Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-01


side that clattered their bare twigs as
;f in comment on his passing. Every now and
oc,;r he Glanced fearfully about him, trying to
nenetrate the gloom which his fancy peopled'
The sudden lift of his face showed white IN the
surrounding darkness The gaunt trees took on
or;slv shapes the bushes were ike crouenihs
figures bending forward in eager curiosity; 1here
we're discordant, unfriendly sounds ABROAD vague
,vhisperinrs and laughter He moved forwaru
slowIv almost painfully, dragging his feet as II ia
tigue or cold had put shackles on mis- hnioS,
tbopcb he did not falter for moment. On ana
ON he toied steadily-never pauslng; ne seemed
innelled bv some unseen force that Woulu hou
let him rest hoo
the lights of the village cleaned like so many
watchful eyes guarding its repose. Inc traVeier
crept on more cautiously every cracking CWig'
every stumble over unseen stones sounding IKE
thunder in his apprehensive ears. But the MOURN
full wind drowned his progress, and tne frozen
ground retained no imprint OF his Footsteps; Z"
was as if Nature refused to take MN " nc nI
heart He was like a shadow born OF the nlghU
and the darkness The keen air buteted hlm
and the occasional scurrying raln-drops struck
against mis- face like the lash OF condemnng
tongues. - -
He kept to the middle of the road as 1t via,
ened into the one street OF the village 10 aVolu
any chance passerby; but Little Silver was com
fortably housed for the night, with the exception
of few convivial souls who loitered, as was
their won't at the tavern swapping STORIES
The quiet homes lay either side OF tne way
back of the strips of bare garden; there was ho
hospitality in their waking eyes for the stranger
at their gates. He passed them YEARLY, counting
them off on his numb fingers. Suddenly his
heart gave quick throb. On his lett, wen pdcN
from the street a curtainless window cast
square of yellow light upon the ground; CneIe
was an element of welcome in Its cheery aspect
He wavered an imperceptible moment, tnen ap-
proached warily, crouching, lest anyone witnin
the house might catch glimpse OF his watching
face. .4,
The interior showed long, low room with
sanded floor occupied by eight or ten men,
prouped in a sociable semicircle In front OF tne
well-fed stove. In the centre, his chair Urine
nearer the rosy blaze than the others, was Cnlh'
undersized man with bowed shoulders HIS race,
which the freight revealed, bore the marks OF
Time hut he did not seem old. There was an
irrenressible touch of youth in his eyes and In his
kindly smile. IL,
As the wayfarer sheltered himself beneath the
caves. someone opened the window hand
breadth, and the warm, tooacco-Wghteu ar
rushed out pleasantly He tasted 1t hungrlly'
Ionpinplv. It touched him like caress lie bent
nearer the opening, listening eagerly to the con-
versation within ;,
men laughed. GO on, Steve
The little with the pleasant face looked
LID deprecatingly. ;,
"Yon've heard all my stories over an over,
he said. "I never was much of a hand at SPIN
min warns There's Nathan, now
'eYou leave Nathan alone" the person referred
to. grumbled, "and fire ahead. 1t amt you we
want to hear about anyway-twouldnt take long
to exhaust that subject. It's Anthony an his
doin's that we're keen on Why, sir" he turned
TO a man on his right-the schoolmaster, who had
hut recently settled among them-'youre
stranger an you never knew Anthony Deane,
though YOU couldn't be in this village over night
'thout hearin' of him. He's our big man, an
there amt soul in Little Silver who isn't proud
of him. though it's a good twenty years since he
was here. That's the only thing we have against
bin-he's never come back He's been so busy
maxim money an building up towns that he's
had no chance, but he don't forget us. lie never
writes letter home, 'thout sendin' us some mes
sage. Does he, Steve"
Never"
"An' in other ways, too; this very tobaccer
we're smoldn' was present to steve, to be
shared with us boys
Don't say anything more bout that, Wilson.
''You can't hush me up Steven Deane. If you
aint willin' to acknowledge yourself beholden to
YOUR brother, why the rest of us feel different.
I'm roin' to have my say out. Who helped them
shif'less Reeds last summer-who but Anthony?
Whose name headed the subscription for the new
school-house? Anthony Deane's. An when the
minister made himself sick workin' early an late,
who sent him that box of things from Guildha-
ven? Anthony again! You didn't want to let on,
Steve, but the parson wouldn't keep still We
knew who he had in mind when he prayed in
church that Sunday for the distant friend whose
hand is always stretched out to his old comrades;
we'd have guessed even if we hadn't known for
sure. All through service I could picture An
thony in his old place in the choir. Do you
member how he used to laugh over at the girls?
OH he want what you'd call strickly pious, but