The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1907-11-14

gllng far . grip n his wlBdplpe. aBd
be tore agay his SHIRT collar Wcil
down upon his shoulders The plans
Tor the new cabin now mockt.d him IN
bis thoughts aud seatiered 70 the
Winds was all the promised hamiiaas
of Lifetime. aud all this Goa a llille
prank ~ inist Alef
Meanwhile Tilly had aandeged FROM
the laurel path aud had ciimhed a
bowhler whence She could ioos back
over the blun, aud she watclled Tom
climbing the mountain Her anger
Was passing away. aud already she
regretted her lnpulsive speech But
II Was now too late 10 recall Il
Poor Tom she mnrmund. shading
her eyes aud peerinr through the Tim
ber. "oh. he's so big an strong! I'm
/ Just like child ia his hands. An
an even II he had dropped me into
Z the water IL would not have iaeep ans
thug Isn't a wetiln' for me an have
gone an played such foot! 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 IL he will think
meant II sure 'nough"
| A deep audible sob came now, and
/ Tillr's small body swayed from side
10 side. Presently her ears caught the
swish OF the drag saw far up the
mountain, aud she knew Tom had
gone back to work.
Swish. swish. swish, swish
Tilly sat for an hour and listened.
There was never pause except for
the few seconds required TO change
the saw for new cut. At last the
dinner horn sounded from over the
stream. and Tilly went home In the
afternoon she came back 10 the bowl.
der 10 listen 10 the sound of Toms
saw.
Swish, swish, swish swish, intermi-
nably.
Tom stopped no more to rest, as he
had been wont 70 do occasionally.
There was fierceness In the stroke
and rapidity OF motion that accom-
pllshed wonders. II was work, work
now, no matter what the muscles suf-
fered
Swish, swish. swish, swishl
Tily 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 Tilly she drew n
long breath of relief But not until the
last moment Of the twilight was spent |
did the sound of the drag saw cease.
Tilly 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 ont of |
the cabin and sat upon the low veran-
da In front of the house A terrible |
Tom had been coming almost every
night 10 sit for an hour with her TO |
tell her every few minutes how much |
he loved her, 10 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 80 away soon nout west,
somewhere. 4 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. II
was faint, but clear.
Swish swish, swish, swishl
Tilly 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 man
came TO the door OF the cabin from the
inside
"Tilly. what air ye settn' out here so
late aboutT He looked down upon
the girl from the doorway.
"Nothin', dad" was the answer
"Nothin'? Well. then, I'd shore go to
bed. Hello, what's thatY
Swish, swish, swish, swish,
"Dinged II Tom Awtry amt a-cuttln'
shinge blocks by moonlight Means TO
build that new cabin purity soon.
reckon. Tilly"
Tllly struggled TO suppress the sob
that rose in her throat,
"Well, Toms not comm here tonight
gal" said the man. $50 ye'd as well 60
10 bed"
I'm goin' In a minute
Tllly'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
.ckening clearness, and she sank 10
her knees. dropping her head upon the
window sill. A little later she went TO
sleep IN this position and did not wake
lntil the first peep of dawn.
The day passed. and another and an
)ther, and 1'illy's misery deepcned with
The dawn OF each succeeding one. and
since she could see from her
place on the bowlder the growing
weakness Of the man who loved her.
At so great a distance even she could
see that be had grown pale. and once
or twice she had seen him stumble
over trihes and catch at the saw frame
for support. Saturday came, and Tilly
welcomed the day. The next day ,
would be Sunday and Tom must rest.
But late In the afternoon Of Satnr- ,
day the drag saw stopped Tom had ,
sunk away from the handle and fallen
to his knees From the bowlder 1llly
saw this and started forward. Then
She stopped and rctraced her steps. ,
though FOR n moment she covered her
eyes with her hands When she look. ,
ID again Tom was creeping aud STUN
bling toward the cabin hundred !
yards away from where he had been /,
II work. Tilly watched him until the
la.9r was eloead behind nifnf tieu sue l