Licking Valley courier., 1922-06-08

who's HereT She Cried. "Who's
Here7"
knocked upon 1t, and receiving no 70.
ply, she beat upon II with both hsts.
,"WhO's herei" she cried. "Who's
heref"
The door opened then a very little,
and the frightened face of an Indian
woman appeared In the crack. The
woman evidently had expected-and
feared-some arrival, and was reas-
sured when she saw only girl. She
threw the door wider open, and bent
to help 7unfasten Constance's snow.
shoes; having done that. she led her
In and closed the door.
"Where Is your mani" Constance
had caught the woman's arm.
'They sent him& to the beach. A
ship has sunk" -
"Are there houses near ;heref You
must run to ope offthem at once.
Bring whoever you can get; or II you
won't do that, tell me where to ,go.g .
The woman stared at her S.biidly
and moved away. .tBone neaf,", she
said. Besides, you could not get
somebody before some one will come"
"Who is thati"
HE ls on the beach-Henry Spear
man. He comes here to warm him
self. 1t is nearly time he comes
again."
Constance gazed at her; the woman
was plainly glad Of her coming. Her
relief-relief from that fear she had
been feeling when she opened the door
was very evident. 1. was Henry.
then, who had frightened her.
The Indian woman set chair for
her beside the stove, and put water In
a pan to heat; she shook tea leaves
from box into bowl and brought q
cup. .s.
"How many on that ship?"
Altogether there were thirty.
nine." Constance replied.
"Seven are living then"
"Sevenf What have you heardf
What makes you think SOP
'"That rs what the Drum saystp
The Druml There was a Drum
thenl At least there was some sound
which people heard and which: they
called the Drum. For :he woman had
heard 1t. T.
Constance grew suddenly cold. For
twenty lives, the woman said, the
Drum had beat; that meant to her,
and to Constance too now, that seven
were left. Indefinite, desperate denial
hat all from the ferry must be dead
that denial which had been strength
ened by the news that at least one
boat had been adrift near Beaver
altered In Constance to conviction oi
a boat with seven men from the ferry
seven dying, perhaps, but no: yet
dead. Seven out Of twenty-seven
The score were gone; the Drum hat
beat for them in little groups as the,
died. When the Drum beat again
would II beat beyond the scoref
Having finished the tea, Constanc,
returned to the. door and reopened II
the sounds outside were the same. 4
solitary figure appeared moving alonl
| the edge Of the ice-the figure Of {
tall man, walking on snowshoes
moonlight distorted the figure. and I
was muffled. too, in great coat whiel
made II unacceptable. He haite,
and stood looking out at the lake an,
then, with a sudden movement strod,
on; he halted again. and now Con
stance got the knowledge that he wa
not looking; he was listening as sh'
was.
"Is the Drum sounding nowt" sh
asked the woman. -
"No." .s
Constance gaEed again at the ma
and found his motion quite unmistal
able; he was counting-if net countin
something that he heard, or thought b
heard, he was recounighg and review
log within himself something that b
had heard befere-some irreguls
rhythm which had become so much
!. part of him that II sounded now cor
tinually within his own brain; 30 tina
lnstlnetively, he moved In cadence
Il. He stepped forward again nov
and turned toward the house.
Her breath caught as she spoke I
the woman "Mr. Spearman ls comm
here nowl"
Her impulre was to remain wher
she was, lest he should think she va
| afraid of him; but realization came
her that there might be advantage
seeing him before he knew that 81
was there, 80 she reclosed the door an
drew back into the cabin.