Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-05-04
CHAPTER XIV-Continued
lie,

she'd up and take the bit In her teeth
like when she named Algy, and sent
Mary Off to school. I've always
thought Mary some like her mother.
But the menfolks do seem to like her
they never show much sense In their
selections. Why, never had an offer
till | was most thirty blanche don't
seem to pindle none. does she7"
mo, she's actually gained since she's
been nursing the baby. and she said
the other day she'd never be happier
In her life. can't see what alls the
girls In this generation. Rosalie King
has come to visit Mrs. Weston again.
and | can't see that she's changed at
all. She doesn't even wear crepe
Just plain hlack-and she says she
should worry that she's hung on to
her old Job and got raise at that
and that although she can't always
buy the very latest to wear. she's
got long way from September
morn'-whateve she means by that
One of her usual vulgar expressions
And yet Mrs. Weston says she knows
Resale thought the world of that
man she married She can't have.
that's aIl--not In the way woman
OF real refinement would have cared.
Why, after Martin died, ! refused all
nourishment--except what was abso-
luteIy necessary, of course. to keep up
my strengthened lay In dark room
for weeks and never dreamed Of STIR
ring out, even after that. except to
go to church and to the cemetery. My
heart was buried In the grave. I'm
afraid Mary has been putting some OF
her queer ideas Into Branches head.
for when asked her little while ago
IT hers wasn't, she said no indeed. It
was all with Philip r.
Land Where does she think
Philip Is r.
she said In Heaven. And that
Heaven was anywhere. II you could
only see It"
Mrs. Elliott arose, and folded her
work. Them kind OF notions give me
the creeps." she said uneasily. Il
must be goin'"
Mary was sitting ON top of Countess
hill, her chin resting on her hands,
looking out over the meadows She
sat very still. watching the chang
Ing light. Without understanding
why, and In spite OF all her grief and
WEAKNESS, she felt that one OF the
great hours of her life had come. The
beauty and peace and promise OF the
country suddenly seemed to overcome
her as no inanimate things had ever
overcome her before. She felt. like an
actual presence. the spirit of her puri-
tan forefathers who had turned this
valley from a wilderness into gar
den, who had lived their simple faith
as truly as they had professed 1t, who
had fought and died. when necessary,
for an ideal She turned her head.
half expecting to glimpse some heaven
ly vision, trembling But there was
nothing to be heard. nothing to be
seen, only something wonderful to be
felt. She bowed her head and prayed.
It was long time before she lifted
1t again. When she did, Paul, bare
headed. dressed In khaki. was stand
ing beside her.
She sprang to her feet, shaking all
over, entirely unable to speak. He
was taller. thinner, .paler. infinitely
older and graver, all the bloom and
softness of his boyish beauty had gone
For q moment she thought-lt must
be- She shut her eyes, swaying and
crying aloud, as she felt herself fall
ing. Then suddenly she was upheld
by a strong arm, swung quickly
around her shoulder, firm hand TAX
ing both her trembling ones In warm
and steady grasp.
There, there Paul was saying, as
II he had been speaking to little
child, and patting her arm as he
spoke. ITS all right | didn't NEAR
to frighten you like this. Don't, Mary
Don't cry SO. Why, there Is nothing
to cry aboutl I'm all right. Tn
herel
Cant we silt down and talk7' ht
asked, and drew her down beside hin
on the big rock, still holding her hand
Then seeing how utterly impossible 4
was for her to speak. he went on. =
got In on the four o'clock and walked
straight up to the farm. | didn't Lee
mother know was cominEa for
thought. II / did, she'd have the min
lister, or a delegation from the ID. A
r. or the Wallacetown band, or maybe
all three. at the station to meet me
1t never occurred to me that none o
my letters. from the ether side telling
her In general way when to eypec
me, would have reached her."
TELL me-" said Mary, finding he
voice at last.
There isn't much to tell. You know
what happened up to the time | wa
wounded And the wound-the frs
one-didn't amount to anything.
was back ut the front In no time. AM