Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1913-06-21
ON THE LONG ROAD
He Was Rough, but Of Her Own
People, Not Like the
Other Kind.
by LOUISE MARRlr,ELD.


Oliver looked down at the white
clover springing up through the chips
In front OF the sawmiIl. and marked
patterns with the butt OF his OK goad.
mot directly. but she knows what
mean all right Mr.. Kinnecott."
What do ye mean. to put It
straight?'.
Old Steve Kinnecott shot a shrewd
glance from the golden shadows OF the
mill at the big overgrown youngster.
His hair was tawny yellow and needed
cutting. His face and neck looked
tanned almost brick red under his
wide brimmed Topping straw hat. Be
hind him stood the yoke of oxen. with
patient lowered heads and switching
tails. He had come down after a load
of slabs from the hill farm.
It was mighty good proposition.
that hill farm. Steve knew the value
of every acre on 1t, and it's rich wood
lots. Evalora could do a sight worse
but would she think sof Since she
had had the school training down at
the county seat. she had different ideas
Would the hill farm and her old
sweetheart appeal to her as loves full
filment?
II just mean want her to marry
me. sir" said Oliver. bit throatiiy.
Then 1 tell you what, boy" Old
Stoves gray eyes twinkled. He shut
fed forward into the wide arched en-
trance to the mill, and blinked at the
sunlikht like some mole. You take
the long way home this trip. l ain't
got mite of objections to you IL you
can get her"
The long way homeI Oliver curled
his whip out to the oxen. and took
the steep hill road. He knew what her
father meant. She was up at the big
hotel teaching some children In one OF
the rich city families. He had seen
her only at church in the valley on
Sundays. only caught few words with
her In the shadow of the piliared porch
afterwards. And It had been whole
year since he had kissed her goodby
down under the pines. He wondered
IL she remembered. Not that she had
promised anything; but sometimes he
had almost kept the memory OF her
kiss as promise.
1t was two miles and q half up TO the
hotel Leisurely he walked Il, with
the slow-going oxen and load of rust
colored cedar slabs. Several times he
he had to stop and turn to one side
at the sound OF a horn. Once he
thought he recognized Eyalora in one
of the roadsters.
He went forward steadily, knowing
just what old Steve had meant when
he had told him to take the long road.
II Evalora could stand II to see him
drive up to the big summer hotel with
slabs and the oxen, In his brown Jeans
and high boots. she would take the
long road for life with him that way.
There would be no pretense, no com
promise. She would take him Just as
he was.
When he reached the bend, the long
vine covered verandas came in view,
the tall white chimneys. and many ga
bles. A large space had been cleared
in the virgin forest of the mountain
side to make fitting site for the ho-
tel. Oliver had never seen tits since
its completion. Now he surveyed 1t
with calm, interested eyes, its golf
course clear down to Peck's brook, its
italian gardens that cut up the fore
ground. the stables and tennis courts.
everything that made up Evalora's
everyday life that summer, even
though she was merely a summer gov
erness.
And suddenly, an he turned up the
curving drive. he saw her. She was
on the veranda at little table with
two children. That veranda looked
like distant fowerbed to him, with
all its daintily clad women and young
girls, but he could pick our Evalora.
And he heard the boy call out:
"Oh. look at the oxeni"
Everybody looked mt the oxen,
and at their boyish driver. He stopped
at the turn OF the drive and waited.
looking up at Evalora Would she take
the challenge. and come to him before
them all?
Just then a car made the sharp turn
at the bend in the forest road, and he
heard the cries OF warning, Now
Bvalora had risen, and was running
down the steps towards him. He lifted |
struck the heavy wood wagon broad
sides. II swung about, tangled up with |
the terrified. backing animals. and the |
boy went down In the wrecka8e
"Of course, It was my fault. I'll pay
for him here at the hotel"
Mvalora looked up at the owner OF |
the car. She knew him. Every day |
of her stay at the hotel he had done
his best to make her appreciate the
value OF his very existence. He was
young and from goods sized town In
the middle of the safe. He spent
money freely. He had been far too
generous In his offers OF motor drives,
she had thought. to the little country
governess OF his sisters children. But /
In his way. she knew he tried to be,
AZ he would have said. on the level.
He did admire her frankly. and took
the only way he knew OF letting her
know It. III
Now he stood looking down at her.
the center OF the gathered crowd
around the OK driver ON the ground.
He felt snubbed and bothered. seeing
that rough head on the girls dainty
white linen skirt. watching her stop
the flow Of blood ON his head with her
silk scarf, It was all right to be hu.