The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-05-07

2Ee Light
in the
Clearing
A Tale Of tho North
Country iis the Tirzse
Of Silas Wright
BY
IRVING DAOHELLER
AusAss 81 ~Rssn Heidsn.. sD'n snd
~Darvsi ofths Blessed Isles"
KssSias Up With Lissis." kte- Rte.


the tnlcket OF pines uOWn the Vhliey.
unhitched and mounted my horse.
"Take the first turn to the right"
sold the old man as he picked up his
scythe.
"rm very much obliged to you"
said.
mo We amt, nuther," he answered.
'Leastways there amt no reason why
We should be-"
My horse, impatient as ever to find
the end Of the road. hurried me along
and in moment or two we were down
under the pine grove that surrounded
the house of old Squire Fullerton-a
big, stone house with a graveled road
around 1t. A great black dog came
barking and growing at me from the
front porch. i rode around the house
and he followed. Beyond the windows
l could see the CLEAN Of candlelight
and moving figures. A man came out
Of the back door as / neared 1t.
"Who's thereT" he demanded
"My name is Barton Baynes from
st. Lawrence county. Kate Fullerton
is my friend and l wish to see her"
"Come up to the steps, sor. Don't
git off yer horse-'til I've chained the
dog. Kate'll be out In a minute"
He chained the dog to the hitching
post and as he did so a loud, long,
wailing cry broke the silence of the
house. 1t put me In mind of the COM
plant of the damned which remem-
bered hearing the minister describe
years before at the little schoolhouse
in Lickitysplit. How 1t narrowed me
The man went into the house. Soon
he came out of the door with lighted
candle In his hand, woman following.
How wildly l remember the little MUIR
muir of delight that came from her lips
when he held the candle so that It's
light fell upon my facet jumped off
my horse and gave the reins to the
man and put my arms around the poor
woman, whom loved for her sorrows
and for my debt to her. and rained
kisses upon her withered cheek. oh
God what a moment 1t was for both
of usl
The way she held me to her breast
and patted my shoulder and said my
boy PIN q 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.
She led me into the house. She
looked very neat now-in a black
gown over which was a spotless white
n -
more slender than when / had seen
her last. She took me into q large
room In the front of the house with a
carpet and furniture, handsome once
but now worn and decrepit. Old, time
stained engravings of scenes from the
Bible, framed in wood, hung on the
walls.
l told all that / had heard from
home and of my life in Cobleslill but
observed, presently, faraway look i'm
her eyes and judged that she was not
hearing me. She whispered:
"SallyT
"She has been at school in Albany
for a year." 1 said. "She is at home
now and am going to see her."
"You love Sally?" she whispered.
"Better than love my life"
Again she whispered: "Get mar.
ried."
"we hope to In 1914. / have agreed
to meet her by the big pine tree on the
river bank at eleven o'clock the third
of June, 1874. We are looking for
ward to that day."
A tall. slim woman entered the room
then and said that supper was ready.
Kate rose with a smile and followed
her into the dining room where two
tables were spread. One had certain
dishes on II and white cover. frayed
and worn. She led me to the other
table which was neatly covered with
snowy linen. The tall woman served
supper on deep blue china, cooked
as only they could cook In old New
England. Meanwhile could hear the
voice Of the aged squIre-a weird,
empty, inhuman voice 1t was, utterly
cut of from his intelligence. 1t 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 flood
ed, hundred times day. by the IN
happy spirit of its master. In the
dead of the night heard its despair
echoing 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 history.
The look on her face, even while I
was speaking, indicated that her
thoughts wandered, restlessly, In the