Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-03-05


4 4 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 i'm
perceptible, leaving their shadows in
his heart. Slowly he rose. stumbled
futtering shade, but the sunshine,
springing like a golden lover through
the open window, only dazzled him and
found no answering gladness to greet
it or joy in the royal day it heraIded.
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 profound reverie, so deep
that when ne 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,
rocked about him with a melancholy
perplexity, a 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 noon.' 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 "Everythingr' All yes.
she had changed the whole world for
Joseph Louden-at his first sight Of
Eer 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 herr 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
a mans part, and if she be happy turn
a CHEEKY face upon her joy?
And thus this pilgrim reerossed 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 it 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 a 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 fiecked 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
blue of it some laughing, invisible god
was blowing small rounded clouds of
pure cotton, as children blow thistle
down.
When he opened her parasol as they
came out into the broad sunshine be-
yond upper Main street there was the
faintest mingling of wild roses and cin-
| namon loosed on the air.
Joe" she said, I'm very happyw
That's right" be returned heartily.
Il think you always will be-
But, oh, wish" she went on, that
Mr. Arp could have lived to see you
come down the courthouse steps!"
God bless him" said Joe. Il can
hear the argument
"Those dear old men have been SO
loyal to you, joe"
NO. he returned; loyal to Eskew."
ITO you both, (" she said. pm afraid
the old circle is broken up. They
haven't met on the National House cor
ner since he died. The colonel told me