The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-10-07
AFTER THE STORM.
By LULU JOHNSON.

Brooks raised the shade and looked
out saying things softly 20 himself. A
sudden landscape merged into leaden
skies and "a fine driving rain yelled but
slightly the misery Of the scene.
Across the road n score Of ducks wad.
died c0ntentedly through the muIIy field
to a puddle that had formed in a corner
Of the lot, bat half dozen bedraggled
hens squawked dolefully as they picked
UP the angle worms driven 10 the sur
face by the continued rain and rushed
back to shelter. The cows IN the side
pasture huddled under the dripping trees
and the dog trOtted across the road with
his tail dragging almost in the mud as
he made Tor the protection Of the barn
after being driven from the inviting
kitchen door,
Brooks had come TO CenterviTe for a
purpose; purpose that was not best
served by confinement in country
clearinghouse for seven days and nights.
once or twice there had come a break
In the steady rain, but in an hour or so
it only came down the harder as though
to make up for the time it had lost
He had wanted to take Bess over TO
the Big Rock where they had first met
the summer before. and there make the
avOwal of love that had hung trembling
upon his lips ever since. He had been
able to take a whole month the year be-
fore; four golden weeks filed with sun
shine and love
Then Bess had gone 70 Europe as com
pauion 70 q rich relative, and just as
she returned Curtis Brooks had been
called to South America on matter of
great Importance. They had correspond
ed with such regulation as their uncer-
tainty Of movement permitted, but there
had been no opportunity for a proposal.
and now their waking time was divided
between the parlor and the diuing-roOm
Of the old farmhouse.
Seven days of rain had gotten on
Brooks nerves. With his whole energy
bent upon taking back to town Bess'
promise, the dreary round Of parlor life
irritated him.
Dickie Langdon, who had been the life
Of the stormbound party. had rechris-
tened Willow Farm the Ark, with an al
fusion 70 the animals that went two by
two. The landlord was Noah, the col
ored servants Ham and his wife, and
with a sudden switch to "Pinafore"
LangdOn had insisted that Brooks was
Dick Deadeye, because of his disposition.
and Brooks had not belied his nickname.
II was not easy even for a patient man
TO sit quietly and see the hoped-for op-
portunity pass, and Curtis Brooks was
not a patient man.
All through those last weeks in CO.
lOmbia he could shut hts eyes and see
the Big Rock with BesS and himself
standing beside il just as they had done
the summer before. Now that he was
mere he could not even see II from the
windows because Of the curtain Of mist
and rain. Tomorrow he would have to
return 10 town, and then there was an
other long trip TO Caregena.
The frOWn was still on Brooks face
when he went down TO breakfast Lang
don's j0lity irritated him. and when they
went back 70 the parloT after the meal
he was gloomy and dispirited- Even
Bess could not win him out of himself
and finally he went To his room to write
some letters. he announced.
Writing consisted In sitting before 4
table with pen and ink and paper near
at hand, and staring at the drenched
landscape before him, Even the ducks
had sought cover, for now the rain was
coming down In sheets. He could scarce ]
~ see across the yard, and with a groan
at the lost vacation he let his head sink
forward upon his arm.
light knock at the door had TO be
twice repeated before he heard Il. Bess
stood in the hall, smiling as though there
was no such thing as rain.
Don't YOU want 10 90 up and have
a look at the Big Rock this afternoon?"
she asked Il think its going to stop
raining at last. Anyway, 7 can wrap
up well. It would be q shame not 70 see
the old place before you go hack"
"BeSs, you're an angel" was all he
could say. She laughed at the remark.
1T would be more seasonable to call
me duck, she reminded. TN be ready
at ( o'clock"
She darted away and Brooks, with
new hope in his heart, caught up a pen
and wrote the letter that he had been
trying TO compose all the week.
BeSs was prompt, and az 4 o'clock they
met on the piazza. The rain had gone
back to a light drizzle, but Langdon af-
fected to take a last farewell OF them
and promised to try and recover their
bodies after the flood
Bess gave him a saucy reply and they
started down the road. II was a hard !
climb up the steep side of the mountain
at the foot Of which Centervine nestled.
but after the stuny atmosphere of the |
house the wet earth filed the clean air
with q fragrance peculiarly its own.
Bess drank deep draughts down into
her lungs Tn glad that we came" she /
declared. 1T isn't so very wet. and I |
did want 70 have you see Big Rock
again"
I was afraid that it would be washed
away before We could get up here" he /
said with smile. This has been !
nightmare week, Bess. What can YOU
think OF the way I've been acting?"
~ l.,--E L. ]