Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-07-15

see that his head was buzzing with her
beauty and her kindly words. II
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.
Zine" he cried. II never saw her
match" -
Were 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. I thought that he would likely
come back, but he did, and /
saw him far off walking up the brae
with his chin on his chest.
But I was not to forget him, for
Cousin Eide had a hundred questions
to ask me about his tboyhood, about
his strength, about the women tina,
he was likely to know; there was no
satisfying her. And then again, later
in the day, 1 heard of him, but in a
less pleasant fashion.
IL q lily IllliC "lo SdllC uOLlC
in the evening with his mouth full of
poor Jim. He had been deadly drunk
since midday, had been down to West
house Links to fight the gypsy cham
pion, and it was not certain that the
man would live through the night. My
father had met Jim on the highroad,
dOur as a thunder cloud, and with an
insult in his Y for every man that
passed him. Gould sakes" said the
old Hell make a fine practice
for himself if breaking bones will do
it." Cousin Edie laughed at all this,
and I laughed because she did, but ]
was not so sure that it was funny.
On the third day afterward I was
going up Corriemufr by the sheep
track, when who should l see striding
down but Jim himself. But he was
another man from the big, kindly fell
low who had supped his porridge with
us the other morning. He had no col
lar nor tie, his vest was open, his hair
matted, and his face notified like a
man who has drunk heavily overnight.
He carried an oak stick, and he
slashed at the whin bushes on either
side of the path.
"Why, JIM" said 7.
But he looked at me in the way that
L a often seen at SchOol when the
devil was strong in him. and when he
knew that he was IN fh" rnrr. md
vet set his will +" NrNzcn =" ~,
a word did he 50" hu' II
me on the narrow pa !,
gered on, still brandishing his stick
and cutting at the bushes.
All we'll, I was not angry with him.
I was sorry, very sorry, and that was
all. Of course I was not so blind but
that I could see how the matter stood.
He was in love with Edie, and he could
not bear to think that I should have
her. Poor devil how could he help it?
Maybe I should have been the same.
There was a time when I should have
wondered that a girl could have turned
a strong mans head like that, but /
knew more about it now.
For a fortnight / saw nothing Of
Jim Horscroft, and then came the
Thursday which was to change the
whole current Of my life.
I had woke early that day, and, with
a little thrill Of joy, which is a rare
thing to feel when a man first opens
his eyes. Edie had been kinder than
usual the night before. and 1 had fallen
asleep with the thought that maybe at
last I had caught the rainbow, and
that, without any imaglnings OR make
believes, she was learning to love plain
Jack Calder of West Inch. 1t was this
thought, still at my heart, which had
given me that little morning chirrup of
joy. And her I remembered that if
I fastened l might be in time for her,
for it was her custom to go out with
the sunrise.
But | was too late. When | came
to her door it vas half open and the
room empty. Well, thought l, at least
l may meet her and have the home.
ward walk with her. / ~Zigzagged up
the steep pathway. breathing in the
thin, keen morning air, and humming a
Tilt as / went, until I came out, Il little
short of breath, among the whins
upOu lllG up. lIoOhlI1S uOWH lHc iouS
slope of the farther side, I saw Cousin
Edie as I had expected, and l saw Jim
Horscroft walking by her side.
They were not far away, but too
taken up with each other to see me.
She was walking slowly, with the
little petulant cock of her dainty head
which 1 knew so well, casting her eyes
away from him, and shooting out a
word from time to time. He paced
along beside her, looking down at her
and bending his head in the eagerness
of his talk. Then, as he said some.
thing, she placed her hand with a ca.
ress, upon his arm, and he, carried off
his feet, plucked her up and kissed
her again and again. At the sight ]
could neither cry out nor move, but
stood with a heart Of lead and the
face Of a dead man staring down at
them. I a her hand passed over his
shoulder, and that his kisses were as
welcome to her as ever mine had been.
Il Then hn cot bar. down again and |