The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-01-14

AuOU.
Leaning back against the warm rock,
Tapped in the serene peacefulness Of
the spot, Jessica fell into reverie.
Never since her wedding day had
she said to herself boldly Il love him"
never till yesterday. Now all was
changed. Her thought was tremu~
lous assurance: II shall stay here near
him day after day, watching. Some
day his memory will come back, and
then my love will comfort him. The
town will forget it has hated and will
come to honor him. Some time, seeing
how he is changed, his father will for
give him and take him back, and we
shall all three go home to the white
house in the aspens. If not, then my
place will still be with Hugh. Perhaps
we shall live here. Perhaps cabin
like that will be home, and shall live
with him and work with him and care
for him.
Thus she dreamed-a new day dream,
unravaged by the sordid tests of YER
ity.
So absorbed was she that she did not
hear step approaching over the
springy moss, a sharply broken breath
as the intruder stif1ed an exclamation.
She had drawn her handkerchief
across her eyes against the dancing
glimmer of sunlight. Suddenly it drop
ped to her lap, and she half turned.
In an instant of surprise, as Harry s
look flashed into hers, name sprang
unbidden to her lips-a name that
struck his strained face to sudden
whiteness, ringing in his ears like the
note of a sunken bell. All that was
clamoring in him for speech rushed
into words -
you call my namev' he cried "You
know me! Have I ever been Hugh to
you? Your face, that white band
across your eyes, your voice, they came
to me like something far away that I
have known. I was mistaken. was
crazy to think that you
He stopped. A wave of sympathy
passed over her. She felt mad wish
to throw all aside, to cry to him: ''Yon
did know me! You loved me once!
am Jessica-I am your wife!' So in
tense was her emotion that it seemed
to her as if she had spoken his name
again audibly, but her lips had not
moved, and the tap of woodpecker
on nearby trunk sounded with harsh
d1stinctness.
II have wanted to speak to you," she
said after an instant in which she
struggled for self control "You did
brave thing yesterday "a splendid
thing. It saved me from sorrow all
my lifev'
He put aside her thanks with a ges-
ture. "You saved me also. You found
me i'll and suffering, and your horse
carried me to my cabin"
II want to tell you," she went on
hastily. her fingers lacing, "that 1 do
not judge you as others do. I know
about your past life-what you have
forgotten. I know you have put it all
behind YOU
His face changed swiftly. Today
the determination with which he had
striven to put from his mind the prob.
lem Of his clouded past had broken
down. In the light of the charge
which had been flung in his teeth the
afternoon before, his imagination had
dwelt intolerably on it.
"YOu know!' he said hoarsely. yet
you say that! They stoned me in the
street the day I came back. Yester-
day they counted me thief. It is like
a hideous nightmare that can't wake
from. Who am I? Where did come
from? l dare not ask for fear of fur
Their shame! Can you imagine what
that means?"
She came close to him and touched
his arm.
II know all that you suffer-" she
said. "You are doing the strong thing,
the brave thing! The man in you is