Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-04-14
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without stopping to think of the
darkness or that the friendly doors of
the edifce would be closed, he caught
up his hat and went swiftly down the
drive to the road, along which be
plunged breathlessly. The Glue star
spangIed sky was now streaked with
clouds like faded orchids, and the
shadows on the uneven ground under
his hurried feet made him giddy.
Through the din and hurly- burIy of his
thoughts he was conscious Of dimly-
moving shapes across fences, the
sweet breath Of COWS, and a negro pc
destrian who greeted him in passing.
He was stricken suddenly with the
thought that Shirley was. suffering,
too. 1t seemed incredible that he
should now be raging along a country
road at nightfaH to find something
that SO horribly hurt them both.
1t was almost dark-save for the
STANDARDIZATION he saw the shadow of
the square ivy-grown spire rearing
stark from it's huddle of foliage
against the blurred background. He
pushed open the gate and went slowly
UP the worn path toward the great
iron-bound and hooded door. Under
the Iarches on either hand the outlines
of the gravestOnes doomed palIidly,
and from the bell tower came the faint
induiri1g cry of a small owl Valiant
stood looking about him. What could
he learn here? He read no answer to
the riddle. A little to one side OF the
path something showed snow-like on
the ground, and he went toward it.
Nearer, he saw that it was a mass Of
flowers. staring up Whitley from the
semi-obscurity from within an iron
railing. He bent over, suddenly noting
the scent; it was cape jessamine.
With the curious sensation of almost
prescience plucking at him, he took
box of vestas from his pocket and
struck one 1t fiared up Illuminating
a fat granite slab in which was cut
a name and inscription:
EDWARD SASsOON.
Forgive us our trespasses.'
The silence seemed to crash to earth
like a great looking-glass and shiYer
into a million pieces. TIE wax dropped
from his fingers and in the superven-
ing darkness a numb fright gripped
him by the throat Shirley had laid
these there, on the grave of the man
his father had killed-the cape iessa-
mines she had wanted that day. for
her mother! He understood.
III came to him at last that there
was chill mist cropping among the
trees and that he was very cold.
He went back along the Red Road
stumblingly. Was this to be the end
Of the dream, which he had fancied
would last forever? Could it be that
she was not for hiIn2 Was it no hoary
lie that the sins OF the fathers were
visited upon the third and fourth gen.
Grafton?
When he re-entered tie library the
candle was gUtteTing in the burned
wings of a night-moth. The place
looked all at once gaunt and desolate
and despoiled What could Virginia.
what could DamOry Court be 10 him
without her? TIE wrinkled note lay
on the desk and he bent suddenly with
a sharp catching breath and kissed It.
There welled over him a wave of
rebellious longing. The candle spread
to a hay yellow blur The walls fell
away. He stood under the moonlight,
with his arms about her, his lips on
hers and his heart beating TO the
sound Of the viclins behind them.
He laughed harsh wild laugh that
rang through the gloomy room. Then
he threw himself on the couch and
buried his face in his hands. He was
still lying there when the misty rain
wet dawn came through the shutters.