Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-09
The Cali Of the
CumberlandS
CONTINUED from Page Four.l

i - u / v
[Continued from Page Four.l
10y because ell that they had dreamed
was true, and all that they had feared
was untrue, they stood there under
the skies clasping each other-with
the rife between their breasts. Then
as he held her close. he wondered
that q shadow, Of doubt could ever
have existed. He wondered II. except
In some nightmare Of hallucination. It
had ever existed.
The futter Of her heart was like
that Of rapturous bird, and the play
Of her breath on his face like the
fragrance Of the elder blossoms.
These were their stars twinkling
overhead. These were their hills. ana
their moon was smiling on their tryst.
He had gone and seen the world
that lured him: he had met It's dim.
culties and faced its puzzles. He had
even felt his feet wandering at the
last from the path that led back to
her, and now. with her 1.-the hgure
close held In his embrace, and her
red-brown hair brushing his temples,
he marveled how such an instant OF
doubt could have existed. He knew
only that the silver Of the moon ana
the KISS of the breeze and the clasp
Of her soft arms about his neck were
all parts Of one great miracle. ana
she, who had waited and almost de-
SPARED, not taking count Of what she
had suffered, felt her knees grow
weak. and her head grow dizzy with
sheer happiness, and wondered II 1t
were not too marvellous to be true.
And, looking very steadfastly into his
eyes, she saw there the CLEAN that
once had frightened her; the CLEAN
that spoke Of something stronger and
more compelling than his love. 1t no
longer frightened her, but made her
soul sing, though it was more intense
than it had ever been before, for now
she knew that it was she herself who
brought It to his pupils-and that
nothing would ever be stronger.
But they had much to say to each
other, and, finally, Samson broke the
silence:
did ye think wasn't a-coming
back, Sally?" he questioned, softly. AT
that moment he had no realization
that his tongue had ever fashioned
smoother phrases. And she, too. who
had been making war on crude idioms,
forgot. as she answered:
Eye done said ye was comm" Then
she added a happy lie: Il knowed
plumb shore ye'd do hit"
After a while she drew away and
said, slowly:
Samson, I've done kept the old
nfe-gun ready fer We. Ye said ye'd
need 1t bad when ye come back. an
i've took care Of 1t"
She stood there holding 1t, and her
voice dropped almost to whisper as
she added:
TITS been lot Of comfort to me
sometimes, because 1t was your'n.
knew II ye stopped keerin' fer me ye
wouldn't let me keep tan as long
as had 1t II" She broke OF. and
the fingers OF one hand touched the
weapon caresslngly.
The man. knew many things now
that he had not known when he said
good-by. He recognized in the very
gesture with which she stroked the
old walnut stock the pathetic heart.
hunger of a nature which had been
denied the fulfillment of It's strength.
and which had been bestowing on an
inanimate object something that
might almost have been the stirring
Of the mother instinct for child.
Now, thank God, her life should never
lack anything that food-tide Of love
could bring to it. He bent his head
In a mute sort Of reverence.
After long while they found time
for the less wonderful things.
II got your letter" he said, seriously.
"and l came at once" AS he began
to speak Of concrete facts he dropped
again into ordinary English and did
not know that. he had changed his
manner Of speech.
For an instant Sally looked up into
his face. then with q sudden laugh,
she informed him:
II can say isn't instead of 'hain't,
too. How did you like my writing?"
He held her of at arms length, and
looked at her pridefully, but under his
gaze her eyes fell and her face flushed
with sudden difhdence and new
shyness of realization. She wore a
calico dress, but at her throat was
soft little bow Of ribbon. She was
no longer the totally unself-conscious
wood nymph, though as natural and In
stinctive as In other days. Suddenly
she drew away from him little. and
her hands went slowly to her breast
and rested there. She was fronting
great crisis. but. in the first flush of
joy she had forgotten 1t. She had
spent lonely nights struggling for rudi.
ments; she had sought and fought to
refashion herself, 30 that, II he came.
he need not be ashamed Of her. And
now he had come and. with terrible
clarity and distinctness, she realized
how pitifully little she had been able
to accomplish. Would che pass mus.
ter? She stood there before him,
frightened. self-conscious and palpi.
tating, then her voice came In . Wills.
per:
"samson, dear, I'm not holdin' you
70 any promise. Those things We said
were long time back. Maybe we'd
better forget 'em now and begin all