The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-09-10


once, he saw the girl again, standing
where he had seen her before, at the
door of the cabin.
"He approached her very courteous
ly, raising his hat. This time she did
not run from him. but stood stifl and
smiled. He apologized for having
frightened her the night before, and
asked her IL she could direct him to
his hotel.
He must have presented terrific
spectacle, all scratched, dirty and
bruised from his long tramp. and with
the wildness of delirium still In his
eyes. But the girl only smiled again,
and stretched out her hand, indicating
a trail. Tarrant thanked her, but she
went back into the hut without word.
Afterward he remembered that she
had not spoken to him at all.
"Plunging heavily along the trail,
Tarrant walked till the sun came up.
Then, lifting up his eyes in amaze
ment, he saw, not half a mile away.
his own hotel.
Fifteen minutes later he was back,
and ten minutes after that he was en-
joying chicken broth in bed. After
that he slept the clock around.
when he awakened ne told his ad.
ventures to the hotelkeeper, who had
formerly been one of the local guides.
But when he mentioned the girl in the
cabin the man was silent. Tarrant
pressed him hard.
"'Who is She? he insisted.
"At last the man raised his eyes
sullenly to his. She died score OF
years ago. he answered. She was the
wife Of the old squire, before the land
was bought by the state. She died
when her baby was born. She was al.
ways kind to folks, and she loved
children
THAT was all Tarrant could get out
OF him. He tried to find the trail
through the woods many times, but
none Of the guides admitted knowledge
Of 1t, and the landlord fatty refused to
show him. And Tarrant, thinking over
the matter, all at once understood why
he thought he had seen the woman
before.
"The look in her eyes was the look
that he used to see in Molly's eyes
long ago, when he courted her, before
the rubs and jars of married life had
worn away the sweetness Of their love.
"Tarrant was no fool, and after
while he began to piece the warning
together. That look which had so al.
lured him, that look which he had
seen In the dead woman's eyes and in
Molly's-what was it but the univer.
sal, loving soul of woman, embodied
now here, now there, but always noble
and always sweet?
"And Tarrant knew that in loving
Molly he was loving the spiritual quail
ity which is given to all men in some
form, in life, but is so often thrown
away and lost through misunderstood.
ing.
THAT night he hurried home, and
all the way in the train the wheels
beat Molly He arrived, fearful that
she had already taken some irrevoc.
able step. He wanted chance to tell
her, to explain but when he
reached the house 1t was alight, and 1t
was Molly who met him within the
darkened hall.
"He flung his arms about her and
stammered out acknowledgment Of
his hideous mistake.
"He felt her tears upon his face.
Dearest she whispered, I came home.
l couldn't stay away from you longer.
l was writing to you. What mistake
we have made dear. And there is
something listen!
"Incredulously Tarrant heard the
whispered story, while his heart beat
madly. When she had done he folded
her in his arms. We shall never part
again, through all our lives he said.
And 1t was only afterward that he
remembered how the woman Of the
lonely cabin had died, and understood
why she had come to him"