Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-12-31

was gathering, Eunice lin
gered by the fence near the
~ spring house The girls
heart was Oh fire this G. "niIg. and she
| felt that she would stiHe or Shrek Ii
| she went into the house and shut her
self within those dreaiy whitewaSled
walls. Here in the open she might
breathe deep. Today her pent up feel
| ings had reached the high water mark,
and tonight they must have outlet or
she must suffocate.
What was the meaning, she was ask
| ing herself In bewilIerment, of this
mingled ecstasy and woe which were
now her daily portion when of old
] $50 long ago it seemed. though in real
ity it was only three weeks ago thar
he-the man from the city-had come
among them her soul had been coid
dormant, incapable Of feeling aught
of pain Or pleasure? And noW--to the
| tips Of her fingers was she tingling
with life. with burning emotions
which stifled and panied, yet gave her
the first taste of JOY she had ever
known. For the first time In her mem
ory the heavy loneliness in which she
had always lived seemed lifted. Some
thing in her which had always been
starved was fed. 1t had become worth
while to rise up In the morning and
90 through with her tasks. The days
palpitated now and throbbed. They
! were no longer the dull, dead drag they
had been. There was always the pos
sibility of word or act Of kindness
from him. Never before in her life
had she known kindness, but he had
been kind to her He had tried 10
shield her from her foster fathers an
ger and had then hidden the newspaper
for her He had helped her when he
saw her hurdened with her heavy buck
cts of milk. He had several times
spoken to her with friendly interest.
These episodes, entirely trihing in
themselves, appeared large and luml
nous to this girl. accustomed only tc
sights. Her imagination, fired by his
utter difference from any one she, had
ever before seen, made Of him q crea'
ture whose least word or act was
weighted with significance. Her ABSORB
ing and passionate interest In every
thing about him.-his voice, his accent
$50 strange to her ears, the movements
of his white hands (never had she seen
such hands,, the way he sat or walked
or stood or looked-all that he did or
uttered was fascinating, intoxicating,
And today her feelings had suddenly
reached a climax of intensity which
had amazed herself. 1t had come upon
her when she had seen him return
from his afternoon outing in company
with the two young ladies-young Ia
dies Of his kind Of people, OF education
beauty, worldly knowledge, money
freedom from drudgery, everything
which made a woman appear attrao'
tive. everything which she lacked.
Apparently he had been spending the
afternoon with them. Theirs was the
privilege of looking upon him for hours
together, Of hearing the sound OF his
voice, or drinking III Ills thoueAS
things (how hungry her own mind was
TO read all his thoughts and feelings,
ond-oh. bittcrness!-they had all three
come upon her when. weary and soiiee
and overladen she was awkwardl!
Juggling her heavy buckets across the
garden. She had fancied his snow!
hands had shrunk from touching hel
soiled ones as he took the buckets from
her. The overwhelming sense OF hel
} own inferlority In the face OF the con
trast between herself and the board
, ers had been followed by passion o
, inward rebellion that had left hcl
: physically exhausted. 1t had not ye
spent itself as just now she fingered
In the dusk by the spring house renee
Her heart burned within her with
feeling that she did not understand
: for the passion Of jealousy was to hel
as unknown as the passion OF love
: Her own binding, consuming emotions
: were appalling to herself In their uttel
strangeness and newness.