The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-10-05

reaction. one at last that came neal
to wrecking his purpose.
"Your clothes are about done for
JOAN" Prosper laughed one morning
watching her belt In her tattered
shirt; you'll soon look like Cophetua's
beggar maid"
'Tm not quite barefoot yet" She
held up cracked boot
IL was going to tell you that there
are a skirt and sort Of coat in-In
a closet in the hall. Do you want to
use them7"
She went out to look. In five min
utes he heard her laugh. and. still
laughing. she opened the door again.
"Oh. Mr.. Gael. were you really
thinking that could wear thesei
Look"
He turned and looked at her. She
had crowded her strong. 1.-the frame
into brown tweed suit. world too
narrow for her, and she was laughing
TO show him the misfit.
"These things Mr.. Gael" she said
-+hey must have been made for a tall
CHILD"
| Prosper had too far tempted his
pain. and In her vivid phrase 1t came
to fife before him. She had painted
startling picture and he had seen
that suit, so small and trim. before.
Juan saw his face grow white, his
eyes stared through her. He drew
quick breath and WINGED away from
her. hiding his face in his hands. A
NM nxf 10 70 bn xroc
sively, with violence. his head down
between his hands. Joan started
toward him, but he made wicked
and repellent gesture. She fed into
her room and sat, bewildered, on her
bed.
All a, once the question came to
her: for whom had the delicate fabrics
been bought. for whom had this suit
been male? ut was his wife and she
is dead" thought Joan. and very pitt
fully she took Off the suit. laid it
and the ozher things away, and sitting
by her wlEdow rested her chin In her
hands and stared out through the blue
pines. Tegrs ran down her face be-
cause she gas so sorry for Prosper's
pain. And again. thought Joan. she
had caused It. she who owed him ev-
erythIng. ras. she was deeply sorry
for Prosper. deeply; her whole heart
was stirred. For the first time she
had a longing to comfort him with
her hands.
For all that day Prosper fed the
house and wssit across the country,
now fording a flood of melted snow,
now floundering through a drift, now
walking on springy Sod unaware OF |
the soft spring. conscious only of a /
sort of fire in his breast He suffered |
and he resented his suffering, and he
would have killed his heart If, by so
doing he could have given 1t peace.
And all day he did not once think Of
Joan. but only of the ''tall child" for
whom the gay canyon refuge had been
built, but who had never set her slim
foot upon the threshold Sunset found
him miles away in the foothills of a
low, many-folded range across the
plain. He was dog tired, so that for
very exhaustion his brain had stopped
It's tormenting work. He lit fire and
sat W IL HuuQitu III iitc tOdls cliiOhlliSs
iozing, not able really to sleep for
,old and hunger. Prosper hated the
hight and its beautiful desolation, he
lated the God that had made this
and. He cursed the dawn when II
,ame delicately. spreading a green arc
# radiance across the east. And
hen. as he arose stiffly, stamped out
lis fire and started slowly on his way
'ack, he was conscious of a passion
tie inconsistencies. not for the old life
lie had lost, but for his cabin, his
right hearth. his shut-ir solitude. his
'oan. Very dear and real and human
he. was. and her laughter had been
weet. And she must be anxious
bout him. She would have sat up by
he fire all night. His eager
ess for her sighted comfort gave his
aging steps q certain vigor, the long
Talk back seemed very long indeed.
yoon was hot but he found water,
nd by shutdown ne came to the can
on trail. He wanted Joan as badly
ow as a hurt child wants its mother.
lie came, haggard and breathless to ,
ne door, called "Joan," came into the
arm little room and found 1t empty. ,
Yen Ho. to be sure. battered to meet /
I'm. .
mister Gael been gone long time, ;
ely, long. all night. Wen Ho, he
K bed. fix breakfast-oh. the ladyf ,
he gone out yestiddy. not come back. ,
he leave letter for him, there on :
lie table"
Prosper took IT. waved Wen Ho out, .
nd. dropping into the big chair, !
)ened the paper. There was Joan's :.
& handwriting, that he himself had :
ught her. Before. she could only
gn her name.
Mister Gael. dere friend: {,
you have ben too good to me an y
has ben too hard for you to keep >,
e when you were all the vile amissin ;,
n an IL hurts me to think OF how IL :
ust have ben terrible hard for you
this winter to see me where you
IA hen usf fo sepin her an mo xvea rim