Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-05-25
NUMBER q.

Polly was too disgusted to answer
at once. "Slim Hoover-shucks! Slim
doesn't care for girls. He's afraid Of
'em," she said at length. II like Bud
with all his orneriness," she declared.
"Why doesn't he come to see you
more often"
~ don't know. Maybe it's because
he's never forgiven you for marryin'
Jack"
"Why should he mind thatY she
asked. startled.
"Well, you know" she answered be-
tween stitches, drawing the needle
through the cloth with angry little
Jerks, Bud he never quite believed
| Dick was dead"
Echo rose hastily. The vague, haunt.
| ing half thoughts Of weeks were crys-
tallized on the instant. She felt as II
Dick was trying to speak to her from
| out Of the great beyond. With shud.
der she sank into q chair at the table
opposite Polly.
Don't" she said, her voice scarcely
| above a whisper. II can't bear to hear
him spoken Of. I dreamed Of him the
other night-a dreadful dream"
Polly was delighted with this new
mystery. II was all so romantic!
"Dld you: Let's hear it."
With unseeing eyes Echo gazed
straight ahead, rebuilding from her
dream fabric tragedy Of the desert
In which the two men who bad played
so great part In her life were the
actors.
ut seems" she told, that was in
the desert, such vast, terrible desert,
where the little dust devils eddied and
swirled and the merciess sun beat
down until it shrive eled up every grow
ing thing"
Polly nodded her head sagely.
That's the way the desert looks, and
no water"
Echo paid 10 heed to the Interrupt
tion. Her face became wan and hag-
gard as in her minds eye she saw the
weary waste Of waterless land quiver
and swim under the merciless sun.
Not tree. not a blade Of grass, not
sign of life. broke the monotony Of
crumbling cliffs and pinnacled rocks.
Onward ard ever onward stretched
yellow ridges and alkali whitened "a.
vines. binding the eye and parching
the throat
Then | saw man staggering to.
ward me-" she continued. His face
was white and drawn, his lips cracked
and parched. Now and then he would
stumble and fall and lie there on his
face In the hot sand, digging into 1t
with his bony fingers, seeking for wa.
ter"
Echo shut her eyes as If to blot out
the picture. It's reality almost over
powered her
Suddenly he raised his eyes to
mine" she resumed after a pause. 1t
was Dick"
In her excitement she had arisen,
stretching out her arms as IL to ward
off an apparition.
He tried To call me. l saw his lips
move, framing my name. Dragging
himself to his feet. he came toward
me with his arms outstretched. Then
another form appeared between us,
fighting to keep him back. They fought
there under the burning sun in the hot
dust of the desert until ut last one was
crushed to earth The victor raised
his face to mine, and-it was Jack"
Echo buried her face in her hands.
Dry sobs shook her bosom. Awe
stricken, Polly gazed at the over
wrought wife.
"Phew!' she laughed to shake of
her fright. That WAS 4 sure enough
nightmare. If I'd Il dream like that
I'd wake up the whole house yappin'
like a coyote"
AS the commonplace ever intrudeS
upon the unusual, so Il knock on the
door relieved the tension Of the sit
uation. 1t was Slim. He did not walt
for an invitation 10 enter, but, opening
the door, asked, Can | come int'
Sure, come inr' cried Polly, glad to
find any excuse 10 shake off the de-
preston of Echo's dream.