Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-07-24

room. lnuOOIS or out, ne TOuuu no
rest. He threw himself In the arm
chair near the table and sat buried III
thought.
Mandy came softly into the room.
She was followed by Hasty. who car.
ried Il tray laden with things that
ought to have tempted any man. she
motioned for Hasty to put the tray
on the table and then began arranging
the dishes. Hasty stole to the window
and peeped out at the tempting fare
of red fire.
When Douglas discovered the pres
ence of his two "faithfuls" he was
touched with momentary contrition.
Have you had a hard day with the
new gravel walk?" he asked Hasty.
remembering, that he had been laying
fresh path to the Sunday school
room.
"Jes' yo' come eat yo' supper" Man
dy called to Douglas. "Don' yo' worry
your head bout dat lazy husban' Oh
mine. He amt gon' ter work 'nun
to hurt hisself." For an instant she
had been tempted to let the pastor
know how Hasty had gone to the cir
Gus and seen nothing OF Polly. but her
motherly instinct won the day. and
she urged him to eat before disturbing
him with her own anXieties. II was
no use. He only toyed with his food;
he was clearly Ill at ease and eager TO
be alone. She gave up trying to tempt
his appetite and began to lead up In
a roundabout way to the things which
she wished to ask.
Oars cutie some racket out dar In
de lot tonight" she said. Douglas did
not answer. After moment she went
ON, "Hasty didn't work on no walk
today" Douglas looked at her quiz
zically, while Hasty, convinced that
for reasons Of her own she was going
to get him into trouble, was making
frantic motions. "He done gone ter de
circus" she blurted out. Douglas face
became suddenly grave. Mandy saw
that she had touched an open wound
IT jes' couldn't stan 1t, Massa John.
had ter find out bout dat angel chile"
There was pause. She felt that he
was waiting for her to go on.
"She didn't done ride today"
He looked up with the eyes Of n
dumb, prosecuted animal. And de
why-jes speaked bout de udder gal
takln' her mace" 49,.
"Why didn't she rider" cried Doug
las, in an agony of suspense.
Oats what I don know, sah."
Mandy began to cry. 1t was the first
time in his experience that Douglas
had ever known her to give way to
any such weakness.
Hasty came down from the window
and tried to put one arm about Man
dy's shoulders.
''Leab me alone, yo' niger" she en-
claimed, trying to cover her tears with
a show of anger that she did not feel;
then she rushed from the room. fol-
lowed by Hasty.
The band was playing loudly. The
din of the night performance was
increasing. Douglas nerves were
strained to the point of breaking. He
would not let himself go near the win
dow. He stood by the side of the TIA
bic, his fists cllnched, and tried to
beat back the impulse that was pulling
him toward the door. Again and again
he set his teeth.
1t was uncertainty that gnawed ut
him so. Was she III? Could she need
him? Was she sorry for having left
him? Would she be glad If he went
for her and brought her back with
him? He recalled the hysterical note
in her behavior the day that she went
away-how she had pleaded, only a
few moments before Jim came, never
to be separated from him. Had she
really cared for Jim and for the old
life? Why had she never written?
Was she ashamed? Was she sorry for
what she had done? What could it
mean? He threw his hands above his
head with a gesture Of despair. A mo.
meht later he passed out into the night