Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-07-30

He had become almost a gentleman.
No matter how right smart he had
been before leaving home, he had
surely become right smarter after his
life among townsfolk. He would new
er return. He would marry and settle
down where he was.
All this and much more Linda Ii
teneito with her elbows on her knees
and S.r head In her hands. She sat
thus after the caller had departed. and
her mother dared not break the silence.
1t was Linda herself who broke 1t at
last by lifting her head and quietly
saying:
IL never reckoned on his comm
back. We hain't goin' to speak Of him
no mo-"
The mother crossed the room and
patted the daughter on the shoulder.
and the incident was closed. Mr.. Breen
was not even informed Of the gossip.
Linda had not sung for months. She
began singing now. She had not ram
bled from the cabin for weeks. She
now began taking long walks. Laugh
ter came to her lips once more, and
when she stopped at the little post
Office and was told that there was no
letter her smile was not replaced by
look Of disappointment.
"Linda's forgot about Tom and is git
tin porter than ever" remarked the
father to the mother one evening as
they sat alone.
The mother did not answer She
looked at him In contempt AS moth
er she knew that Linda was simply
breaking her heart. The true woman
suffers most when she laughs most.
She was watching Linda. There was
an underlined fear that the girls reck-
less spirit might lead to tragedy.
Weeks passed, however, and nothing
happened-nothing except that Linda
grew pale checked and thin. and a note
of defiance rang in her laughter. She
was suffering and yet defying the pain.
Then came a crisis. She was mile
down the mountain road one day, seat
ed on a bowlder where she had often
sat before watching the highway wind
ing down into the lowlands and the
busy world she knew not Of when
human figure came into view half a
mile below. She recognized 1t even at
that distance. A blush came to her
cheek, and her eyes flashed. Tom Sal
tiers was coming back at last
She saw that he was dressed as she
had last seen him and that he walked
with weary step and detected attitude.
Until he was within a quarter of
mile the girl was blushing and trem-
bling and ready TO raise her hand and
shout a glad welcome. Then she be-
came thing of stone, except that she
moved her eyes to note his progress.
He did not discover her until he was
within a hundred feet. Then he drop
ped the satchel he was carrying and
sprang forward, her name on his lips.
The girl slightly inclined her head.
but there was ice in her look.
"And you won't shake hands! You
won't howdy! You won't say
She motioned to him to sit at her
feet, and in weary, hopeless way he
obeyed. He waited long minute and
then in a husky voice began:
81 have come back to stay. / was
fool to 60 away. / was bon up yere,
an might have knowed / wasn't fit
ten for down there. Mebbe somebody
told you that i tried to be one of 'em.
Yes, did. wore shoes. wore store
clothes. tried to talk like 'em an
act like 'em, but wasn't fifteen. |
thought might be, but never could
be. Won't you speak to me, LindaY
go on" she replied. still without
looking at him.
"Mebbe-mebbe somebody from up
we're told you about-about gal down
there. Yes there was one. | fell In
love with her, an she-she made fun
of me. She laughed at me- An, Lin
da, the fellers Knocked me an put upon
me an made game of me. dun
couldn't stand it no mo-, an so | have
come backbone back to you-all.
Won't you speak to me?"
For two minutes the girl sat and
looked down the road as she had look
ed before. Then she rose, passed Tom
and went up the road-went slowly up
the road toward home and never look
ed back.
Unlearned, unlettered and ignorant
of the ways Of the world, she had the
heart of the highest woman in the
land, and she demanded expiation for
a lovers disloyalty. Her mother read
in her face what had happened and
simply put an arm around her and
whispered:
'There. there, child-by and by"
One evening three months later Lin
da sat In the moonlight on the same
old log at the door. Again her elbows
were on her knees and her face in her
hands By and by some one knelt be-
fore her and lifted her head and look
ed into her eyes and said:
"Can't you do it now. Linda"
Eyes, reckon" she replied as she
gave him her hand.
And that. too. was lust like wo-
man.