Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-07-20

right he said, wait Tor me-" He
dressed Iaboriously. His hands seemed
weighted.
On deck she had his chair ready for
him beside her own. She tucked his
rug about him and then sat down.
"Don't talk ever, unless you want to-
she said Silent people are best"
"Why?" asked Alan.
"They are springs. Their souls
bubble"
"And tie people that chatter?" asked
Alan.
They are geysers," said the girl,
and smiled.
Alan was entertained = almost
amused. what do you do when
geyser spouts?" he asked.
what do you do?" replied the girl.
II rum
I'm afraid I haven't run-always,"
said Alan. Il generally try to clap a
tin hat on them"
You must be strong to do that. I'm
not very strong"
Alan glanced over her frail body.
what are yOu?" he asked.
I'm a missionary. At least, / was
a missionary. I've had to give it up.
One needs so much to be a mission
ary."
Il never thought of it that way"
said Alan. = always thought that it
was the people that were unfit for al
most anything else that turned to mis-
SiOnarying as q last resort"
ooh, no." said the girl, sitting up
very straight in her chair and fixing
her eyes on his face. How wrong
you are. MfssiOnarying. as you call it,
Is just another name for giving. and
how can one give a great deal unless
one has a great deal to giye-strength
and youth and vitality?"
''And you have given aII? asked
Alan
The girls eyes filled.
mo, you haven't given ALL" went on
Alan quickly. ''YoE are still giving.
I must not borrow your last mite
But-your voice is like a nurses hand"
When Alan went to bed he could not
sleep For a while the little mission
airy girl held his thoughts He was
filled with wonder, not at her, but at
himself. For once in his life he had
not been flippant before grave things.
From the girl his thoughts turned to
AliX. He could have cabled to her
about Gerry from Pernambuco. but he
had not done so. The note that he was
carrying for Gerry was Hght-OnlY Il
half sheet, probably The lightness Of
1t told Alan that the things Gerry had
to say to his wife could not be put on
paper Alan had almost cabIed. Now
he was glad he had not done so.
''AliX," he said to himself, isn't wait
ing, she's trusting. A cable would
have heightened waiting by a month.
Then. without volition. his mind
wandered from Alix and raced ahead
to the goal of his journey. What was
the goal of his journey? Wl4ther was
he bound? lie reached for Clem's let
ter and held it in folded hands He
had no need to read it again. The
words were nothing; the picture was
all 1t stretched before his mind.
living canvas.
Once when Alan was wandering
with an EngIishman in the hills above
Granada, a faint OdOr had brought
them to a sudden halt 1t was the
Engishman who made the surprising
discovery first "BIackberries. by
lover he had exclaimed Good old
blackberries." And then they two had
stood together, yet half a world apart.
and stared at the berry-Iaden bush.
What vision of a tangled high-waled
garden burst upon the Englshman
Alan never knew. but to himself had
come q memory of East mountain in
autumn, SO clear. so poignant. that it
had brought his throbbing heart into
his throat
1t was so now with Clem's letter.
The words We're but a hurried daub.
but they touched his eyes with magic
wand. The daub became a scene. q
picture a world-his world.
Red Hill was spread out before him.
a texture where the threads and colors
of life were blended into a carpet soft
but enduring. Men walked and little
children played on it. Alan closed his
eyes and sighed What had he been
doing with life? Making sackfng?
Sacking was commercial 1t paid in
cash. 1t was the national industry.
But what could one 80 with sacking on
Red Hill?
Then, almost suddenly, the full spirit
OF Clients letter seized him. One did
not take gifts to Red Hill To every
one Of its children Red Hill was the
source Of all gtfts-the source of life,
On that thought he slept
When he was back once more in his
rooms, before Swithson had had time
to open bag, Alan re-directed Gerry's
note to Alix to Red Hill and sent
Swithson out to post it. He did not
try to temper the shock of the note
with a covering letter He was too
weak and tired. Besides, he felt that
the note carried its own antidOte to
joy.
The next morning a message came
by hand to AIan's rooms. AliX had
come to town and wished to see him at
once. Would he please come around?
He replied that he was too ILL., Half
an hour later Swithson answered a
ring at the door and AliX slipped
quickly past him into AIan'S sitting