The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1916-12-29
An ANNIVERSARY
ny SUSAN cLAcETT.

A man leaning against the CLOSED
! door of his shanty high up In the COeue
d'Alene mountains, could look foa
miles over the country in the cleaI
morning atmosphere, but he had evea
for nothing but the letter in his hand.
The envelope bore wOman's name
The letter itself contained but three
words, imperative. commandments
thetic, also. In their brevity aud the
longing implied.
He had no need to work, this man
whose hands showed hardest toll but
In work he found forgetfulness, He
had been in the mountains three wears
and as he stood there he thought of
the months that had gone before
Them OF love and hope aud desDair.
that had driven him from his hn.,.
Ills eyes sought the letter. 1t was an
appeal, his first and last.
II.
Inc long, low room was very attrnc-
tive In the freight. The soft rich
carpet, the beautiful paintings, brasses
irom foreign countries and the WON
der1uily carved teak furniture told of
wealth and luxury UNDECIDED NV TN.
"oniAn VINO moved restlessly from
place to place as IL driven by an in
visible force. She held an open let
Ter In her hand and her thoughts were
Iuil OF the writer She had been think
ing OF him before it reached her and
as she reread 1t her thoughts axain
went back to their last day together
to the bitter words that had nas.eti
between them, that she, herself had
said, not ~.
Ihey had been married scarcely n
year, yet during that time she had
more than once said words she re-
gretted as soon as spoken.
lie had tried to talk quietly with
her, she remembered, but her bitter. /.
causdc words aroused him at last.
"One thing l cannot UNDERESTIMATE
he had said, why did you marry mef
l thought 1 knew, but your words
leave me IL uncertainty"
BE uncertain no longer" she hard
replied; tit was a mistake I regret
every day l live"
"a mistake / will rectify as far as
lies in my power" he had answered.
and left the room.
She had not seen him since. And
throb to sutfocation.
Come to me-"
The woman paused at last in her
restless walk; paused before the sec
rotary. Opening a drawer she took
from 1t small box. Seated before
the fire she opened it. 1t held plain
gold band, her wedding ring. She had
taken it Off that last day and now, as
she looked within its circle at date
that brought back visions of happI-
ness, she knew another week would
bring an anniversary.
Taking a diamond from her other
hand she pushed the ring into it's form
er place.
She reached Wallace after six days
of weary travel and the answers to
her questions caused her restless heart
to beat with apprehension.
want to know how to get to Nc
Donafs shanty?" the station agent
asked, eying her curiously. "One Of
his folks? Reckon you've come in the
nick of time" he continued
"Sick2 Yes. His pardner was
down in town this morning and said
Mac was out of his head with noun
tain fever"
Her mental anguish made the way
interminable, but at last her guido
lifted her from her horse and she
stumbled alone up the short, steep
path to the cabin door.
Come in" someone called in an
swer to her rapping, but she could
not move. AS she leaned against the
shanty for support she heard quick
footsteps and the door was flung omen.
the light streaming out full in her
face.
Elizabeth !"
She felt herself gathered into his
arms, but could not speak as he car
ried her across the one room to the
chair he had left.
Elizabeth :" he said again. as IL
he could find no other word. Unfas-
tening the furs at her throat, he raised
her hands to his lips, then buried his
face in her lap as he knelt before her
The suspense, the dread she would
not come were told in the heavy sObs
that shook his frame.
'"They told me you were ill.," she
said presently.
1.-The mistake was natural. II was
McDonal, farther up the trail. Poor
| fellow. He went over the range an
hour ago. l had just come from there
when you Knocked"
ITO think 1t might have been YOU"
she said, with SILVER that yOu
might never have known had come;
gone without one word, with only the
unkind ones you last heard from me to
remember. think should have gone
mad"
He put his hand under her chin,
raising her face so that he could look
into her eyes.
Dear heart, do you know what day
this is?'
| ST hive ftnOpht of Dothiuy oiSf4