The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-08-06
und She say She not comm, back.-

und she say she not comm back"
She will not back 10 me :"
asked Wolf John. his lips dry and the words COM
ing from them as II brittle.
cilcssly
Wolf John spun on his heel and went into the wood
A long umc, hours. hours, he walked there ainlcssy
absently noting nothing, but having with him misery
terrible feeling OF hcplessness 1t was as If someone
had cnt of his hands Then grew dusk Shadows
darkcncd the trees into vague forms Wolf John re-
gardcd tins child might lie was afraid IEc must
go home. Home-Wolf Johns heart achcd lie had
lost the perfect sense OF sulcency For the FIRST
time he realized that lie had brought himself TO rccog-
nze, to acknowledge locality Homc-it was a stake
about which he had circcd an animal tied with
womanS kiss.
As he ncared the house he looked to ind it changed
III some essential Particular. But the house the
same hne wisp OF smoke from its little chimney
drifting, the vines cambcrIng about 1t. the garden
abloom Nisbly 1t WAS the same. But there sat within
1t monster terribly existing thing. almost pres
cncc great because OF its endless totally The ycry
clock dragged its ticks in fear OF this something which
uSurped everything, this demon oi utter ouncss
Never before had Wolf John shuddercd at the silence
He dreaded the coming of night He alone. ac-
cursed
The nest few days passed over him mscraby lie
cooked his food. and then as a pastime than
for any other lie did not grow ravcuouSly
hungry he ate without noting the differences OF taste
1t was food Day after day he watched and waited for
her y hundred times he started down the old path
way toward the settlement hundred times he caught
himself repeating old Dawes words; that many times he
rcturned-home The TACT that he alone weighed
upon Wolf John mighty burden. He careless
of everything save nervous w5tchulness nc having
an abnormally imaginative sight and hearing lie
not unlike hunted animal. His features became drawn
and lean the nervous tension increased His eyes
Then nc took up his gun and spent a whole day IN
the iorest, trlmping trudgIng ns head bowed down.
his limbs moving trclessE. He came homo. though.
unconscously threading familiar paths There was
perfect silence III the clearing The sun was sinking
behind the trees, just bit OF ruddy gold touching
- the housctop. A bird flew up from the roof and
ing the stiffness. Wolf John found that animal
had been blowing up the garden 1t was quite ruined.
He looked at IT. He made 10 effort 10 repair the
damage In the meht heavy ram finished the work
OF destruction This found weak place i'll.
the roof and dripped i'll to dampcn the wall The high
wind wrecked the chimney and blew a lot of sand and
rubbish into the house through 4 broken window.
Wolf John noticed these happenings and the results
of them. He did nothing. He rather an uncouih
object himself His beard had grown. his clothes
were soilcd his boots had been cleanSed OF mud.
Ic no longer cared The house Ill pitiable state
from neglect The garden was dead
Suddenly, as II seized by the inspiration OF single
deadly idea Wolf John, with deerminedy set features.
began series OF preparations. lie packed all the
things OF value into two great chests and locked them.
When night he got out his old lcggings and
lumbcrmans Jacket rolled his pack shouldered his gun
and started Tor the settlement
There was a light in Dave LarScns house; there
sounds OF merriment singing. the song OF vIo-
lin, a womans voice. Wolf John listened. Yes they
happy. He had never quite understood this liic
OF the clearings He tied the keys to chunk of wood
and threw them into the house, wndowpanc crash
ing as the block struck 1t.
Then Wolf John turned away INTO the forest Oddly.
famlarly he settled the pack his back, and evenly,
as if he had never missed a stride he buckled down
to the long, gliding lope OF the forest bred The night
was dark but his eyes able to pierce Its density.
The thickcts welcomed him with many oden CRY,
the branches swshed above as if they would caress
him Wolf John left behind him the clearing. He had
peered at problem he had tried to believe and to
understand he had not been able to make it out. He
10 longer questioned argued. He slipped stolidly