Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-01-03
The Light in the Clearing
Continued from Page Two)

CONTINUED from Page Two)
"Yes-cOme on-it's after twelve
o'clock said Mr.. Dunkeioerg. "Sally
will be back from school now"
SO we walked to the big house of
the Dunkelbergs and l could hear my
heart beating when we turned in at
the gate-the golden gate of my youth
it must have been, for after | had
passed it | thought no more as child.
That rude push which Mr.. Grlmshaw
gave me had hurried the passing.
was a little surprised at my own
dignity when Sally opened the door
to welcome us. My uncle told Aunt
Deel that acted and spoke like Silas
Wright, $50 nice and proper" Sally
was different, too-less playful and
more beautiful with long yellow curls
covering her shoulders.
"How nice you look !" she said as
she took my arm and led me into her
playrOOm.
"These are my new Clothes" l
boosted. "They are very expensive
and l have to be careful of them"
behaved myself with great care
at the table, remember that-and,
after dinner, we played in the door
yard and the stable, l with great
fear of tearing my new clothes. l
stopped and cautioned her more than
once: BE careful For gracious
sake! be careful O. my new suit"
AS we were leaving late in the af-
ternoon she said:
II wish you would come here to
school,"
81 suppose he will some time" said
Uncle Peabody.
A new hope entered my breast, that
moment, and began to grow there.
AREN'T you going to kiss herr" said
Mr.. Dunkelberg with a smile.
saw the color in her cheeks deep
en- as she turned with smile and
walked away two or three steps while
the grown people laughed, and stood
with her back turned looking in at
the window.
you're looking the wrong way for
the scenery" said Mr.. Dunkelberg.
She turned and walked toward me
with look of resolution in her pref
t. face ana said:
'I'm not afraid Of him."
We kissed each other and, again,
that well-remembered touch of her
hair upon my face, But the feel Of
her warm lips upon my own-that was
so different and so sweet to remem-
her in the lonely days tltat followed !!
Fast flows the river to the sea when
youth is sailing on it. They had
showed me out Of the quiet cove into
the swift current-thOse dear, kindly
thoughtleSs people. Sally ran away
into the house as their laughter con-
tinued and my uncle and | walked
down the street. How happy 1 was
| observed with satisfaction that
the village boys did not make fun
of me when l passed them as they did
when | wOle the petticoat trousers.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wright came along with
the crowd, by and by, and Colonel
Medad Moody. We had supper with
the Senator on the seat with us. He
and my uncle began to talk about the
tightness of money and the banking
laws and 1 remember remark Of
my uncle, for there was that In his
tone which l could never forget:
eve poor people are trusting you
to look out for us-we poor people
are trusting you to see that we get
treated fair. We're havin' hard
time"
My uncle told him about the note
and the visit of Mr.. Grimshaw and Of
his threats and upbraidings.
did he say that In Bart's hearing%
asked the Senator.
ayes fright out plain"
"Too bad! I'm going to tell you
frankly, Baynes, that the best thing
know about you is your conduct to-
ward this boy. I like 1t. The next
best thing Is the fact that you signed
the note. 1t was bad business but
1t was good Christian conduct to help
your friend. Don't regret 1t. You
were poor and Of an age when the
boys FRANKS were troublesome to both
of you, but you took him In. I'll
lend you the interest and try to get
another holder for the mortgage on
one condition. You must let me at
tend to Bart's schooling. want to
be boss about that. We have great
schOOlmaSter in Canton and when Bart
is little older l want him to go
there to school. I'll try to find him
a place where he can work for his
board"
"We'll miss Bart but We'll be tickled
to death-tlere's no two ways about
that" said Cncle Peabody.
The Senator tested my arithmetic
and grammar and geography as we
rode along in the darkness and said
by and by:
you'll have to work hard, Bart.