The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1908-11-13
ii
4 THE FOOTSTEPS OF FEAR II$I
lEII By FANNY KERDLE JOHNSON III
'copyrIenL W shortstory rub. CO..
By FANNY KEMDLE JOHNSON

was as II bone grazed bone. Aftor Ave
minutes he began 10 feel that the steps
would enter the church If he sat there
longer-so near they wcre-so loud.
He hurried out In the middle of the
prayer II was a winter morning, but
In that southern city IL was like early
spring. The grass I'm the square was
green. and n border of white violets
had fastened to bloom. II was Fri.
day, and he gathered n few OF them
for her Saturday letter. He stood for
a moment holding them, conscious
only of the sunshine. IL deadened him
to himself again. IL filled the city as
wine alls cup. with n life.giving,
sense-steallng potency. But even in
the sunshine the cough nagged him.
Listen Il whispered
You need a rest" said Horrick's
mind TO his body. "or you won't last
even your time. I've been going too
fast for you curse you! but I've had
such a good time"
He looked at his arm with disgust.
Il couldn't row a mile with you" he
said. Il would be ashamed to go in
side any gym with you. You would
have let that tough knock me down
last night Il | hadn't had pistol along
to help you. Oh, | suppose you do
need n rest only you cant have It.
you know. shan't go back home and
wait-by myself. And I'm not brute
enough to take her back, now-even
II her mother would kindly die and
give me the chance"
! He went ON through the sunshine
| with his violets. and climbed to his
room. wrote his daily letter. shutting
! the flowers mp in the thin sheets for
her to dream over
A few weeks later Herricl5 did
something he had not expected to do
! He returned home. He wrote the girl
that 1t was to get we'll In his heart
he knew that It was TO die. lie had
resisted coming back; but he did not
know what else to do. He was dying
so fast that he had not strength
enough for a pretense OF work among
the living. He was Just in the way.
and people. when they did not swear
at him, looked sorry for him. 1t was
simplest to get out of the way and
away from the people.
The garden was greener than ever.
and he had vlolets OF his own to put
In her letters. He wrote them every
day. They were mostly lies. He de
sired to keep her away. He did not
wish her to have his dying face to re-
member. He very well knew what II
would look like. He heard the foot
steps all the time. They advanced
steadily. He could almost name the
date of that gray spring morning when
they would enter his room, and that
CHASTITY occupation of his living. strug-
CLING body would ensue. Warm days
he dragged himself to the garden seat.
and looked lovingly back at his beau
tiful home. with the sunshine entering
at the wide doors.
The old house, the old pictures, the
room of books the green garden. and
the violets underneath the oaks-all
these things Herrick devised with a
lovers pleasure to the girl he loved He
seemed gathering a handful OF flowers
TO send her. and. indeed, when the
trifling legality was concluded, II was
as II he had done as slight thing.
He smiled as he thought OF the
stories he had meant to write. They
seemed to be so little worth while. He
, read Marcus Aurelius, as the author
best fitted to dwarf the footsteps. In
, many moods he ignored them. or
mocked at them. but he always knew
> that at the end Fear would possess
} him. He did not mind waiting az
/. much as he had supposed that he
| would. He did not know IL It were
3 philosophy, or II death benumbed. He
4 had done with letters to the girl, be
3 cause his brain served him no longer
5 to invent lies, and he found 1t relief
g lie tried not to think about her; but In
I May even dying man may not forget
!. his love.
S Perhaps Herrick's sick yearnins
: called her back in telepathic ways;
but more likely some meddler haC
s written her the truth. At all events
o she came home to him one day. Bu
s. her fresh youth and beauty could mo-
l. give him back life. and she had better
l. have stayed away. She only made 4
s harder for him to die week later. Al
3 II chanced, he died in the night anC
l. alone. They would not let her SEE
s his dead face. She sobbed that sh'
e could never forgive them for that. Blu
4 those who found him dead probabl!
n knew what they were about.
II Source OF the Crop.