The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-07-25
CHAPTER XII.
| Go to New York.

SDdli hot mere recount the events on
the farm during the weeks which fol-
lowed Miss Stella's departure. They
dId not particularly interest me. Ny
whole psychological makeup had been
violently shaken, the centers of atten-
ton had been shifted, and | was con-
stantly struggling for readjustment
Wnlch did not come. The post office
appealed to me more than the peas,
and l labored harder over nv photo
graphs of the sundial beds than over
the beds themselves. | sent for a ray
filter and a wide-angle lens, spending
hours in experiment and covering
plank III front of the south door with
printing frames.
| had written to her the day after
she had departed, but no reply came
Tor a week, and then only a brief little
note, telling me it wins hot in town and
conveying her regards to the roses. |,
too, waited a week-though it was
hard-and then answered, sending
some photographs, one Of them a snap
shot Of a bird on the edge of the bath
one of them of Buster sitting on his
hind legs. Again she answered briefly.
merrily, conveying her especial regards
to Buster, but ending with plaintive
little postscript about the heat.
A few days later box came ad-
dressed to Buster in my care. | opened
it in Busters presence. indeed literally
beneath his nose. On top was a small
package, tied with blues ribbon, and
labeled "For Buster" 1t proved to be
a dog biscuit, which the recipient at
once took to the hearth and began up
opened with eager fingers.
1t began:
Darling Buster: Your waggish epistle
received and contents noted. The limits
of the canine intelligence are probably re-
sponsible for your mistake in assigning
the term guinness to what you observe
in Master John, when it is really lack of
occupation. You see dear Buster he has
got Twin Fires so far under way that he
doesn't work at it all the time, so he
ought to be at his writing of stories
made up of big dictionary words which I
am defining or inventing for him down
here in a very hot, dirty, dusty, smelly
town. Tell him that's all the trouble He
has a reaction from his first farming en-
thusiasm, and doesn't realize that the
thing to do is to go to work on the new
line, his line. For it IS his line, you
know Buster
Underneath this you'll find something
to give him, with my best wishes for sun
shine on the dear garden. I'd kiss YOU.
Buster, only dogs are terribly germy.
STELLA.
p. S.-That is a nice pool. isn't it?
sat on the floor with the letter in
my lap, smiling happily over it. Then
| took the last package out of the box.
1t was heavy, evidently metal. Re-
moving the papers, 1 held in my hand
an old bronze sundial plate, a round
one to fit my column, and upon if
freshly engraved, the ancient motto:
HORAs NON NUMERo NIsI SERE-
MAS.
My first thought was of it's cost. She
couldn't afford it, the silly, generous
girl! She'd bought it. doubtless, at one
of those expensive New York antique
shops, and then taken it to an engray-
er's, for further expense. l ought not
accept it. Yet how could l refuse? |
couldn't. | Rugged it to my heart, and
fairly ran to the dial post, Buster at
my heels Yes, l had no longer any
doubts. / wanted her l should al
ways want her. Twin Fires was in
complete. l was incomplete. life was
incomplete, without her
At six l stopped work, amazed to
find the plot of a story in my head
Heaven knows how it got there but
there it was, almost as full-statured as
Minerva when she sprang from the
head of Jove, though considerably less
glacial. l even had the opening SEN
tence all ready framed-to re always
the most difficult point of story or es
say, except the closing sentence. Nor
did this tale appear to be one l had
incubated in the past. and which now
popped up above the threshold" from
my subconsciousness. 1t was brand