Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-07-03

oN0S sAANS JSd1 dSO al VIC I'LL L ICulu
a word from him since that day-nary
a word, mister. 1 suppose we will some
time. He grew into a good man, but
there was a kind of a queer streak in
the blood, as We might say, on both
sides kind O.. We've wrote letters out
to Wisconsin, where he was p'intin'
for, an to places on the way, but we !
can't git no news bout, him. Mebbe
he was killed by the Injuns."
We walked out Of the graveyard to-
gether in silence.
I could see a glimmer of a light in
the thicket of pines down the valley. I
unhitched and mounted my horse.
stake the first turn to the right"
said the old man as he picked up his
scythe.
"I'm very much obliged to you," 1
said.
"No 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 a 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 it. 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
and moving figures. A man came out
of the back door a. I neared it.
"WhO's there?" he demanded.
my name is Barton Baynes from
st. Lawrence county. Kate Fullerton
is my friend and I wish to see her."
"Come up to the steps, sor. Don't
git off yer horse-'til I've chained the
dog. Kate1l 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 1 remem-
bered hearing the minister describe
years before at the little schoolhouse
in Lickitysplit. How it narrowed me!
The man went into the house. Soon
he came out of the door with a lighted
candle in his hand, q woman following.
How wildly / 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 face! I jumped off
my horse and gave the reins to the
man and put my arms around the poor
woman, whom I loved for her sorrows
and for my debt to her, and rained
kisses upon her withered. cheek. Oh
God! what a moment it was for both
of us!
The way she held me to her breast
and patted my shoulder and said "my
4 boy!"-in a low, faint, treble voice so
like that Of a child-it is one of the
best memories that I take with me into
the new life now SO near, from which
there is 10 returning.
She led me into the house. She
looked very. neat now-in a black
gown over which was a spotless white
apron and collar Of lace-and much
more slender than when I had seen
her last. She took me into a large
room in the front of the house with a
carpet and furniture, handsome once
but now worn and decrepit. Old, time
stained e%ngravings of Genes from the
Bible, framed in wood, hung on the
walls.
I told all that I had heard from
home and of my life in Cobleskill but
observed, presently, a faraway look in
her eyes and judged that she was not
hearing me. She whispered:
"Sally?"
"She has been at school in Albany
for a year." I said. "She is at home
now and I am going to see her."
"You love Sally?" she whispered.
"Better than I love my life"
Again she whispered: "Get mar
ried!"
"We hope to in 1914. I have agreed
to meet her by the big pine tree on the
river bank at eleven o'clock the third
of June, 1914. 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 l followed
her into the dining O where Two
tables were spread. One had certain
dishes on it and a white cover, frayed
and worn. She led me to the other
table which was neatly covered with
snowy linen. The tall woman served
a supper on deep blue china, cooked
as only they could cook in old New
England. Meanwhile I could hear the
voice of the aged squire-a weird,
empty, inhuman voice it was, utterly
cut off from his intelligence. 1t came
out of the troubled depths Of his
misery.
So that h~ouse-the scene Of his
great sin which would presently lie
down with him in the dust-was flood
ed, a hundred times a day, by the un'
happy spirit of Its master. In the
dead of the night l heard Its despair
echolng through the silent chambers
Kate said little as We ate. or as we
d. - A., -~--.-