Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-29
CHAPTER XVII
(Continuedl

NV horse, impatient as ever TO
find the end of the road, hurried me
along and in a moment or two we
were down under the pine grove
that surrounded the house OF old
Squire FuIlerton-a big, stone
house with a graveled road around
il. A great black dog came bark
ing and growing at me from the
front porch. | rode around the
house and he followed. Beyond the
windows 1 could see the CLEAN or
candlelight and moving figures. A
man came out of the back door as l
neared it.
my name is Barton Baynes from
ST. Lawrence county. Kate Fuller
ton is my friend and Wish 10 see
her"
Come up the steps, scr. Don't
git off yer horse-'tl I've chalnea
the dog. Katell be out in a min
ute"
He chained the dog to the hitch
ing post and as he did so loud
long, wailing cry broke the silence
of the house. 1t put me in mind OF
the complaint of the damned when
I remembered hearing the minister
describe years before at the little
schoolhouse in Lickityspltt. How
it narrowed me!
The man went into the house.
Soon he came out of the door Win
a lighted candle in his hand, a
woman following. How vlVldly
remember the little murmur of de-
light that came from her lips when
he held the candle so that its light
fell upon my face, 1 jumped off my
horse and gave the reins to the
man and put my arms around the
moor woman, whom I loved for her
sorrows and for my debt to her,
and rained kisses upon her with
cred cheek. Oh God! what mo-
ment it was for both OF US!
The way she held me to her
breast and patted my shoulder and
said my boy,"-in a low, faint,
treble voice so like that of a child
it is one of the best memories
that take with me into the new life
now so near, from which there Is
no returning.
"My boy!" Did it mean that she
had appointed me to be kind or
proxy for the one she had lost and
that she had given to me the affec-
ton which God had stored in her
heart for him? If that, know only
what may be conveyed by strong
but unspoken assurance.
She led me into the house. She
looked very neat now-in black
gown over which was a spotless
4, ~
and much more slender than when
/ had seen her last. She took me
into a large room in the front OF
the house with a carpet and furni-
ture, handsome once but now worn
and decrepit. Old, time-stained en-
cravings of scenes from the bible,
framed in wood, hung on the walls.
She gave me a chair by the can
die-stand and sat near me and
looked into my face with a smile of
satisfaction. In moment she
pointed toward the west with that
forefnger, which in my presence
had cut down her enemy, and wills
pered the one word:
News"
l told all that I had heard from
home and of my like in Cobleskill
but observed, presently, a faraway
look in her eyes and judged that
she was not hearing me. Again
she whispered:
"Sally?"
"She has been at school in AL
bany for a year" | said. "She is
at home now and l am going to see
her"
You love SaIly?s she whispered.
Better than l love my life"
Again she whispered: Get mar
riedi"
I'VE hope to in 1874. have
agreed to meet her by the big pine
tree on the river bank at IL o'clock
the third day of June, 1874. We
are looking forward to that day"
A kind of shadow seemed to come
ont of her spirit and rest upon her
face and for a moment she looked
very solemn. / suppose that she
OWNED the meaning of all that.
She shook her head and whispered ::
Money thirst"
A tall, slim woman entered the
room then and said that supper was