The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-10-06


| ering lower lip
It'll never forgive ye, Tom Awtry,
| SO there. An don't ye ever speak To
| me again.
Catching up her apron. lilly wiped
! the tears from her cheeks and turned
quickly into the trail that led along
| the edge of the stream. Tom stood mo-
tionless and stared after her until the
| last vestige of the pink frock was bur
| led from view among the intermina bic
green of the laurel's foliage. Then.
with his hat in his hand, he turned
| back up the hill toward his work
| Slowly he went. The slow machinery
Of his brain was trying to bring out {:
clear realization of all that had hap
pened. A choking sensation was Strug
Cling for grip of his windpipe, and
| he tore away his shirt collar we'll
down upon his 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 little
prank of mischief.
Meanwhile lilly had wandered from
| the laurel path and had climbed Il
bowlder whence she could look back
| over the bluff, and she watched Tom
| climbing the mountain. Her anger
was passing away, and already she
regretted her impulsive speech. But
| it was now too late to recall it.
Poor Tomr' she murmured, shading
| her eyes and peering through the tim
Der "Oh. he's so big an strong. I'm
| Just like child in his hands. An
| an even if he had dropped me into
| the water it would not have been any
| thing but victim for mean | have
gone an played such 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. | wonder if he will think
| meant it sure 'nough.'
n deep. audible sob came now, and
Tilly's 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 for a new cut. At last the
dinner horn sounded from over the
stream. and lilly went home. In the
afternoon she came back to the bowl
der to listen to the sound of Toms
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 rapidity 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 he 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
long breath of relief. But not until the
last moment of the twilight was spent
did the 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 It's
white light outlined many weird
shadow on the rocks. Tillv stole out Of
the cabin and sat upon the low veran-
da in front of the house. \ terrible
feeling of loneliness came over her
Tom had been coming almost every
night to sit for an hour with her. to
tell her every few minutes how much
he loved her, to toy with be" fingers
and occasionally touch his lias to her
forehead. Now he would not come.
He would never come again. Maybe
he would go away sCon-out west.
somewhere. \ moan OF intense heart
sickness escaped Tilly's lips. and she
looked toward the moon for pity. Then
presently a sound came to her ears
from far away over the stream. 1t
was faint, but clear.
Swish. swish, swish swish
lilly 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 mar
came to the door of the cabin from the
inside.
lilly, what air We settin' out here so
late abCut?" He looked down upon
the girl from the doorway.
"Nothin'. dad" was the answer.
r""1N1othin'? We'll. then, I'd shore go to
bed. Hello. what's that?'
Swish, sw bh. swish. swish!
'Dinged if Tom Awtry amt a-cuttin'
single blocks by moonlight. Means to
build that new cabin purity soon.
reckon. lilly"
lilly struggled to suppress the sob
that rose in her throat.
"Well. Toms not comm here tonight.
GAL" said the man. $50 ye'd as we'll go
to bed