Middletown transcript., 1920-07-31
CHAPTER ".
The Choosing Of Jim.

CHAPTER w.
The Choosing Of Jim.
And then there came ten weeks
which were like a dream, and are so
now to look back upon. would
weary you were I to tell you what
passed between US, but oh! how ear
nest and fateful and all-important 1t
was at the time. Her waywardness,
her ever-varying moods, now bright,
now dark like a meadow under drift
ing clouds, her causeless angers, her
sudden repentances, each in turn fill
ing me with Joy or sorrow-these
were my life, and all the rest was but
emptiness. But ever deep down be-
hind all my other feelings was vague
disQuiet-a fear that I was like the
man who set forth to lay hands upon
the, rainbow, and that the real Edie
Calder, however near she might seem,
was in truth forever beyond my
reach.
It was after Christmas, but the win
ter had been mild, with just frost
enough to make 1t safe walking over
the peat bogs. One fresh morning
Edie had been out early, and she came
back to breakfast with fleck Of color
on her cheeks.
"Has your friend, the doctors son
come home, Jack?" says she.
II heard that he was expected"
"Ah, then it must have been him
that I met on the muir"
what? You met Jim HOrscroft?"
II am sure it must be he. A splen-
did-looking man, hero, with curly
black hair, a short, straight nose, and
gray eyes. He was dressed in gray,
and he has a grand, deep, strong
voice."
"Ho, no, you spoke to him?" said /.
She c0lored little, .as If she had
said more than she meant. Il was 60
ing where the ground was little soft,
and he warned me of it." she said.
"Ah, it must have been dear old
Jim," said l. "Why, heart alive! here
Is the very man himself" I had seen
him through the kitchen window, and
now I rushed out with my half-eaten
bannock in my hand to greet him. He
ran forward, too, with his great hand
out and his eye shining.
"Ah, Jock y he cried, "it's good to
see you again. There are no friends
like the old ones" Then suddenly he
stuck in his speech and stared, with
his mouth open, over my shoulder. l
turned, and there was Edie, with such
a merry, roguish smile, standing in the
door. How proud felt of her, and
of myself too, as I looked at her.
"This is my cousin, Miss Edie Cal
der, Jim," said I.
"DO you often take walks before
breakfast, Mr.. Horscroft?' she asked,
still with that roguish smile.
EYES," said he, staring at her with
all his eyes.
$50 do 1, and generally over yon-
der" said she; 'but you are not very
hospttable to your friend, Jack. If you
do not do the honors shall have to
take your place for the credit Of West
Inch"
Well, in another minute we were in
with the old folk, and Jim had his
plate Of porridge ladled out for him,
but hardly word would he speak, but
sat, with his spoon in his hand, star
ing at Cousin Edie. She shot little
twinkling glances across at him all the
time, and it seemed to me that she was
amused at his backwardness, and that
she tried by what she said to give him
heart.
"Jack was telling me that you were
studying to be DOCTOR" said she.
"But oh how hard 1t must be, and
how long it must take before one can
gather so much learning as that"
1T takes me long enough" Jim an
swered, ruefully. "but I'll beat 1t yet. !"
"How candid and truthful you are I"
she cried, and so they went on, she
decking him with every virtue and
twisting his words to make him play
the part, in the way that knew so
well. Before she was done could
see that his head was buzzing with her
beauty and her kindly words.
thrilled with pride to think he should
think so well Of my kin.
"Isn't she fine, Jim?' I could not
help saying when we stood alone out
side the door, he lighting his pipe be-
fore he set off home.
'Fine!" he cried. II never saw her
match"
"We're going to be married." said I.
The pipe fell out Of his mouth, and
he stood staring at me. Then he
picked it up and walked off without a
| word. l thought that he would likely
come back, but he never did, and l
saw him far of walking up the brae
with his chin on his chest.
But I was not to forget him, for
Cousin Edie had hundred questions
to ask me about his boyhood,. about
his strength, about the women tha'
he was likely to know; there was no
satisfying her. And then again, later
in the day. heard Of him, but in a
less pleasant fashion.