Plentywood herald., 1931-08-06

small old table and chairs, the tea and
mullins and the jam, and he sat for
his second cup on the shallow step at
her feet. So comfortably he looked
there in the sun and so at home she
felt-a strange sensation OF long and
sweet accustomedness. She found after
they had been silent for an age that
Martin had lighted his pipe and was
TRANQUILITY gazing at her through its
smoke. And in his face, for all It's
tranquility, she saw again that /.
difference.
This sort of thing" she found her.
self saying jerkily, her hands locked
together, makes it hard for me to &c
back to New York"
He Strengthened and held his pipe
away. The big brown hand folded
about its bowl disturbed her. so dear
had it become.
But you don't have to go back fol
ages" he announced.
why, yes, of course l do. have a
job and" she added. trying not to fall
ter, land poet who's waiting for me- :
Martin repeated after queer pause
during which she saw his face change
dreadfully. "A poet?"
She laughed. Il wish you could have
heard Miss BusS and Miss BealeS rem
dering of his verse. They don't know
their verse libre, you see, and they'd
been regaling themselves with what
the poor lambs called a funny book.
You may imagine how / felt, Martin
when one night they coaxed me down
to share the fun and, screaming with
horrid mirth read out to me
the love poems of my own especial
poet! And they expected me to be
amused How different from u.s. she
murmured, for long ago she had tolc
him about the quatrain, and he hac
admitted authorship. "'How different
from us are Miss Beale and Miss BuSS
When told them the poets name
And what is the name of this-poet
OF yours?' asked Martin, who was or
his feet, half turned away from her
an arm slung about one of the posts
Of his small porch. Eileen had the
impression that he had spoken through
his teeth
Horace Willowly I have >
but she could not keep from faltering
Il have half promised TOTO marry
him." she said. II ran away out here
to think 1t over. 1t was he who frs
told me about this country. He'd beer
here once. But I didn't tell him where
l was running to. wanted fortnight
to myself" She had been chattering
She knew that her voice was higl
and quite unlike itself
Martin turned His face was the
color of unbleached linen, a pale anc
lifeleSS brown. He did not Speal
through his teeth.
Since you admire verse libre," hi
said, Il will send you some verse
found among my papers here" Hi
paused dreadfully. Eileen hae
risen to her feet. "Goodby," he said
He did not hold out his hand te
her. She knew that she had been dis
missed. Too sensitive, too wounded
too shocked to speak, she went past
him, and fled along his lane, and was
glad when all the quiet green things
had gathered about and hidden hel
fight from HIM.
AS soon as she reached the Miss B's
house, she began to pack her trunk, tc
pack and to prepare, and to look uI
timetables. She made herself too busy
too noisy to think. She said, "Remem-
ber, you're one of these fool writers
who have the habit of plot making
and Of coincidence. Just keep that
delirious imagination, that scent fol
drama at heel now, authoress, or you'll
be making the most ungodly fool OF
yourself" and all the while she was
crying bitterly. She cried and scolded
like the White Queen. Consider what
a great girl you are. Consider what a
long way you've come today. Consider
what o'clock it is. Consider anything
{. only don't cry" But all the
considering did not save her from pre-
senting most bedraggled and blotched
appearance at the supper table, where
at her place, she found bundle OF
papers, fiercely and carelessly in
scribed: Read these.-Martin."
"He-he sent them over to YOU He
he didn't come himself" said Miss
Amelia anxiously.
Eileen opened them. They were
written in hieroglyphic longhand
which, through long familiarity, she
could read. The first one ran like
, this:
Never candle you.
Not golden.
And not white.
Nor wind-wary, calling for shelter
Of four walls and anxious fingers
No.
A torch.
Burning more fiercely for the storm
Purple. Blue. Orange Streaming
My torch ~. wild Isabelle"
Eileen stood up before the two pale
startled little faces Of Miss Buss and
Miss Beale.
I'm not going back to New York
tomorrow" she cried out, gasping. I'm
-not-going back, I tell YOU You
can't drive me to that mani" And she
found herself crying aloud in Miss
Anelia's embrace.
She went next day to Martin.
She ran up from his empty little
old house and hunted him down in
his new garden where he stood, smok-
ing and staring blankly at a row OF
freshly planted seedlings.
Martin" she said, breathless, not
waiting to recapture any of her breath
this is too horrible for me. You must
helm me to bear it.p