Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1913-04-25
CHAPTER WlI.-(continued.)

| CHAPTER vIII.-(continued.)
He suddenly looked away from her
and, turning to the chimney-piece,
lrested one hand upon 1t and gazed
down at the logs. A charred end
protected and he pushed 1t with his
slippered foot, his down-bent face,
the lips set and brows wrinkled, look
ling like the face of sullen boy who
has been unjustly punished. An Icy,
Invading chill Of depression made
fRose's heart sink down into bottom
less depths. She faltered in faint
tones:
well, you'll be there soon now"
81 don't know" he answered with
out moving. II don't know whether |
shall"
"You don't know whether you'll be
home soon? The roads are open; the
postman has come in"
81 don't know whether I'll go home
he repeated.
The swapping of the fire sounded
loud upon the silence that followed.
The thrill of strong emotions rising
toward expression held them in a
breathless, immovable quietude.
Don't you want to so homer" said
the young girl. Her voice was low
and she cleared her throat. In this
interchange of commonplace sentences
her heart had begun to beat so vio-
lently that 1t interfered with the ease
of her speech.
Inf fnlr rI ND
dropped the crumpled letter into the
fire.
mo. don't want to. hate to-"
To this she did not reply at all, and
after moment he continued: MY
home is unbearable to me 1t isn't
home. It's place where / eat and
sleep. and I'd prefer doing that any
where else, in any dirty boarding
house or fourth-rate hotel--I'd rath-
er-" -4.
He stopped abruptly and pushed the
log farther in. The letter was caught
up the chimney in swirl of black
ened scraps.
"But your wife?" said Rose.
This time her voice was hoarse but
she did not know it, She had lost the
consciousness Of herself. 1t was a
profound moment, the deepest she had
so far known, and all the forces Of her
being were concentrated upon it. The
young man answered with delibera
ton, still not moving.
81 don't want to see my wife. We
are-we are-uncongenial. There is
nothing but unhappiness between US.
Don't you love herr" said the girl
,s mo. / never did," he answered.
For a moment neither dared speak
stir. They hardly seemed to breathe
A movement, touch, would have rem
the last thin crust Of reserve tha
covered what were no longer unsus
pected fires Dominick knew it, bu
the girl did not. She was seized b!
what to her was a sudden, inexpli
cable fear, and the increased. suffo
eating beating of her heart made he
feel dizzy. She suddenly wished Il
fly, TO escape from the room. and him
and herself. She turned to go ant
was arrested by Cora's voice in tn
hall:
Say. you folks, are you in there?
Cora's visage followed her voice
She thrust 1t round the door-pos
beamingly smiling under recently
applied coat Of powder.
"Do you want to tackle game c
euchre? Mr.. Willoughby and I'll la
you ont cold unless that British men
ory OF his has gone back on him an
he's forgot all taught him last time
They were too bewildered to max
any response Rose gathered up he
coat and dropped 1t again, looking ST
pidly from 1t to the intruder. Coz
turned back to the passage, calling
Here they are, Mr.. Willoughby, 8
ready and waiting for us. Now we
show them how to play euchre."
Before Willoughby appeared, r
sponsive to this cheerful hail, Coz
had pulled the chairs round the tab
and brought out the cards. A few m
ments later, they were seated and IL
game had begun. Cora and her pan
ner were soon jubilant. Not oily d
they hold the cards, but their adve
saries played SO badly that the ia
of many old scores was wiped off,
The next day the first movemen
OF departure began. EARLY in the a
ernoon Buford and Judge Washburl
started for Rocky Bar in Perley
sleigh. The road had been broken
the mail-carrier, but was still
deeply drlfted that the drive was rec