Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-03-08
CHAPTER XXyI.
M YE woke to the chiming of bells, and as his eyes slowly opened the sorrowful people of a A drnam n-ha scanned fn hn

E WOKc TO lne cnmlnS or DellS,
 and as his eyes slowly opened
 the sorrowful people of q
 = A dream, who seemed to be bending over him, weeping, swan back into the darkness of the night whence they had come and returned to the im- perceptible, leaving their shadows in his heart. Slowly he rose, stumbled Into the outer room and released the 6uttering shade, but the sunshine, springing like golden lover through the open window. only dazzled him and , found no answering gladness to greet 1t or joy in the royal day it heralded..
 It would be an hour at least before time to start to church, when Ariel ex- pected him. He stared absently up the . street, then down and, after that, be- gan slowly to walk in the latter direc- ton with no very active consciousness or care of where he went. He had fallen into a profound reyerie, so deep that when he had crossed the bridge and turned into dusty road which ran along the river bank he stopped mechanically beside the trunk of fall en sycamore and, lifting his head for the first time since he had set out, looked about him with melancholy perplexity. little surprised to find himself there.
 For this was the spot where he had first seen the new Ariel, and on that fallen sycamore they had sat together. "Remember, across Main street bridge at noonv' And Joe's cheeks burned as he recalled why he had not under stood the clear voice that had haunted him. But that shame had fallen from him; she had changed all that, as she had changed so many things. He sank down in the long grass, with his back against the log, and stared out over the fields of tall corn shaking in steady wind all the way to the horizon.
 Changed so many things?" he said, half aloud. Everything" Ah. yes. she had changed the whole world for Joseph Louden-at his first sight of her! And now it seemed to him that he was to lose her, but not in the way he had thought.
 Almost from the very first he had the feeling that nothing so beautiful as that she should stay in Canaan could happen to him. He was sure that she was but for the little while. that her coming was like the flying petals of which he had told her.
 Changed so many things?'
 The bars that had been between him and half of his world were down. shat tered, never more to be replaced. and the ban of Canaan was lifted. Could this have been save for her? And upon that thought he got to his feet, utter ing an exclamation of bitter self re- proach. asking himself angrily what he was doing. He knew how much she gave him. what full measure of her af- lection. Was not that enough? Out upon you, Louden. Are you to sulk in your tent. dour in the gloom, or to play . mans part, and if she be happy turn . cheery face upon her joy?
 And thus this pilgrim recrossed the bridge. emerging to the street with his head up. smiling, and his shoulders thrown back, so that none might see the burden he carried.
 Ariel was waiting on the porch for him. She wore the same dress she had worn that Sunday of their tryst-that exquisite dress. with the faint lavender overtint, like the tender colors of the beautiful day he made his own. She had not worn 1t since. and he was far distant when he caught the first flick ering glimpse of her through the lower branches of the naples, but he remem- bered. And again. as on that day, he heard faraway. ineffable music. the elfiand horns. sounding the mysterious reveille which had wakened his soul to her coming.
 She came to the gate to meet him and gave him her hand in greeting without a word or the need of one-from either. Then together they set forth over the sun flecked pavement. the naples swishing above them. heavier branches grooming in the strong breeze. under a sky like Della Robbia back ground. And up against the glorious