The Press., 1908-09-09

saying:
 "I never reckoned on his comin' 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 MT. 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 CT 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 undefined 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 powder 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 it even at that distance. blush came to k~'f cheek. and her eyes flashed Tom Sal ters 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 dejected attitude Until he was within quarter of a mile the girl was blushing and trem- bling and ready to raise her hand and shout a glad welcome. Then she be- came a thing of stone, except that she moved her eyes to note his progress He did not discover her until he was within 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:
 "I have come back to stay. 1 was fool to go away l was bon up we're, an I might have knowed wasn't fit ten for down there. Mebbe somebody Yes, did. l wore shoes I wore store clothes. tried to talk like 'em an act like em. but I wasn't ftten thought might be. but never could be. Won't you speak to me, Linda"
 "Go on." she replied. still without looking at him
 "Mebbe-mebbe somebody from up yere told you about-about d gal down there Yes, there was one l fell in love with her. az she-she made fun of me She laughed at me. An, Lin da, the fellers mocked me an put upon me an made game of me dun couldn't stand it no mo, an so have come back-come 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 lover's 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:
 Cant you do it now. LindaY'
 "Yes, I reckon" she replied as she gave him her hand
 And that. too. was "just like wo- mani!
 MiIlionc of hottloS of FOlav's HOnav