Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-29
The Light IN
the Clearing
Bv IRVING BACHELLER
Copyright 1917. The Bobbs-Merrn Co.

ready. Kate rose with a smile and
/ followed her into the dining
room where two tables were spread.
One had certain dishes on il and
a white cover frayed and worn. She
led me TO the other table which wac
neatly covered with snowy linen.
The tall woman served a supper
on deep, blue china, cooked as only
they could cook in old New Eng
land. Meanwhile / could hear the
voice of the aged squire-a weird,
empty, inhuman voice II was, at
terly cut off from his intelligence.
It came out of the troubled depths
of his misery.
So that house-the scene Of his
great sin which would presently lie
down with him in the dust-was
flooded, a hundred times a day, by
the unhappy spirit of its master. In
the dead of the night | heard its
despair echbing through the silent
chambers.
Kate said little as we ate, or as
we sat Together in the shabby.
great room after supper. but she
seemed to enjoy my talk and ! went
into the details of my personal his
tory. How those years of suffering
and silence had warped her soul
and body in a way Of speakingl
They were a poor fit in any COM
pany now. Her tongue had lost its
taste for speech ! doubt not; her
voice was gone. although I had
heard a low plaintive murmur in
the words my boy"
, The look of her face, even while
/ was speaking, indicated that her
thoughts wandered, restIessly in
the gloomy desert of hes past I
thought of that gay bird-like youth
of her OF which the old man with
the scythe had told me and won
dered. AS / was thinking OF this
there came a cry from the aged
squire so loud and doleful that It
startled me and l turned and look
ed toward the open door.
Kate rose and came TO my side
and leaning toward my ear whis-
pered:
1T is my father He is always
thinking Of when l was girl He
wants me-"
She babe me good night and left
the room. Doubtless ii was the out
ragged, departed spirit of that gold
en- time which was haunting the old
squire. A Bible lay on the table
near me and I sat reading il for an
ner solemnly tolled the hour Of
nine. In came the tall woman and
asked in the hrogue Of the Irish:
would We like to 60 10 bed?"
Eyes, ! am tired"
She took a candle and led me up
a broad oaken stairway and into
room of the most generous proper
tions. A big four-post hedstead.
draped in white, stood against a
wall The bed, sheeted in old lin
en-. had quilted covers. The room
was noticeably clean; its furniture
of old mahogany and its carpet
comparatively unworn.
When I was undressed I dreaded
to put out the candle. For the first
time in years had a kind Of child
fear of the night. But | went 10
bed at last and slept rather ftfully.
waking often when the cries of
the old squire came flooding
through the walls. How I longed
for the light of morning! II came
at last and I rose and dressed and
seeing the hired man in the yard,
went out-of-doors. He was q
good-natured Irishman.
I'm glad o. the sight o We this
fine mornin'." said he. TITS a
pleasure to see any one that has all
their senses-sure it is
I went with him TO the stable
yard where he did his milking and
talked of his long service with the
squire.
I'VE was glad when he wrote for
Kate to come" he said. But sure,
I don't think it's done him any good.
He's gone wild since she got here.
He was always fond o his family
spite o. all they say. Did We see the
second table in the dinin'-room?
Sure, that's stood there ever since
| his first wife ct her last meal on H.
| just as it was then, sor-the same
cloth, the same dishes, the same
sugar in the bowl, the same pickles
! in the jar. He was like one o. them
| big rocks in the field there-ye
couldn't move him when he put his
| foot down"
| CContiuued Tomorrow