Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-20

pleXity and trouble had seen before
you were on your way home l sup
poser Richey-spoke about seeing you" l
noundered. finding it necessary to say
something. She looked at me with level,
| direct eyes.
NO" she returned quietly. II did not
intend 10 go home. I-well, 1t doesn't mat
ter I am going home now"
| woman In a calico dress, with two
children, each an exact duplicate Of the
other had come quickly down the road.
She took in the situation at a glance and
was explosively hospitable.
You poor things she said. 'If you'll
take the first road to the left over there,
and turn in at the second pig5ty, you will
find breakfast on the table and a coffee
pot on the stove. And there's plenty of
soap and water too. Don't say one word.
There isn't soul there to see YOU"
We accepted the inv itaticn and she hur-
ried on toward the excitement and the
railroad. got up carefully and helped
Miss West to her feet
AT the second pigsty to the left" re-
peated, I'VE will find the breakfast prom
Used you seven eternities ago. Forward to
the pigsty."
We said very little for the remainder OF
that walk. I had almost reached the limit
Of endurance: with every step the broken
ends OF the bone grated together. We
found the farm house without difficulty
and I remember wondering il 1 could hold
cut to the end OF the old stone walk that
led between hedges to the door
"Anah be praised" 1 said with all the
voice l could muster. Behold the coffee
Ipot." And then put down the grip and
folded up like a jack-knife on the porch
floor.
When I came around something hot was
trickling down my neck, and a despairina
voice was saying, "Oh, don't seem TO b;
able to pour It into your mouth. Please
open your eyes"
But don't want It in my eyes" re
piled dreamily. II haven't any idea wha
came over me. 1t was the shoes I think
the left one is a red-hot torture" / wai
sitting by that time and looking across
into her face.
Never before or since have I tainted bu
would do it ioyfully dozen times a day
II I could waken again to the blissfu
touch Of soft fingers on my fC &C. the no
ecstasy of coffee spilled by those finger
down my neck. There was a thrill Il
every tone Of her voice that morning. BE
fore long my loyalty to Mcknight woulc
Gtep between me and the girl he loved
life would develop new complexities. II
those early hours after the wreck, full o
pain as they were, there was nothing o
the suspicion and distrust that came later
Shorn Of our gauds and baub,es, we wer
primitive man and woman, together. on
world for the hour was the deserted farm
house, the slope OF wheat field that Lex
10 the road. the woodland lot, the pasture
L Ia al !,
homely table. Our cheerfulness at firs
sheer reaction, became less forced as W,
ate great slices Of bread from the grannl
oven back OF the house and drank no
fluid that smelled Ike coffee and tastet
like nothing that ! had ever swallowed
We found cream In stone jars, sunk dcel
I'm the chill waters of the spring house
And there were eggs great yellow ones
basket OF them.
So Ike two children awakened from
nightmare, We chattered over our food: W
hunted mutual friends we laughed 10
gether AZ my feeble witticisms but we pu
the horror behind us resolutely. After an
II was the hat with the green ribbons tina
brought back the strangeness Of the situa
tion.
An along / had had the impression tha
Alison West was deliberately putting on
OF her mind something that ODtruded nov
and then. II brought with q a return %
the puzzled expression that had surprises
early In the day, before the wreck.
caught II once when-breakfast over
she was Tightening the sling that held m
broken arm l had prolonged the morning
meal as much as / could. but when tn
wooden clock with the pink roses on N
aiAi pointed az lo:a0 and the mother wit