The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1916-11-16
the BEGINNING
8
BY SUSAN e. cLAoErT.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
"When did it begin?"
The girl upon the lower step Rugged
her knees as she looked refectively
across the hills to the forest beyond.
Then she turned her eyes to the face
of the older woman.
II don't know. It Just came"
ut sometimes does come just like
that, all in a moment, but I didn't
know there was young man within q
thousand miles of this place."
II knew you would think 1t odd to
hear of one in this forlorn spot, yet
have never regarded the place in that
light. 1t is quiet, however, and have
often longed for something interesting
to come into my life. OF course, with
q young girl the most interesting thing
liz that form of amusement in which
young men have a part and the young
est man here is Uncle Henry, who
owns to sixty and is eighty IL he's a
day, and Mr.. Hamilton, q widower,
who is crippled with rheumatism and
has asthma, and Mr.. Alden, who is old
and deaf"
"Of course, 1t is none of the three"
Scarcely" Rachel Warren an.
swered with a certain degree of indig-
nation. II said truly I do not know
when 1t began. Really there was no
beginning. The nearest can come to
it is that subcOnsciously I must have
retained memory Of him. We met
two summers ago on that northern
trip. You know that I was sick and
rather unhappy. I had no wish to
make friends, no heart to talk, but in
some way he interested me. It was
rather lonesome, especially when the
fog shut us in, and after two days of
fog I was little glad to have some
one take the vacant chair next to
mine. 1t had been empty until then.
Il think he must have felt a little
as did-averse to making acquaint-
ancestor he would sit near me for
hours, saying only word now and
then. But he was congenial, and
missed him II he did not come to my
1--WE took a good many little trips
together after we landed, and came to
know each other fairly well. For ten
days or more, we saw each other every
day, but upon my return home he
slipped from my memory. found my
life too full Of duties even to recall
the enchanting days of that first trip
away from home. Then all at once
remembered.
II had gone to my mornings work
with my soul In revolt. fairly
loathed ny duties. was tired-tired
from a constant striving to do cheer
fully what hate to do with every
fiber of my being. I remember had
cakes for breakfast that morning, and
with each cake turned on the grids-
die I added one thousand years te1Sy
life. AS there were seven would s0on
have rivaled Methusela but that my in
ner consciousness took series of SOM
ersaults and found myself standing
upon the deck of the old Trinidad as
she plowed through the Gulf of st.
Lawrence.
However, my mental gymnastics
served good purpose. Life had been
trying all through the week. For days
I had been pricked until I felt as full
OF holes as an old pincushion. Then
Is the time for me to get into the open
If can. It is not always possible.
But did get away from the house for
little while. Just for walk to the
mail-box and back, but it was far
enough away for the rapid walk to
send the blood tingling through my
veins and change my viewpoint of life.
Il think, perhaps, the letter found
there helped as much as the crisp air
to change the current of my thoughts.
1t was from the man of whom l am
speaking. He had never written to me
before and the letter was the merest,
friendliest little note. Remember, Har-
riet. had not thought of the man for
two years. Can you explain the COIN
cidence? Was it telepathy?
"Be that as it may, there was moth
Ing in the letter to suggest anything
but kindly interest. Could he call?
He was coming to Washington
"Glad as I was to hear from him
again, my first impulse was to find
some excuse to prevent his coming. 1
didn't have decent dress to my name.
cannot keep up with the styles anu
have little use for up-to-date clothes.
an little ashamed of myself as
look back upon that moment of hest
fancy. But nevertheless wrote and
told him to come.
"He did not wait for my reply, Har-
riet. He came the following day and
FOUND me in faded calico dress in
the depths Of sunbonnet. I was in
the garden gathering beans for dinner,
and did not see hi1a until I heard
voice that made NE jump to my feet.
What do you think that man did? He
put his hand under my chin, lifted up
my face and kissed re.
"Of course, by all the conventions
and EoIesty AID outraged feeling,
~ TT, II