mood too large
% be wholly personal.
How you have changed. EleanorW
hc cried involuntarlly.
Are you, too, waiting for trainT'
sne answered softly In return. I'm
which direction do you goY'
'south--to New York." said Oliver.
sand your
10 Rosecliffe, fourteen miles east"
Oliver took her umbrella and tiny
suit ease from her, and then they
walked slowly up and down the plat.
form together, man aud woman. In.
stead OF husband and wife, held apart
by some strange fiat they had both ac.
cepted.
In the fields, all around. the butter
cups were golden and the wild carrot
was In white. lacelike flower Over
In the woods beyond some song birds,
waking from their summer slesta, We're
beginning to warble group OF trav-
cling men wns lounglng on the railing
at the far end OF the platform, ex'
pectorating copIously to punctuate the
points In their stories.
Oliver busted the platform steps NJ
the other end OF the walk with his
handkerchief, and the woman sat Sc
reneiy down, her delicate profile out.
lined against the clear blue OF the sky
like some exquisite cameo She had
always been beautiful, though. II
wasn't that which made the man ex.
claim again irrepresslbly.
you've changed 40, EleaDorw Itwns
true. II was no mere fancy OF his
Imaginative writer's eye that dlscov-
cred new meanings In the face before
him. II had undergone n vague but
very gracious transformation.
"Changedf" repeated she, with a
curious Tenderness. 1--WE tried 10
| change tried. do you understand
Since last winter when we agreed to
separate, I've been trying 20 hard,
Maverick TO take control OF my own
stunted nature, turn II where u
twists
"Dear." broke In Oliver, with bit
ter humility, I'VE were both TO blame
both, do you henrf And I'm afraid
you've been clevcrer than ! II you've
unsnarled things where they failed TO
nj the pattern. I've not changed much.
| I'm afraid
Under her black lashes the woman
smiled at him with reverence he
might have translated tbad he been
high pluncdl as some loyal acqules
| cence IN his former state. What Oh
yer felt now, however, was curiosity ~
his young wife. not In himself So
'sreIl me-" he burst forth, what has
changed you sof'
She rolled up her absurd little hand
kerchlef Into string and, throwing y
over her knee, pulled II unconsciousl,
by both ends. gazing steadfastly into
the blue distance above divers head.
Il don't know whether ] ought "a
tell You" she began.
oliver recalled that delicious little
habit she used 10 have Of tempting The
fates sbyly. Of hcstaiing when 81
meant TO be right down outrageous.
"Of course you ought" he urged
"Yon always DO IA the end. you know
! and II VIII save time," Under hci
pinyfnlncss he had allowed himself -
grow light hearted
"Well thea she began. but hcr
I voice trnied on vaguely Her cbeet'
took on plnker bloom; she FORGOT ibf
,sndkerch.ef and finished her thought
with mature dignity that became hei
/ Ike the nrl.!or OF her sex.
Our little boy. Maverick Our l,u'
boy has changed me"
"Ah' Our boy oliver broke o'l
abrf,ily. for something had suddenly
eluiched him BY iiio ihrOft
Tie woman hnstlly brusiied her tear
AWAY and went on pfaeiieaily:
you'd be proud of bin, Maverick
such strong. agile limbs and ne ba
The win Of lltle saynse"
Let me ses." Oliver said bflisqneiy
stopping over the Platforms edge an'
plueSing bnitercup stalk that has
nuDiti0isly grown ~ from the grave
.'He must te eleven months now"
~Yes He was Hye when when 10
lsst saw him" She kept iier eyes dc
ilteruteiy nred upon the high rsiifpa'
tresties Ia the blue distance. DO ~