Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-10-18

pensd. A choking sensation was strus-
Cling for q grip of his windpipe. and
he tore away his shirt collar We'll
down upon bis shoulders. The plans
for the new cabin now Knocked him In
his thoughts, and scattered TO the
winds was all the promised happiness
OF a lifetime. and all this for n little
prank OF mischief.
Meanwhile Tilly had wandered from
the laurel path and had climbed
bowider whence she could look back
over the biufr. and she watched Tom
climbing the mountain. Her anger
was passing away. aud already she
regretted her lmpulsiye speech. But
Il was now too late to recall II.
Poor Tom she murmured. shading
her eyes and peerlng through the tim
Der "Oh, he's SO big an strong. I'm
Just like 4 child In his hands. An
an even II he had dropped me into
the wafer IL would not have been any
thing but q victim for mean ! have
gone I'M played such q fool! Poor
Tom"
She sat down on the rock and cover
ed her face with her apron.
AN told him never to speak to
me again. l wonder II he will think l
meant II sure 'nough."
A deep, audible sob came now. and
| Tillys small body swayed from side
to side. Presently her ears caught the
swish of the drag saw far up the
mountain, and she knew Tom had
gone back to work.
Swish swish, swish. swish!
lilly sat for an hour and listened.
There was never pause except for
the few seconds required to change
| the saw fer new cut. At last the
dinner horn sounded from over the
stream. and Tilly went home. In the
afternoon she came back TO the bowl
saw.
Swish, swish. swish. swish. interim.
nably.
Tom stopped no more TO rest. as he
had been wont to do occasionally.
There was a ferceness In the stroke
and a rspidity of motion that accom-
plished wonders. 1t was work. work
now, no matter what the muscles suf-
fered.
| Swish. swish, swish. swish.
lilly sat and listened through the
whole afternoon. Oh. would be never
stop one minute TO rest his tired arms ?
At last the sun sank below the crown
Of the mountain and when the shadow
Of night fell upon lilly she drew a
long breath Of relief. But not until the
last moment Of the twilight was spent
did toe sound Of the drag saw cease.
lilly crept home again, picking her
way along the trail that led through
the laurel.
An hour later the moon rose. and its
white light outlined many weird
shadow on the rocks. Tilly stole out of
the cabin and sat upon the low veran-
da in front Of the house. A terrible
feeling Of loneliness came over her.
Tom had been coming almost every
tell her every few minutes how much
he loved her, to toy with her fingers
and occasionally touch his lips to her
forehead. Now he would not come.
He would never come again. Maybe
he would go away soOn-Out west,
somewhere. A moan of intense heart.
sickness escaped Tilly's lips, and she
locked toward the moon for pity Then
presently sound came to her ears
from far away over the stream. II
was faint, but clear.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
THY bowed her face In her hands,
and the tears scalded her fingers as
they fell from her eyes.
Swish, swish, swish. swish!
How the faint and faraway sound cut
upon her ears! After awhile a man
came to the door of the cabin from the
inside.
"Tilly. what air ye settin' out here SC
late aboutT" He looked down upon
the girl from the doorway.
"Sothin', dad" was the answer.
"Nothin'2 Well, then. I'd shore go to
bed. Hello, what's that"
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
"Dinged If Tom Awtry amt a-cuttIn
shingie blocks by moonlight. Means to
build that new cabin purity soon.
reckon. lilly" r. 2'~
Tilly struggled to suppress the sob
that rose In her throat :, --,,a
well. Toms not comm here tonight
gal" said the man. "so.ye,d as well GO
to bed" rssa <-5.">
I'm goin' in minute.ca -
Tilly's minute lasted an hour. and the
sound of the drag saw had not ceased
when she went to bed: Late In the
night. sleepless, she crept to the win,
dow, thrust her head out through the
opening and listened ~ ;.
Swish, swish, swish. swish!
The sound smote upon her sense with
sickening clearness, and she sank to
her knees, dropping her head upon the
window sill. A little later she went to
sleep in this position and did not wake
until the first peep of dawn.
The day passed. and another and an.
other, and Tilly's misery, deepened with
the dawn OF each succeeding one, and
especially since she could see from hel
place on the bowlderb the growing
weakness Of the man who loved her
At SO great distance even she could
see that he had grown-pale,> and once
or twice she had seen him stumble
over tribes and catch at the saw frame
for support. Saturday came, and Tilly
welcomed the day The next day