The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-04-06

The man let the uiler 80 onu
sronned both hands on bis knees. The
boat slid back and in toward the KEEP
he'd again. slowly, obstinately. For
ward his wife was wrapping her damp
Jacket around the little girl VINO
showed signs of slumber. The ooy
was moving .restlessly about, eager
to help his father, and In the moon
light his thin little body looked einsn |
and unreal.
"It's no use," the man said, tine
tides going out too strongly ana
there's not a breath of wind in this
confounded place!"
He caught his wife's glance, but
she looked away quickly with tight
ened lips. The boat was driIuns
along the kelp edge now, and tney
heard the soft scrunch of stalks I'M
der the keel. A faint stir OF air came
from the brown-bluffed shore and
roughened ever SO slightly the sun
ripples under the moonlight.
"WeIl have to tie up to the kelp,
the man said, land wait for the ude
to turn. 1t must be about IL now ana
lit will turn at five." The tone SAID
make the best of it." but the woman
flung up her head rebelliously.
They sat in the cold moonlight with
no sound but the mysterious, ntlul
, murmur of the water and the slap OF
! the kelp. The boy began to SILVER
and yawn and his father wrapped MN
, in his coat, offering his shoulder as
pillow. The dampness came strange
ly. silently, powerfully, like the moon
: light, and cut into their very bones.
, The woman sat upright, refusing
. sleep and bending over the baby curls
n in her lap. She was full of feelings as
i. hard, as cutting cold as the moonlight
t itself
h She glanced at her husband pulling
at his empty pipe and staring aneao'
It had been so like him-moved on
a impulse to take moonlight sail-not
n ignorant of the wind or TIDE, Du'
. trusting gaily that the ebb would not
!. begin nor the ocean breeze die down
until they we're back in the cnanne
> again! And If the children should
II take cold! The boy had been Ill; they
8 had come to the shore for his sake!
t, She bit her lips in misery. Snt
1t should not have consented Sns
re should have firmly forbidden the sal
at the first. But it was too hard t
put out the eager pleasure OF thos'
~ Lchildren's eyes-to play the part o
"a Reproof, Reason, Unpleasant Author
"A ity! Already, she felt, the chiidrel
came to her fearfully for permission
They loved her, yes, but she WASH
IL the person to enjoy life with! IN
Is burning realization came to her tina
Cd they felt she was necessary for thei
be living, but not for their loving. Tha
OF one was the father. the happy-gt
or lucky Boy-father, who could devils
picnics In a moment and whsse pocl
cts yielded harvest of sweets an
ng TOYS every evening after dinner
RI They loved him for the same hume
at and charm that had blinded her {
en- the real man Tor lack OF real man
ne on their first meeting.
ho She remembered that day perfec
lly; the originality of it all that ha
fascinated her into thinking that
~ was the beginning of the create!
epoch in her life.
She remembered her delight at tn
: wedding journey-how they hs
= slipped away to the station and seate
ru themselves in a remote corner, saI
IN tickets, sans plans and sans respo
nd sibility. AS q special favor, she r
nd called. he had allowed her to pick o.
,se their Responsibility. tanned fello
ga. n tweeds with leather tackle-bt
ad. and rod case.
There" she had whispered, 4
Just behind him, Teddy, and get tv
ng. tickets to the place where he
hat going"
,at. The weeks In that lovely tro
,,,t country had been perfect. All. w
could not life go on calling for moi
ing but humor and appreciation?
' But the next chapter-Disillusio
'u.. had come speedily. When the b
All was born she had been in the Sc
disgusted chapter, and now she
reached Rebellion.
In these seven years she had
'o' to admit that she had married I
'.er humor of the man and that hun
IKE was not one of the bigger thin
ties Indeed she decided that she had Il
as her sense Of humor
the Now she said to herself with 81
Z II humor. that il they had been poo
their marriage would have been
of those which are synonym
Itch taking in washing. She was w
. is out with those years as provid
ond fathSr mother, teacher-everyth
me. but playfellow-she blamed him
nv letting the double responsibility cr'
out her fun, her humor; she blan
" him for taking all of the childre
nc" love; she blamed him for everyth
that her active brain could call up
those seven hard years. She shut
teeth tightly and clenched her c
fingers In ScOrn.