Smyrna times., 1919-10-15
SHOWED IN
BY NELLIE A. FAIRBANKS.

.-5Ta 90 SAie Wdtcned the small white
SnCWnakes whirl around, then land IN
niue piles outside the window.
how l hate this old, lonely farm.
mousse with its rickety old roof" AND
jean shivered as the low moan of tbe
WIND broke the stiffness.
Just because Toms father left him
rins old rattle-trap is no reason wbv 1
Snould spend my life here"
Lving in the old, lonely farmhouse
had been the bone Of contention be.
tween Jean and Tom ever since he had
Drought her there bride one year be-
tore and while Tom could see nothing
Our beauty in the place that had nj.
ways Deen home to him, Jeans heart
nched for a cozy little apartment in
the city. '''- '--''' ~
The sound Of heavy footstens +o,d
jean her big, goOd-natured husband
was approaching, and she realized IT
was supper time. Leaving the win.
uoW' Jean started for the kitchen to
De greeted by her husband with the
words; We'll, grille, I guess we are
III Tor big snowStorm." Jean did not
reply, but prepared the sumner in
gloomy silence.
AFTER the - supper dishes were
washed and put away Tom put some
logs in the fireplace and drawing an
armchair close to the fire he gently
pushed Jean into it, and seating him.
Selt on the arm they watched the
burning logs in silence. Suddenly
Jean spoke: Il think will run IN to
the city tomorrow, Tom, and see
mother for a few weeks. It doesn't
seem as though I could stand tbis
place any longer" "All right, Jeanie:
perhaps the change will do you good"
IoIn said goOd-naturedly. But as the
hgnt from the cracking logs fell upon
MS race Jean could not help but see
the panied expression. Nevertheless
she had made up her mind to 90 and
nothing could stop her. She lust
longed for the noise and excitement Of
the city; and the next morning, al
though it showed hard, found her on
her way.
The train was four hours late. and
when Jean arrived at her mothers
cozy four-room apartment she was
tired and cross. Somehow her
thoughts kept turning back to Tom as
she saw him last, standing by the win
dow, smiling and waving until she was
ont of sight.
The evening hours dragged slowly
by, and as the steam pipes sizzled
Jean found herself comparing the
Kissing noise to the soft cracking of
the logs at home.
at ten O'clock she went to her old
room, and after she had prepared to
retire, turned off ner light, and raising
the curtain she gazed, as she had the
night before, at the white flakes Dill
ing up on the roofs beyond, aud as
she watched she pictured Tom. sitting
by the log fire. The wind blew the !
wet fakes against her window and !
jean hated the sound. She looked at |
the clock on the tower across the way. |
1t was now II 30 Just ten hours be- /
fore the next train home! H0me, how /
strangely sweet the word sounded |
Then an awful fear seized Jean. What /
if the snow continued and the trains |
would be unable to run? Her fears /
were realized, for when she awoke the
next morning the snow was still COM
ing steadily down. Mother and father
pleaded with her to stay, but nine
O'Clock found her on her way to the
station.
The train was stalled for hours at
different places, and it was not until
nine o'clock that night that Jean
reached the little country station, and
as no carryall put in its appearance
she started afoot to the farmhouse.
The big drifts in places were nearly
TO her waist, and If 1t were not for
the bright light in the low farmhouse
window ahead Jean would have lost
her courage.
At last, cold and wet, she crept soft
ly up the steps, then quietly opened
the door. Tip-tOeing softly, she made
her way to the sitting room and up to
the old armchair, and by the light Of
the dying fire she could see that Tom
had fallen asleep. Pushing back his
ruffied hair from his forehead she
pressed her cold cheek against his
warm one.
With a start Tom awOke, exclaim-
Ing happily: "Why. grille, what does
this mean?" Then Jean explained
how unhappy she had been the night
before. eff had been obliged to walk
all the way from mothers, Tom,
would have come just the same," and
rs the wind moaned again through the
Jean nestled closer and
"That's music. dear, COM
pared with the kissing of steam pipes"
md the dying light from the logs fell
mon a contented connie