Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1917-02-28

or descent of the projecting powders.
Darkness was stealing slowly up from
the depths of the hollow, and still no
sign of old Tom gliding along up the
path in his habitually stealthy manner.
Dads uncommon late tonight, it
pears to me-" The girl took a step
down and sat upon the doorsill. Her
cheeks glowed like red ripe cherries in
the sunshine, for she had been bending
over the evening fire baking the corn
pone and frying the bacon for the
nights meal. From the table came the
odor of the meat 1t floated out through
the doorway on the evening atmOs
phere and was appetiZing to the sense.
eff dad could smell the meat I reckon
he'd be comm home without waitin'
any longer. | wonder what he can be
doin' anyhow"
Affecting of uneasinesS darted through
her as she thought of the feud; but
suddenly rising, as if to escape some
burden, she hurled the thought from
her. "'Tain't that; no, faint that
she declared as she sat down again.
But the twilight deepened into dark
ness, the stars came out, the meat grew
cold on the table. and it's odor no longer
told of its SAVIOR. Still old Tom had
not come. Ruth peered into the dark
ness at every cracking of the tWigs.
but nothing materialized to her long
ing. 1t had been years since old Tom
had spent night away from home.
was shot down on the side Of Little
fon ~
stars and saying to herself:
Before can count a hundred he
will be here
But the hundred grew to 200, then to
300. Then she began and counted them
all over again. Hour after hour dragged
away, and the moon had climbed to a
position in the heavens whence its
light shone down the cabin chimney
The occasional boot of an owl or the
cry of catamount pierced the silence
and fell upon Ruth's ear with startling
effect. though these were but common
noises of the night. Again and again
came the thought of the feud, but just
as often as it came, shuddering, she
cast it from her.
'It can't be. it can't be-" she invaria-
bly, murmured Dads too quick for
that
The moon slipped over the roof of the
cabin, and Ruth watched the shadow
Of the house lengthen away from the
doorstep, and she counted the points OF
its serrated edge.
Suddenly while thus engaged the
shrill, ear splitting shrek of a mountain
cat struck upon her ear with terrible
distinctness and nearness, and at the
same instant came the fash Of long
angular body, splitting the moonlight
from the high branch of an old chest
nut oak and terminating in a pigsty 8
few yards away. There followed one
answering squeak from an unfortunate
pig, and Ruth, springing to her feet
ran inside the cabin and slammed the
door shut behind her.
Il reckon l amt myself somehow,
jumpin' and runnin' at the scream of
a cat, but there's one pig less. poor
thing!'
She threw herself across the bed and
closed her eyes with her hands.
Strange | amt sleepy by this time
an it past midnight. If dad amt in by
daylight | reckon I'd better start out
after him. If l could jest keep from
thinkin' about the feud. If there was
only Jim I'd feel easier about it, be-
cause Jim is-Jim's about There,
now, if dad only knowed I was a-think-
in that way about it-about one O. the
DunstOns-I don't know what would
happen"