Evening star., 1922-04-30
Read This Story and Check Against Life at Twenty

mountains where he was cookin' his
own dinner. He's a prospector. Amt
he?"
Anna nodded.
Suppose you was to come back to
him like a dream. only really you.
would he want you to stay. Would
you want him to want you?"
EOR a long time the girl stared
across the pool where 'the blue
bottles darted. Whats the use of
imaginin'r' she said finally. but her
brow frightened into a frown Of spec
ulation. NO" she said. Il wouldn't
60 back to him, even II he crawled
all the way to Green Mountain on
his knees" Her voice was dull and
monotonic. Funny. though" she
went on, II don't hate him-now. It's
like bein' mad at the lightnin' for
havin' struck tho barn. The light
MIN don't care" She stopped, CROP
ings her way to expression. But /
reckon he burned somethin' up in
me. Nothin' matters much. even
Steve don't reckon I want any
thin'-except to get away from here.
thought Steve would take me to
Des Moines. but he says he couldn't
make a livin' there. He wants to
rent the Stump place. Tho Stump
place!" Her voice was thin with
m6ckery.
"Supposin' you was to get the mon
ey to go to Des Moines. enough SO
you could live comfortable till you
found some kind of work you liked"
Dumbly Hephzibah prayed she might
not blunder. "Do you low that
would make you happy?"
A dull color mounted in the girls
cheeks. II amt misunderstanding
you," she said slowly. ITS Steve
you're thinkin' Of"
Hephzibah met her eyes squarely.
Mostly"
There was another long moment OF
silence. A chipmunk scurried through
the dusty leaves that choked the
thicket and somewhere wood
thrush called. "I like trimmin' hats"
Anna answered, land nobody would
know nothin'."
Nobody"
Again there was silence, then the
girl turned on her sharply. How
do 1 know you amt foolin'?' she de-
manded. "You wouldn't be the first.
How do 1 know you got the money!"
She laughed shrilly. and it was not
I'd like to see those greenbacks
before 1 give up Stephen. He'd get
me loose from the Herters. anyway"
From the pocket of her alpaca
skirt Hephzibah drew out five bills
and smoothed them gently on her
knee. They're for ten dollars each" !"
she said. II was goin' to use them
to go back home with. I amt been
home since-since I was young like
you" With a little awkward ges-
ture she held them out to Anna. 81
want you to have them, please"
For a moment the girl hesitated,
and her eyes lost their hardness.
"You-you must think a lot of him."
she said finally.
Hephzibah met her look. "I do.
don't want him or you to do any
thin, rashly. You both got it in you
to take it too hard. 1t amt safe for
some people to suffer, and I low
you've had just about your share"
r. ~ r r.
THE chipmunk, more curious than
frightened. blinked at them drolly
from the edge of the woodpile. A
long time the girls eyes watched
him. Slowly she smiled at Heph-
zibah. Hes watin' for my decision
Then she looked back again at the
chipmunk. Well, won't keep you
standin' any longer. sir. I'm goin'.'
That afternoon. too. Hephzibah
posted a letter at the station in Green
Mountain. The handwriting on the
envelope was here, old-fashioned and
tricked out with delicate fourishes
but the note inside was hurried
boyish scrawl. 1t was the unfinished
letter that had lain for three months
under the drawn-work handkerchief
in Hephzibah's top bureau drawer.
On Saturday Stephen drove into the
village. His ostensible destination
was the post office. but he wanted to
meet Smart by chance and talk to
him. The Stump place adjoined
Zeke's on the west and, with the help
of one hired man, Stephen could man.
age the two as easily as one. Be-
sides, he intended to marry Anna as
soon as the harvest was in.
At the door of the post office stood
the usual group OF Saturday idlers.
Their gossip stopped as Stephen ap-
preached and pushed by them. He
noticed only that Smart was not in
the group. Had he not been preoc-
cupied, he might have observed the
self-conscious silence and their iout-
ish curiosity.
Three farmers stood ahead of him
at the delivery window and Stephen
resentfully fell into line. When his
turn at last came the postmaster
pushed two letters toward him. and
he slipped them hastily into his
pocket Suddenly he felt a heavy
hand on his shoulder and he wheeled
to confront old Herter.
where's Anna?" The group in the
doorway drew nearer. eager for the
sordid revelations of tragedy.
Stephen drew away stiffiy from the
calloused hand. "At home, / sup
pose"
"You suppose" the man jeered
His face was coarse with insinuation
She went last night on the flier. Abe