The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-04-03

AVA SAA~ SASS SAS
placed Familiarity upon her arm or had
hurried on to escape the running fire
Of talk from q man who had dropped
into step beside her and had persisted
until a policeman came in sight.
Tonight Ida was frankly homesick.
There was something in the breath CT
spring, tainted though it was by the
reek of. pavements and the noisome
smoke of the city.
Back in the old days, when home
was a home and not a hole in the wall,
when she trod green earth and not the
hard stones Of the pavement, this was
the hour she liked the best, when the
day was done and the evening shad-
ows changed into the purple night.
1t was not often that Ida let herself
get homesick, for those who would
work by day must not cry all the night,
but with this subtle suggestion Of
home in the air and in the sky the
tears welled into her eyes.
The dreaded crossing, with its roar
Of traffic and its rush Of humanity,
was passed successfully, and Ida did
not notice that a man turned out OF
the counter current and hurried after
her as rapidly as he was able.
Not until q hand closed upon hel
arm did she realize that she had been
followed. She wrenched herself loose
and hurried ahead, but a second time
the hand fell upon her arm, and she
turned with a little cry.
"Please let me 60" she said, While
the tears blinded her eyes.
"Not MUCH" was the triumphant an
swer. "I've spent too much time look.
ing for you to let you go now that 1
have found you"
With a quick movement of her hand
Ida dashed the tears from her eyes
and looked up into the laughing face.
It was not a handsome face. The sun
had burned the skin to a deep brown,
and the brow was wrinkled by lines of
care, while the high cheek bones and
the hollows of the cheeks gave to the
face a ruggedness redeemed only by
the kindly smile of the sensitive mouth
and the twinkle in the clear gray eyes,
but to Ida it was the face in all the
world she most desired to see.
els it really you, jack" she asked
wonderingly, cor is it some dream?"
81 guess it's me, unless I've been
changed in the last half hour" de-
clared Deering as he smiled down into
the upturned face and his eyes filled
with pity as he noted the signs Of care
that marked it. give been looking all
over for you. You " wrote back
home, and l just couldn't stand it any
longer. 1 left Jethro to do the blowing
and planting, and I came down to look
for YOU. 1t was q hard job. but ]
found you"
"And now that you've seen me I sup
pose that you'll be content and go back
to the planting" suggested Ida.
eff you'll come with me-" agreed
Deering. eff you won't, I'll settle down
here, for l love you too much, dear, to
let you run away from me again"
"You love me?' she asked wonder
ingly.
"Of course" was the prompt re-
spouse. ''There isn't a man, woman or
child in Carsonville that doesn't know
that"
"You never told me-" she reminded.
"You wanted to marry me because l
needed some one to take care of me-"
ibid I have to tell you that?" he
asked in establishment. II supposed
you knew"
"a woman likes to be told" explain
ed Ida. "The next time you ask a
woman to marry you begin by telling
her that you love her, not by explain
ing that you want to keep her out Of
the poorhouse."
81 love you," said Deering promptly.
snow will you marry me? We can be
married tonight and start for home by
the midnight train. That will get us in
tomorrow just as the day is done"
"As the day is done?" sighed Ida
happily.
For her the nightmare day Of priva-
ton was done, and a purple twilight Of
peace was at hand. The spring breeze
was still tainted with the reek Of foul
pavements, but for her it was blowing
across the apple blossoms Of the or
chards at home.