Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-09-19
Tracks IN the Snow.

came Oh a mans tracks in the snow.
The tracks had been made in the night
and led to an old barn. 1t was plain
that the party who had made them
knew Of the old barn and had it in
mind when he left the highway.
I went into the barn. Presently
1 heard the snore of a sleeping man,
md q minute later l found him cover
ed up in the hay. His face was ex-
posed, and 1 saw his sandy hair, and
then I knew who 1t was. Six months
previously our nearest neighbor on the
west had enlisted and gone to the front
in the civil war. He was not much
thought Of as a man, being considered
shiftless and without ambition. 1t
was the large bounty that had induced
him to enlist. If the man had no
standing in the community, his wife
had. She was an energetic little wo-
man, far too good for such a man, and
was universally respected. She lived
quite alone after his enlistment, and
the full crop, such as 1t was, was gath
cred for her by the neighbors. They
had also seen that she had q store Of
winter fuel. I uncovered the man
without awakening him and found that
he was sure enough Dan Scott. I was
about to arouse him when it struck
me as a curious thing that he should
have come to the old barn instead Of
going to his own house. I covered
him up again and left the place and a
quarter of an hour later was knocking
Oh his door.
"Well, John, what Is til" asked the
CHEEKY little woman as I entered.
"How long since you have heard
from Mr.. Scotia" / queried In reply,
hardly knowing how to get around to
my subject.
"Why, l showed your mother the last
letter. That was three weeks ago."
"Did he say anything about coming
home?"
Goodness, no! He couldn't get a
furlough as soon Us this If l was dy-
ting! Have you heard any news? Has
there been another battle? Has Dan
fbeen killed?"
Then I told her Of my discovery. She
turned pale and shut her lips and trem-
bled n bit. Not d word did she reply
until she had got on her things to go
out. Then she said:
"Come, John. We are going to the
barn"
Not q word was spoken between us
on the way. We found the husband
still asleep, and Us she stood and sur
veyed him she flushed with anger.
Then she gave him a smart kick, and
he opened his eyes and sat up.
olive come home, Jennie" he said.
"Yes?"
II was so homesick to see you that l
just had to I'M l believe 1 should
have died If I hadn't come"
"Then you got a furlough?" she ask
ed in a hard, metallic voice, her blue
eyes looking right through him.
ga sort of a furlough-that is, q
good many of the boys were coming
home. You see, it's got so late that
there won't be any more battles this
fall, and there was no use hanging
around the camp. 1 hope you ain't mad
about it, Jennie"
"You came away without leave, did
your"
"There were others too"
ITO com away without leave makes
you a deserter. You will be hunted
down and taken back. The papers will
say you deserted. We shall be dis
graced. Not a decent person for ten
miles around will speak to us"
"Oh, come, now" protested Scott as
he reached his feet and brushed away
at the hay clinging to him. You see,
you don't understand. I was homesick,
and it was NO use for me to stay there
when there was no fighting to be done.
1t was midnight when I got along here,
and 30 l didn't go to the house. Let's
go now. I'm hungry for breakfast
Hello, John! Glad to see you. Come
over tonight, and I'll tell you some wal
stories. Why don't you kiss me, Jennie
and tell me you are glad to see meT'
Mrs. Scott was a gentle little woman
but her face grew as hard as steel.
saw her bite her lips until they were
stained with blood. The look she gave
the man was SO full of contempt and
disgust that he fairly writhed under it
She held him for a long minute an6
then reached out and took the shotgun
away from me. I had been leaning w
against a beam and saying {
word. She looked to see If the gu1
was loaded and then turned to her hus
band with:
"There is no house for deserters tt
go to. There is not q family in thu
state that would give one of them
breakfast. You cannot sit under tn,
same roof with me. You are goinl
back to the army"
"But, Jennie
"You ore going now"
"Say, nov. but you can't mean it7'
She stepped back and brought tn
gun to her shoulder, and on my life
believe she would have shot him deat
in his tracks If he had not moved. FL,
must have believed so, too, for after
few seconds lie turned away and tool
his trail to the highway. We bot
stood and watched him, and he neve
looked back. Five minutes after b