Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-12-14

lane, the woman nedfQ the pei Slot
ent coo-coo of some one calling to
the bossies from beyond Without
the April rain dripped ceaselessIy
from the window frame and branch
| of one of the orchard trees creaked
mournfully as the wind moved 1t
with gentle monotony back and forth
beneath the caves. 1t was a dull day
and heavy one, with no suggestion
of brightness.
The growing darkness seemed TO
disturb the woman at her desk, for
after insistent urging onward OF
tagging pencil, and closer stopping
over enshadowed pages, she suddenly
rose from her work and walked I'M
patietly toward the window. she
flung back the lattice, ostenslbly
seeking more light, but with the
simple change of cramped position
she Immediately realized that she
was unusually tired, fatigued in body
and brain. Mindless of the soft
drizzle, she knelt upon the floor, her
head upon her hands, gazing out
ward toward the distant haze OF
woodland beyond the rain-soaked
fields
She was tired-she fully realized
that She also knew that she was
unexpectedly foolish to kneel there
upon the floor while the cold pene-
trated to the very marrow of her
bones. Spring rain was lovely
enough and undoubtedly poetical,
when viewed from the other side OF
- la 4;,,oo dorroo,. window
The woman knew that she was
imprudent, yet she laughed at the
outer chill, for, with the relaxation
from mental labor, the cold empti-
ness within her heart overwhelmed
her with a fearsome blight, compared
with which the outer dreariness was
as naught
It was all very well to write-to
go off when town pleasures began
to interfere with concentration on
art to bury herself at this old farm,
away from the annoyances of fatter-
ing acquaintance, in order to gain
full control of latent faculties-all
very we'll theoretically, but, for all
practical purposes, it was dreary and
unutterably lonely at times.
In spite of repeated commands, old
friends would persist IN writing and
renewing old scenes, stirring up
memories that would otherwise have
died, long since. It was lonely
when she compared her fame, her
several novels and the tiny book Of
verse the drama yet to be, and the
stories of her dreams, with the love,
,, the warmth and comfort which she
, had sacrificed for them.
Was it worth the price?
Then. in spite of an afternoon
spent in fierce determination to for
get, the words of a disturbing little
, note, received a few days before,
fiared, as in letters of fire, across
her wearied brain.
Dear, I have found where you have
hidden away. l would not hurt you
, by my presence, but write if you
. want me. I will come, it said.
The woman knew that this mans
words rang true that as he spoke,
, so would he act She valued real
worth and she realized that in spite
!, of the flowery Establishments of her
, many followers, this man with his
! frank simplicity, his marvellous ten
derness was spiritually as we'll as
/ physically head and shoulders above
them all. She cherished and won
dered at his friendship but his love
she had always feared. 1t was sc
strong. She trembled, lest in aban.
doning herself to her ever growing
desire, she, lose her art-and losing
her art, her self, the keynote to her
own development. She dropped her
head upon her arms, abandoning her
self to the old questioning, the ole
despair. And without the rain poured
down, renewing it's strength, no long
er the mist intangible, but the beat
ing of all elements.
For long she knelt, then raised he1
head as over the green fields re
sounded again the coo-cOo of TIE
| homing call
| Joseph, the farmers son, had {
! wondrous voice, full toned, power
| fully sweet. She remembered how
! at the Sunday worship a few days
| before. his fawless rendering of The
J simple hymns had filed her hear
with peace, and how at her question
ing. the proud mother had confdet
Q that Josephs voice had charmed Vol
Il Stahl, the great musician from thu
/ city. He had tested Joseph during
8 his summers visit and promised
great things if he would but go will
n him back to the city.
# "But he will never co. the mothe
q had said, and shrugged her shoulder
e as with annoyance as she potteret
e on about her work.
e What reason could he have for re
r fusing the great Won Stahl's so gen
e. erous offer? Was it entirely stupid
g ity, or was there some deeper caus
IS for his indifference TO this oppol
d tunity for betterment?
e Below in the orchard now the bo
II was letting down the bars. Tn
o woman watched, through break il
e the trees, as the cattle wandered cor
s tentedly onward, steaming, dripping
b chewing eternally as they strolled
p She smiled at the awkwardness Q
the tiny, dripping calf things, an