The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-24

/ strokes OF charcoal. The whole world
seemed celebrating Bacehanalian
The odor of ripencd fruit. The wild
grapes hung in heavy luscious punches,
/ their purple mingled garishly with the
. vivid tints of Virginia crecpcr and
sumach along the stone walls. Already
. the farmers were busy piling the soddcn
T apples into great heaps beneath trees
ready for the cider mill. AT intervals
/ the orchards were dotted with barrels,
IN which the apples were eventually
/ conveyed. Squirrels darted along the
stone fences like CLEANS of sunlight,
/ their tiny, keen faces peerIng out at.
one from every tree, They drank in
! the odors of the ripened grapes as they
sat cracking, their nuts among the
/ branches They, too, were celebrating
a feast, living their little lives to the
/ full the incarnation Of quivering life.
The sharp crack of n rifle cut the
! keen air, and the mountains tossed the
echo merrily from one end to the other,
until at last it passed beyond the reach
OF human ear. On the mountain side
/ rifle disclosed the whereabouts Of the
hunter. Along the dusty road came a
! team of oxen swaying laZily forward.
! The rough sledge which they dragged
was filled with cider barrels. BY the
side walked man. The reins lay loose
in his hand He Idly cracked his whip
across the dusty bushes by the road
side as he lunged heavily along The
! sledge bumped and creaked, raising
cloud of dust which from time to time
| hid the group from Hugh S vision. AS
he drew nearer he recognized the man
as Henry Poole. Farmer Hawkins hired
man, familiarly known in the village as
''Weary Hank. ~
"Hello there!' cried Hugh, as he
drew up beside him, Though Hugh
! had been whisting and singing as he
came along the road Weary Hank y
had not even turned his head to see who
it was thus borsterously descending
upon him
Hello YOURSELF he answered, not
he flicked the dust from the bushes.
"You re powerful gay this mornip'.
Coin 10 git married?''
Hugh laughed indulgently, though
frown gathered on his brow
"Well." he said, ignoring the ques"
ton, 'how's the world treating you up
at your place9'
pretty tolerable We've got board,
ers up to my folks, woman an 'er chill. ,
Silly thing says she's sick; got congh.
Kinder pretty, though. But the boy
well, CARL darn my skin, II he aren Z n
spanker But she S so silly about hin,
dresses him up in frills on Sundays.
some sech rot. Thinks heap of HIM,
though, Won't let him out o her
sight Says she's afraid he II git lost
again, Kinder cracked here, take 1T, -
| and he tapped his vapid forehead
sagely 'Why, there he be now he
added with some slight show OF inter.
est Hugh S heart made one great
bound and stood still, The boy was
leaning on tiptoe to gather some grapes
growing almost beyond his reach. He
looked up, dropped his grapes and
shouted at the top of his voice,
"Oh, muvver, its the hermit. 1t s the
hermit" and rushed to Hugh with
outstretched arms.
Hugh snatched him from the ground
and laid his lips upon the curly head:
There was n moments silence, and
then tremulous woman s voice sad
tensely;
" Hugh
The man turned his head quickly.
Before him stood the woman who had
left him-his old sweetheart-pale but
| for two hectic spots on either cheek,
her ewes sunkcn and dark with suffer
ing Her thin arms were stretched out
to him and her pale lips parted IN
smile, but Hugh seemed turned to
stone. He stared nt her, unable to com
prehend her pleading gesture The first
rush Of emotion and pity which had
suraed through his brain had Teceded
and left him white ana stern. No, she
was the woman who had deserted him.
who had thrown him over that she
might marry Il man of wealth. gayly de-
claring that she could not live without
| money,
Hugh she said tromulously.
"lon I you know me?
Hugh drew himself UP. saving in cold,
measured tones: '' You are mistaken,
madam; I do not know YOU, Then,
turning on his heel, he left them.