Oxford Democrat., 1907-07-09
Thanks to the
Weather. K
By JOANNA SINGLE.
Copyright. 1907, by E. c. PARCELS.

1t was the weather In the first place,
thought Edith very drearily as she
watched the rain beat against the win.
dow. If she and Richard had not been
caught in sudden shower to the ut
ter ruin Of her very prettiest dress, she
would never have been irritable and
quarreled with him about nothing at
ALL and she would not have expected
him to take the fault upon himself
when she alone-after the weather.
was IL blame. And now 1t had rained
for nearly II week. and the inaction
was driving her wild. She could only
think, think and vainly try to over
come her pride and send for him.
For the thousandth time she drew
from her dress his last letter and re-
read It:
Dearest-we have been friends and
ne!ghbcrs ard sweetkearts all our lives
and should not let anything come between
Us. l love you. and II you will just send
one word saying you want me | will come
It your call and forget the nothing we
luarrcled about. Should We let anything
so childish part us? l look for word
from you. II II does not come. / shall
know that you really meant to break our
engagement and shall Of course not trou-
ole you. But you couldn't have meant 1t,
Edith2 Fraternally yours.
RICHARD COPELAND.
That was all. but she had sent him
no word, thinking that In time he
would come anyhow, and then she
would let him coax her out Of her
anger. But he had not come, and she
could not fail to respect him for refus-
ing to be played with.
So she was very wretched and
blamed her own pride and the weather.
The rain beat down warmly and inter-
mittently, and all nature expanded and
throve under its moist influence. Edith
looked across the fields to the south TO
Richards home. which one day was
to have been also hers, and saw him
out in the rain on his horse, coming
from the town few miles away. How
often they two had ridden about the
country together. And now it was all
over. He would never come back to
her-unlesa she sent for him. Could
she do It? II was early In the af:cr-
noon, and she might send her little
brother over with a note. She hesi-
tated: then she went to her room and
sat down to her desk. 1t would be Il
relief to write to him, even If she
could not bring herself to send 1t to
him.
Dear RIchard-Will you come to see me
tonight? I was horr!d. and l am very
sorry. II had not been wet and cross
should not have thought Of caring be-
cause you rode to town with Fay or
course you could not help her overtakins
YOU she always was forward. Forgive
ne and come back. You know that-1
love you-always. EDITH.
She sat looking at It Then her heart
misgave her II had been two long
months since they parted. and he might
no longer care for her. He might care
for Fay. The ueighbors had said he
had been to see her. The letter was
altogether too unguarded. She could
not tell him she loved him. So she
eareIe Ssly thrust 1t into her dress with
the letter from him.
She tried to busy herself about the
house, but somehow she could not
work. She was restless and felt as If
her mother and sister saw 1t and would
know that she fretted for Richard. She
tried to read In her own room, but 1t
seemed like a prison.
Along about 3 o'clock she felt as II
the day had been years long. She
could bear It no longer. She put on
some heavy shoes and an old water
proof riding habit, wound her fair hair
closely under little cap and stood be-
fore the glass thinking what fright
she looked and rather rejoicing In the
fact. What was the use Of being beau
tlful when Richard no longer loved
her?
She slipped out to the barn and sad
died Ginger, her little mare, mounted
and rode quickly out Of the gate and
northward, as she did not want to pass
Richards house Her mother saw her
ride off In the storm and wondered II
the girl was going crazy, but was too
late to call after her. At first Ginger
wheeled and refused to believe that
she was expected to splash her dainty
hoofs through such pools Of mud and
water, but utter a few snorts of pro-
test Edith convinced her with the qulrt
that this wind and rain were really to
be faced, aud the little beast settled
into Il spiteful tret.
Edith rather rejoiced in buffetng the
storm. The rain and wind cooled her
hot cheeks, and the open air relieved
the unbearable tension Of her nervous
ness. For the first time since the trOu-