Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-08-23
the nice room, the nice books, nice old
Mr.. Emerson, nice twin fresv'

emily, CuSu Unlne, 1OF II was lhoCCo
wonderful to see the place emerge
from baroness into the most alluring
charm as the books filled the shelves,
as my two Norris chairs were placed
before the fires, as my three or four
treasured rugs were unrOlled on the |
rather uneven but charmingly old floor |
which just fitted the old, rugged |
hearthstones, and finally as the two |
bright Hiroshiges were placed in the
center of the two white wood panels
over the freplaces, and the other pic
lures hung over the bookcases.
81 think it is wonderful" said I. 81
have my home at last! And how you
have helped me!'
Eyes, you have your home" said She
''Oh, it is such a nice onev'
She turned away, and went over to
the east fire, poking it with her toe. l
lit my pipe, sat down at my old, ia
miliar desk, heaved a great sigh Of
comfort, and opened manuscript.
cts only four O'clock" said I. II
can get in that hour wasted in sleep
this morning. Can you find something
to readT'
81 ought to- she smiled.
I plunged into the manuscripts
silly novel. I read on, vaguely aware
that the west was breaking, and the
room growing warm. Presently I heard
a window opened and felt the cooler
rush Of rain-freshened air from the
fragrant orchard. Then I heard the
! Ta int TO ire ta
tramp out through the kitchen. It was
five o'clock. But still read on, to fin
ish a chapter. The painters had de-
parted. The entire house was still.
Suddenly there stole through the
room the soft andante theme of a Mo-
Fart sonata, and the low sun at almost
the same instant dropped into the
clear blue hole in the west and flooded
the room. [ let the manuscript fall,
and sat listening peacefully for full
minute. Then I moved across the
floor and stood behind the player. How
cheerful the room looked, how booky
and old-fashioned! 1t seemed as if l
had always dwelt there. How easy it
would be to put out my hands and rest
them on her shoulders, and lay my
cheek to her hair! The impulse was
ridiculously strong to do so, and
tingled to my finger tips with strange
excitement.
"Come," said, cit is after five, and
the sun is out. We will go to hear the
thrush"
The girl faced around on the bench,
raising her face to mine. Eyes, let
, u.s. she answered. "How lovely the
room looks now. Oh, the nice new old
roomv'
She fingered in the doorway a Sec
ond, and then we stepped out Of the
/ front entrance, where we stood en-
t tranced by the freshness Of the rain
washed world in the low light Of after
noon, and the heavy fragrance Of wet
I lilac buds enveloped US. Then the girl
7 gathered her skirts up and we went
down through the orchard, where the
ground was streWn with the fallen
petals, through the naples where the
, song sparrow was singing, and in
> among the dripping pines. The brook
, was whispering secret things, and the
r drip from the trees made a soft tinkle,
just u9C0CIdDlG, Oh us pools.
, We waited one minute, two min
> utes, three minutes in silence, and then
the fairy clarion sounded, the ''cool
, bars of melody from the everlasting
evening" 1t sounded with a thrilling
nearness, so lovely that it almost hurt,
and instinctively I put out my hand
7 and felt for hers. She yielded it, and
. so we stood, hand in hand, while the
, thrush sang once, twice, three times.
! now near, now farther away, and then
y it seemed from the very edge Of nv
clearing. l still held her hand, as we
:. waited for another burst Of melody.
But he evidently did not intend to sing
again. My fingers closed tighter over
. hers as I felt her face turn toward
mine, and she answered their pressure
while her eyes glistened, T thought.
. with tears. Then her hand slipped
- away.
Don't speak," she said, leading the
way out of the grove.
e We went into the house again TO
make sure that the fires had burned
down. The room was darker now, filed
with twilight shadows. The last Of the
- logs We're glowing red on the hearths
!" and the air was hot and heavy after
y the fresh outdoors. But how cheerful
. now friendly how like a human thing
with human feelings Of warmth anG
:. welcome, the room seemed to me!
1t has been wonderful day." sale
. L, as we turned from the fires to pass
- OUT Il wonder if l shall ever have
>, so much JOY again in my house?"
> The girl at my side did not answer
~ L looked at her, and saw that she wa
III struggling with tears.