South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-10-10

smoothly featherless and ready for the oven
fell from the knob to the floor. She picked
them up and showed them to the two round
eyed. wondering children Then she saw them
through sudden binding mist. In a mental
picture she saw a man in sorry brown suit
q big man. man with close-cropped hair, run
ming down quiet street and ducking round the
first corner: nor pausing when she called his
name: just running, as If he had made some
resolution and feared he might not keep 1t IL
he did not get away at once.
After that miracles happened thick and fast
at the little house. Now the potatoes pro-
ceeded to dig themselves and sack themselves
and pile themselves IN an orderly row in the
cellar, all in night and without the slightest
sign or sound; now the broken well-curb mend
ed itself and the shed put a new set of hinges
on its door Again four fat and luscious looking
rabbits proceeded to I'LL themselves with shot
and shed their skins and hang themselves
the back door knob, where earlier the three
partridges had been.
Little sacks Of groceries and provisions began
20 crawl up to that back door o nights and ar
range themselves in tempting rows on the door
step and the weather grew colder cloth for
little dresses and tiny mittens and stubby little
serviceable shoes and once a gay silk shirt
blouse followed in the train OF the other things.
Once Mary sure she saw him standing
Just at the edge Of the woods behind the house.
II not yet fully dark; the momentary light
ening Of the sky that comes on Autumn nights
Just before the twilight fades out completely
made the little hill stand out in sharp relief,
huge bulking black shadow against the frosty
sky
She fancied she could see him very plainly,
leaning against a pine trunk. his hungry eyes
Fixed on the little house. She could even make
out that brown suit with the trouser legs bare.
" reaching the shoe tops and the sleeves leav-
ing a good bit OF forearm exposed. But when
she breathed his name and ran toward the
woods and would have spoken TO him. the
shadow or the entity. whichever IL was slipped
silently back amongst the deeper shadows and
gone
Somehow II gave her a comforting sense
that he was near them. and although she
never him there again. she had a feeling
often that he was watching from the edge Of
the pines. Yet she could not bring herself 10
want things other than they were Those lit
tie attentions OF his the things he did so Sc
cretly for her and the children. touched her
strangely and now and again filed her with a
glowing tenderness for him, wonder where
be was living. how he was faring what he
was doing. But that il was best for the chill
dren that they should never know him, that
they should think him dead she never for >
moment doubted.
Winter came early that year. Early IN De-
cember snow lay thick upon the village. Then
toward the middle Of the month came two gray
days OF biting cold and lowering skies At the
bleak twilight OF the second day IL began 20
snow. gently at first just a hint OF white
down in the cold air; then steadily then cold
~ bitterly, blindingly, sharp little fakes driven
like so many bullets by a bowling gale.
BY morning IL drffted deep and still
showing. Pals OF water from the we'll were
mysteriously left at the back door. armfus OF