Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-09-06
CHAPTER vIIj-fcontInued.)

CHAPTER viII-(ContInued.)
He suddenly looked away from her
and. turning to the chimney-piece,
rested one hand upon It and gazed
down at the logs. A charred end
projected and he pushed It with his
slippered foot. his down-bent face,
the lips set and brows wrinkled. look
ing like the face Of q sullen boy who
has been unjustly punished. An icy.
invading chill Of depression made
Roses heart sink down into bottom
less depths. She faltered In faint
tones:
We'll. you'll be there soon now"
II don't know" he answered with
out moving. Il 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.
toward expression held them in a
breathless. immovable quietude.
Don't you want to go 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.
Dominick leaned forward and
dropped the crumpled letter into the
fire.
mo, ] don't want to. hate to-"
To this she did not reply at all, and
after a moment he continued: MY
home Is unbearable to me. 1t isn't
a home. It's a place where / eat and
sleep. and I'd prefer doing that any
where else. in any dirty boarding
house or fourth-ratS hotel-rd rath-
err"
He stopped abruptly and pushed the
log farther in. The letter was caught
up the chimney in a swirl of black
ened scraps.
But your wife?" said Rose.
This time her voice was hoarse but
she did not know II. She had lost the
consciousness Of herself. 1t was a
profound moment, the deepest she had
80 far known, and all the forces of her
being were concentrated upon It. The
young man answered with delibera-
ton, still not moving.
Il don't want to see my wife. We
are-we are-uncongenial. There is
nothing but unhappiness between u.s."
Don't you love herr" said the girl.
mo. / never did," he answered.
For a moment neither dared speak.
They did not look at each other or
stir. They hardly seemed to breathe.
A movement, a touch. would have rent
the last thin crust of reserve that
covered what were no longer unsus-
pected fires. Dominick knew It, but
the girl did not She was seized by
what to her was a sudden, inexpli-
cable fear, and the increased, suffo-
eating beating Of her heart made her
feel dizzy. She suddenly wished to
ny. to escape from the room, and him,
and herself. She turned to go and
was arrested by Cora's voice In the
Nall
Say. you folks, are you in there?"
Cora's visage followed her voice.
She thrust 1t round the door-post,
beamingly smiling under a recently
applied coat OF powder.
do you want to tackle a game Of
euchre? Mr.. Willoughby and I'll lay
you out cold unless that British mem
DRY Of his has gone back on him and
he's forgot all taught him last time"
They were too bewildered to make
any response. Rose gathered up her
coat and dropped 1t again. looking stu
pidly from II to the intruder. Cora
turned back to the passage, calling:
Here they are. Mr.. Willoughby, all
ready and waiting for US. Now we'll
show them how to play euchre."
Before Willoughby appeared. re-
sponsiye to this cheerful hail, Cora
had pulled the chairs round the table
and brought out the cards. A few mo-
ments later. they were seated and the
game had begun. Cora and her part
ner were soon jubilant Not only did
they hold the cards. but their adver>
saries played 80 badly that the tale
OF many old scores was wiped on.
The next day the FIRST movements
OF departure began. Early in the aft
ernoon Buford and Judge Washburne
started for Rocky Bar In Perley's
sleigh. The road had been broken by
the mail-carrier. but was still 80
deeply drifted that the drive was reck.
oned toilsome undertaking not with.
out danger. Perley's two powerful
horses were harnessed In tandem. and
Periey himself. a mere pillar Of wrap
pings. drove them, squatted on a soap
oox In front Of the two passengers.
There were cries of farewell from the
porch and tappings on the windows as
the sleigh started and sped away to
the diminishing Jingle Of bells. A sad
ness fell on those who watched It.
The little idyl Of isolation was over.
On the following day Bill Cannon
and his daughter were to leave. A
Telegram had been sent to Rocky Bar
Tor q sleigh and horses Of the proper
excal'sncs to b the souipaes Of