New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-11-25

den and rontines had become uke ens,ss
Of other places She had always teen
shut outside something. and always
she had borne burdens. The death of
her parents. gaddies OF need. worst Of
all q curious feeling that the place
closed against her was somehow her
self That. 70 to say. she and herself
had never once met She used to say
that to herself sometimes. There's
two Of me- and we don't meer-we
don't meet"
'And now be wants ne to take her
hoy and Adams" she Kept saying "I'll
never do such a thing-never
She thought that the news Of Lily's
death was what gave her the Strange,
bodily hurt that had seized her-the
news that what she was used to was
gone: that she bad no sister: that the.
days Of their being together are all the
lasks Of their INFRINGING were finished
Then she thought that the remember.
ing Of those days Of her happiness and;
her pain. and the ache of what might
have been aud Of what never was. Dad
come to torture her again But the
feeling was rather the weight OF some
imminent thing. the ravage ut some
thing that grew with what it fed on.
the grasp upon her Of something that.
would not let her go.
She had never seen them after their
marriage, and so she had never seen
either of the children. Lily had once
sent her picture of John. but she
boy. Mary tried TO recall what they
had ever said of him. She could noA
even remember his baptismal name.
but she knew that they had called him
Yes" because it was the first WORD
he had learned to say and because be
had saiG it to everything. "The baby
can say Yes" Lily had written once;
II guess it's all he'll ever be able to.
say. He says it all day long. He
won't try to say anything else" And
once later: We've taken to calling the
baby Yes aud now be calls himself
that Yes wants it. he says. and
Take Yes and Yes is going of now
1
everything and no is nothing. don't
think that means much. but we cali
him that for fun But Mary could
not remember what the child's real
name was. What difference did it
make? As If she could have Guild
meddling round the house while she.
was sewing: But of course. this was
not the real reason The real reason
was that she could not hiring up a
child-did she not know that:
Hes six years old now. and. Aunt
Mary. this amt a place for him Hes;
nice little fellow and ihate for nin:,
to get rough and he will II he stays,
here
She tried to think who else ccuids
take him. They had no one Adam.
she knew. had no one. Some Ut the
,neighbors there by. the rancb-il was.
absurd to send him that long journey
SO she went through i, all. denying
with all tue old denias And ali the
while the weiyhtin her body grew and
dlled her. and she WAS strangely CON
sciOuS OF her breath
What ais me- she said aloud and
got up to klnaie u light. She was
amazed to see that it was ! O'Clock.
and long past her supper hocr. AS she
took from the clock shelf the Key to.
the barn. some one raped ut the back
door and came through the cold kitchen
with friendly familiarity Ii was
Jenny. :. shawl over her head. her race
glowing with the cold. aud in her nit
tened hands Il fiat parcel
My hands MOST froze. Jenny ad-
mitted. Il didn't want: to roll this
thing. SO l carried it nat. out. and it
blew considerable. It's the picture
Get yourself warm" Mary hade nee.
''I'lI undo it. Who is it Off sies
added. as the papers came away.
That's what ! don't know said
Jenny. but I've always liked it
around. thought maybe you'd know"
1t was picture which. in those days.
had not before come tn, Old Trail
Town. The figure was that of a youth.
done by master of the umes--thes
head and shoulders Of youth who
seemed to be looking passionateiy at
something outside the picture.
There it is. anyhow" Jenny added
III you like it enough to hang it up.
hang 1t up. It's Christmas presest!"
Jenny laughed eldshiy.
Mary Chavah held the picture cut
before her.
II do" she said: II could take a real
fancy to it. ri have It up on the
wall. Much obliged. I'm sure. Set
down minute"
But Jenny could not do this. and
Mary. the key to the barn still in ner
hands. followed her out. They went
through the cold kitchen where the.
refrigerator and the ironing board aud
the clothes bars and all the familiar
things stood In the dark. To Mary
these, were sunk In q great obscurity
and insigniflcance. and even Jenny be-
ing there was unimportant beside the
thing that her letter had brought to