Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-10-22
CHAPTER XVI.
GLOWING Embers.

Glowing Embers.
The figure silhouetted in the door.
way was one to make men dream, full
curved, strong with the strength of
women whose forbears have always
toiled, yet without heaviness; it was
! the strength that lies in quality, not
| in bulk.
She looked at him steadily showing
no surprise. And by that he read that
she had learned to take life, its coin
cidences and Its climaxes as they
came, calmly, without loss of poise.
She spoke first, in a low even voice
that limited even less than her manner
| at innerYexcitement Il thought it was
Piotr. Your step sounds like his"
They might have been daily famil-
lars.
YES" he flushed. II am somewhat
| in his case"
He almost missed the swift glance
she cast toward his cane. But he was
| grateful that she had no comment for
his injury. In the presence of her
| splendid PROJECTIONS his own physical
shortcoming seemed almost cause for
shame.
How do you do, Kazia? he said
gravely. Il didn't expect to find you
here"
He held out an uncertain hand. She
took 1T, neither hastily nor reluctantly,
for brief meaningless clasp.
Il am here sometimes. win you
come in?"
She stood aside and he entered, try
ing to overcome his limp. 1t was the
kitchen, which in Rose alley-as he
remembered-had to serve as living
room as well. 1t was clean, but bare;
pitifully bare.
BY the stove stood a little faded
woman. much stopped, her hair white
and thin. her pale lack-luster eyes for
the moment frightened by startled
question. He went over to her and
took her hand. She shrank away from
him.
1T is Mark Truitt, Matka," said
Kazia in Polish. Don't you remem-
ber?"
Hanka said something in the same
tongue.
She says" Kazia interpreted, they
have never forgotten"
Their eyes met again. His
turned away quickly and went to the
other occupant of the room. He sat
in the only armchair, huge mass of
inert flesh, head slouched forward and
fingers playing aimlessly with the long
unkempt beard that reached halfway
to the bullying waist Mark laid hand
on his shoulder. Roman looked up.
But Roman saw as the newborn babe
sees.
The grasp on his shoulder frightened.
Roman. don't you know me? I'm
Mark--Mark Truitt, you remember"
The shoulder stirred little under
the tight grasp. Romans head slouched
forward again and he began once more
his aimless twisting of the long beard.
How long" Marks voice had be-
come sharp. has he been this way?'
Almost three years"
And here?"
"A year longer"
Kazia's eyes said: What is that
to you?"
why" he demanded, didn't you
let me know about it?"
She smiled-contemptuo as 1t
seemed to him.
I'VE must get them out OF here" he
went on hastily.
I'VE can't. Piotr won't let us"
"He must" Mark declared CURLY.
"He will not she repeated
Il saw him today. He's crazy"
HE is. He's a good compositor
and could make enough to keep them
at least decently. But he prefers to
work for the Outcry--for little or moth
ing. Generally it's nothing. He says
it's for the cause"
"But that's no reason why he
| shouldn't let me help them"
She shrugged her shoulders. ITO
Piotr 1t is. / know, because I've tried
Then" he said. Hwe'll take them
away and settle with Piotr afterward.'
He said it crisply, with the assured
air of fortunes darlings who. having
made their resolve, take its consum
nation for granted. Her faint smile
showed again.
TT isn't SO simple as that. They
won't co.
They won't go!" He stared why
not?
For one thing" she returned