The Coolidge examiner., 1935-11-22
CHAPTER XII

P"i-Ah7 uoNhW WdIu OH NeF DOuy, as
though she had got herself en-
tangled in an ugly gray mesh from
which there was no escape.
The month drew to a close in
parching and unseemly heat. 'Ex-
cept for an Intellectual shower or
two there had been no rain. So
phronia weeded and watered the
vegetable garden with an almost
religious zeal. She and Silver car
ried water sprinklers where the hose
would not reach, and moved on
hands and knees down the long gray
burrows of earth, pulling weeds
and watching against the ravages
of insects.
At nine o'clock, old Steve had
gone to bed in Roddy's house. There
was no one else on the Willard farm
except Silver. She had finished
basting the seams Of a figured linen
dress and was taking it to the sew
ing machine in the corner of the
dining room when she noticed that
the Sky had darkened curiously, and
that the dry, hot wind that had
been coming in through the dining
room window had suddenly died.
Hopefully she went to the door
way and looked out. But no. The
rain was passing to the southwest,
and baleful, green-white rim on
| the distant mass of cloud meant
that somewhere farther away the
tender new fields would be leveled
by hail.
Silver thought apprehensively of
Sophronia, who had gone to the
Ericksons' with only a light sweater
over her shoulders.
1t was a little after ten when she
had the last stitch of her dress cut
and tried, and was about to put it
over her head when the outer door
opened.
Silver looked around and saw
Duke Melbank close the door behind
him and lean against it, smiling.
1--WE been peeking through the
window" he chuckled. II wouldn't
"a had the nerve to come in if any
body was round"
Silver backed away from him,
one hand feeling the way cautiously
behind her.
"How dare you come in here!"
she said quietly.
II told you 1 was coming to see
you some night, didn't 1? Well, this
is the night"
"Get out of this housew Silver
ordered him.
He came weaving toward her and
Silver realized that he had been
drinking.
There's no use In you pretending
to me, Silver" he said. Il seen you
come out O. Lucas place In the
morning, didn't I? I'm a better man
than him-and I've been thinking
about you ever since that night
saw you in Chicago"
Silver was aware Of only two
things: Duke Melbank's intlamed,
greedy eyes were the eyes Of all the
men who had tried to stroke her
hair or touch her bare arms during
those years when she had been in
desperate fear of them all, during
those years of undercurrents Of vio-
lence before her father had died;
and somewhere, behind her, on So
phronia's sewing table. there lay a
heavy crystal paperwelght, a half
sphere that held magnified within it
scene of Niagara falls.
"You don't have to be afraid Of
me, Silver" Duke persisted. Il want
to marry you"
you're drunkw Silver temper
ized, and moved back cautiously
toward the sewing machine.
"Sure l am-drunk with thinking
about YOU" Duke laughed. He
lunged toward her. you've got aw-
full pretty shoulders, Silver"
He was perhaps ten feet away
from her when she stretched her
hand out behind her and took a firm
hold of the heavy crystal sphere
that stood on SOphrOnia's sewing
table.
1-sH
screen door opened with a sharp
twang from its creaking hinges. A
football sounded at the rear of the
house.
Duke drew back Immediately,
looked once toward the kitchen,
then vanished cat-like through the
front door.
Silver sank down upon the chair
beside the sewing machine and
buried her head in her arms.
A moment later, ROddy stood in
the doorway to the kitchen. He
looked at her for a moment, per-
picked, then came and leaned over
her.
whats wrong, Silver" he asked
She strove to speak. Duke Mel
bank-he was here-just now"
Duke Melbank! Where is he?"
Silver made a gesture toward the
open doorway. "He went-When he
heard you coming"
Roddy hurried to the door and
ctanna6 ont into the darkness Pres