Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-07-27
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1t was ten O'Clock on a morning in
early autumn when Gerry finally got
free of the freighter and took the ferry
for the other side of the river He had
left all his baggage to be delivered at
the house later. The morning was
clear but suItry In the city the apathy
of summer days had settled down.
People glanced at Gerry's heavy
tWeeds and antiquated hat but they
did not smile, for Gerry himself was
such a sight as makes men forget
clothes. The tan of his lean face, the
swing of his big. unpadded shoulders,
his clear eyes, carried the thoughts of
passers-by away from clothes and city
things. They seemed to catch breath
of spicy winds from the worn garments
that chung to the strangers virile body
and in his eyes they saw a mirage of
far-away places.
AS Gerry reached his own house,
he was outwardly calm, even DELHI
crate, but inwardly he was fighting
down q turmoil of emotions What was
he to find in AIix? Had he anything to
give in exchange? Had he too much?
He climbed the steps slowly. His
hand trembled as he reached out to
raise the heavy bronze knOcker Be
fore his fingers could seize it, the door
swung softly inward. Old John bowed
before him. For moment Gerry
stood dazed. The naturalness of that
open door, of the old butler, of the cool
shadows in the old familiar hall, struck
straight at his heart with the shrewd
poignancy of simple things. Old John
raised a smiling face to greet him but
down one wrinkled cheek craWled
surprised tear.
Gerry held out his hand. How do
you do, John?"
Il am very we'll today, SIR" said
John. Mrs. Gerry is in the library
She told me to telephone to the club
and if you were there to say she
wished to see you
Gerry was puzzled. Why should Alix
think he would go to the club? He
handed the butler his old hat and
strobe to the library door. The door
was closed. Somebody said Come
in" The words were so low he hardly
heard them. He opened the door,
stepped inside and closed it behind
him
AliX dressed in a filmy blue and
white housegoWn, stood in the middle
of the room. With one hand appraised,
the other 0utStretched, she seemed to
be poised, equally ready for advance
or fight. Her eyes passed swiftly
over Gerry's face, swept searching
down to his feet and back again to his
face. For weeks she had been wonder.
ing. Terrible things had come to her
mind. Alan and Gerry, with his heart.
less note, had conspired to mystify, to
terrify her. All the joy she had looked
forward to in Gerry's homecoming
had turned into a bitter pain They
had not known on the hill how she was
suffering. Only Kemp had seemed to
understand little and had brought
his drop of comfort to her.
AS her eyes searched Gerry the sense
of impending calamity left her He
was well, we'll as she had never seen
him before. Except for that he seemed
almost weirdly familiar, as though
only a good nights sleep lay between
him and the morning of three years
ago when he had bullied her until she
had fought back and overwhelmed
| him.
A hundred little differences went to
! make up this solitary change. The flush
of too many drinks had given way to a
! deep healthy glow, the eyes We're deep
! ana grave instead of deep and vacant.
| the broad shoulders that had taken to
| hanging were braced in unconscious
! strength. Every line in the body that
| she had seen start on the road to gross
! ness had been fined down. The body
| was no longer a mere abode for a lin
| gering spirit. 1t had become a mocha
| nism, tuned to expression in action. II
was not the body of a time-server
| Alan's sole word of comfort came back
| ~ uGIs never L14OGS4l TIE OII ROCK
would ever loom so big" What force
had done this thing to Gerry? She felt
| pang, half envy, half remorse. II
she had been wise, less than that, il
she had been merely sage, could she
not have saved Gerry to himself and
spared her faith the test of the three
long years lost out of their youth?
Gerry stood erect by the door, one
hand still holding the knob. Why was
he waiting? Alix's raised hand went
slowly out to him in welcome but he
did not move. She smiled at him but
his eyes remained steadfast and grave
4 lump rose in AK throat and then
as pride came to her aid, a flare OF
colCr showed in her cheeks. Her lips
| opened. What could she say to hurt
him enough, to pay him back for this
added. unjust rebuff? She knew so