The Washington herald., 1921-09-04
By Rose L. EUerbe

childhood He ssttied hir o-sx' On his
broad shoulders and sent . last appraising
look about the room. 1t was souare-snd
bare: q door and window to the east. . dou-
BILE window to the south. through which the
April sunshine flooded. gliding the yellow
paint Of the noor. The open butt-ry door
showed clean pine shelves. the new cook
stowe shons with nickel and mica Ths big.
black wood rocker, which had bssn the one
luxury Of his dugout, stood near . small cane
seated rocker. Edna would lit here 70 ssw.
or perhaps-ey and by-she might rock and
It At the thought
He looked into the tiny be6rocm-tts walls
covered with the cheapest Of papsrA trail
ing vine pattern. with pink and hfps flowers.
Somehow that bad seemed TO belong to Edna
The bedstead and the dresser were of the
shiniest-they had given up the wedding u
home 10 pay for that suite
mn look scruptous when she gets bsr
little sItmeraeks sro1nd- he tsld himself
with q smile Al he moved toward ths
back door he spoke out loud:
Its convenient and eomfortaSis-- be
glanced around once more. and shsn naks
it Beautiful And ITS all paid tor-thers
sinr any mortsass o. debt. thank Cod.
HIS thanksgiving vas % devout that be
took on bis cap and paused, . somhsr light
IN the steady eyss-
She shant never work her,en to death
the way mother did-- be was thinking. IT'S
been hard-aIlnred hard for both Of ua
waiting % lons-nys years! But I'm glad
stuck IT out. Now ws are beginning tight
anyway" At this moment he vas sursr
than ever Of that
The hxtty of the frosen plaina was In the
sturdy form and strongly blocked tacs Of the
man. a. he joEIsd over the half-thavsd road.
Yet his thoughts were leapinS forward
tumultuousiy. Tomorrow. Edna would step
from tho train to his armsi Tomorrow, Edna
would Be his wife Tomorrow, she would
coma to the house he had built for herI
In this hour. ths psst-that bad 70 long and
painfully prepared-or hindered-ehs way for
tomorrow. counted for nothing. Tomorro~,
for the nrst time. he would begin 10 i've
It was three o'clock the nsxt afternoon b.
fore Lon and his bride lsft the Prswitts and
started home. her trunk. sewing machine and
big box In the wagon behind the seat A
the scattering houses Of the VILLAGE were
left behind, Lon put his arm about Edna and
searched her eyes.
AT lasti" HIS voice shook WIN ehs mar
vel Of II. "oh. Ednai-
Yes. We are on the way home. at iast, .
she whispered, hsr syelids drooptng. 70 hide
tears Of JOY and Of sadness.
In this moment, the eulminatton q %
many postponsments. Of such seathinE de-
lays, they had not many words % say They
rode on In Silence, whns necks OF silver.
nscksd clouds sent shadows chasing scros
the Wide naked prairie. To the westward. .
black drift hung on the horison- Once Lon
remarked that It looked IKE rain.
If II waits I'LL We get home. wen not
cars-let it rain.- Edna's laugh rippisd with
new happiness a. he laughed WIN her. Sud
denly she lifted her bead from his shoulder
to glance about and cry. -why Lon I didn't
know there was railroad near here!.
There isn't- Then he. too. caught the
roar and rumbiing Of mighty train. He
turned quickly. From the west dense.
black cloud was sweeping toward than with
the speed and the scream Of demon eah-
YES, it's . cyclone he answered Bdnas
easplng word while he used bon hands -
hold his piunsins team He turned again
toward the hurting mass whose ravsnins
breath was already brushing their faoes
Get out and lie hat on the ground he
directed Before she could ooev. the cloud
veered and roared away 20 ths nsrthsast
-rrs gone ovsr.' his voice vAs vs~zy.
as II going toward bonnet she aues
TONED anxiously.
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