San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-04

ing milk-pails from the shelf by the
kitchen door. No use spelling the old
boys fun with a call-down. He MIXED
swiftly, humming under his breath.
The rain came as they finished sup
per, a savage, drenching downpour,
roaring on the roof and the leaves.
Stephen helped Retta lower the win
dows, thinking, Of the way the pota-
toes would squirt when the sun came
back.
Wheels sounded In the swimming
lane, and the barn floor doomed with
the noise of hoofs. Somebody taking
shelter from the storm, Of course. He
lighted a lantern and stood in the
doorway. A man crossed the open
space at a run, crouched and hud-
died. Stephen did not recognize Ma
than Hobart till the older man
Strengthened under the shelter Of the
porch.
They faced each other warily, for
a moment. 1t struck Stephen Hobart
that Nathan was getting old. He tried
to summon sullen memories, but some
perverse trick of thought persisted in
recalling the time they had driven
over to the Leighton Fair, and had
been forced to cover by just such a
storm as this. Nathan had always
taken him along. on such excursions,
instead Of leaving him behind, as some
Of the neighbors would have done.
Give him credit for that, anyway.
"Glad you drove in" he heard him
self saying. "No kind of a night to
be driving that road"
Nathan Hobart nodded. "The storm
has done me a service, Stephen, in
bringing me here, against my wish. l
have owed you amends for months
but it has been hard to humble my
self and make them"
"Amends?" Stephen shook his head.
what for?"
"For being overready to think evil
of you, and overslow to admit that !
was wrong. I thought that you had
come back to the Glen to shame me
"Well, so I did Stephen broke in
quickly, puzzled at the sudden c. ger
ness to shield the old man from him
self. 81 knew you'd hate tine, liv-
ing here, like this. That's true
enough"
"But you have not shamed me-you
have given me better cause for pride
in you than if you had never left my
house. In one year you have"
He stopped. Stephen, following his
glance. turned and saw Retta stand
ing in the doorway.
"Oh, it's you, Mr.. Hobart? Will you
come in--or isn't our house good
enough"
Her tone shocked Stephen into pro-
test. saw, Retta-whats the sense
Of
"Oh, knew it would turn out like
this knew it," She kept her voice
low, but it shook with a passion he
had yer heard in it till now. HHed
have ct you starve, when you came
here with your rags, but he's willing TO
take you back, now that you've made
good. We were fit company for you,
the way you looked when / found you,
up there in the wood-lot; but we
aren't fit. now that you can hold up
your head with anybody" She laugh
ed softly. He could see her shoulders
culver.
"why, Retta-you-I--
"0h, go back with him. Maybe he'll
leave you something in his will Any
way, you'll be a Hobart again
you'll"
But I'm not going-nobody's said
anything about it, Think I'd quit, in
the middle of the season, with all those
crops"
She made a fierce, brushing gesture.
Crops! What do / care about few
potatoes. You want TO go-thats all
that matters. You're beginning to
stand up for him-like you did this
afternoon! You might as well 20 back
there's no sense in staying now
stephen turned to his uncle, aware
suddenly of the need to justify Retts,
to make Nathan Hobart understand
what lay beneath that flash of tero-
city.
II = all tight Z uCle Ndluhu-cuEe
got reason to feel the way she does.
L"
"Ill be going 1t pleased and puz-
zled him that Nathan should speak in
that level tone.s as if Retta had said
nothing that could hurt or startle him.
The rain is easing off. Good night"
Stephen walked out to the barn floor
with the lantern. Nathan united the
halter-strap and climbed in over the
wheel before Stephen found speech.
You mustn't mind what she said,
Uncle Nathan-She thought I'd quit"
And you will not quit?"
The question came sharply. He
laughed. Quit? Just when
Hardly. Good night"
Stephen watched the hooded buggy
blend into the darkness before be came
back to the porch. He did not see
that Retta was still standing there IN
til he lifted the lantern TO blow out
the flame. The light seemed 10 bring
her face suddenly out of the shadows,
as II she had moved soundleSSly to-
ward him. He met her eyes, searching
his, with the same look he bad seen
m them years before, when be faced
Ihad McTague's bullying in the veedy
SchoOl-yard.
He stood still, watching her and
wondering. Why didn't be want 20
quit? Why was il that he felt keen
er than ever TO go on? The main
spring that had driven him was gone.
What was there left 10 keep him work