The Hardin tribune-herald., 1935-03-08
Farewell Miss Julie Logan By J. M. Barrie

floor. On some she smiled and let them
salute her hand, and others she look
ed at in way I did not see, but they
backed from her as if she had put the
fear of death into them. She gave the
back of her hand to Mistress Lnd1n-
mock, and never saw an old woman so
gratified.
With few she took step or two In
the dance, mayhap to make others
glover, and by and by something was
taking place that I could not at first
fathom. It was clear she was about
to leave them, for a ceremony similar
in most respects to that with which she
had been received was repeated and
the doors thrown open for her pass
ing. But then they all gathered in the
far end of the hall, or sank through
it, with their backs to her, which was
battling to me, for up to that moment
you could see how carefully they gave
her their faces. Yet they did it of set
purpose, or possibly at her command,
for she was watching them more
haughtily than ever.
AS soon as she was sure that every
face was to the wall complete change
came over her. She hastened-she al
most ran in her eagerness- cor
ner of the window and lifted from the
floor good sized basket that daresay
they had placed there for her. She
lifted it like one who knew for certain
it would be there. She filled it with
viands from the table, picking and
choosing them with affectionate inter-
est. thought that, being in some way
I had to grope for the one they held
highest, she was too proud to let them
know how hungry she was, though that
very knowledge was what had brought
them together. I thought that, reck-
less or correct behavior, as all on that
side were, they were Strangers come
back into the present day by some royal
command to honour and feed one who
had been left behind. While she had
been lording it so imperiously in the
hall, she was be-like thinking more
about the basket than that she was the
end of song.
A moment after she was gone from
the hall, with last whitening look for
any peeping face, I heard the first
sound that had reached me from the
house since 7 took to looking in the
water. 1t was the closing Of the front
door. I hurried forward and was in
time to meet Miss Julie Logan, no long
er reflection coming down the steps
with the basket.
She said, Garry the basket, Adam" "
and I carried it, but first I put my
topcoat on her, and she slipped my
hand into one of the pockets along with
her own. I think it was showing again
or tempest or something of the kind,
but we were not needing. She took
me to small ruin of a bield for shell
tering sheep in, and in corner of it,
where was a pile of stones, maybe to
mark some old grave, we sat down on
them and opened the basket. She was
very hungry and myself was also slow
to desist from eating. For drinking we
ate the snow, against which I have
warned my Sabbath School scholars.
The basket was SO crammed with
food of an agreeable nature that when
we paused. replete. there was still near
basketful left. Never in my life was
so merry as sitting on those stones,
and she was also very droll. She had
and showing her pretty teeth like a
child. 1t was the gaiety of her, but I
joukit. When we wandered on I want
ed to bring the basket, but she said
that was the place to leave it.
We said the kind of things a man
and woman never say till they know
each other through and through. It
was all about ourselves, and love was
one of the words I did not scruple to
handle.
We were not bothering about far
back times or Mistress Lindinncck, but
when we came to the burn it minded
me of what the Old Lady said I would
do in a certain emergency. Miss Julie
Logan demanded of me to repeat to her
the exact words, which did, namely,
II could tell you things about her that
would make you drop her in the burn,
! though you were standing in the mid
die of it with the jade in your arms. :"
omitted the word jade.
Miss Julie Logan was in dance OF
! delight and cried, adam, let us try it. u
I said there was danger in it and she
said, II like danger fine" and she coax
ed me, saying, when you have got me
there I'll tell you the thing, and then,
if you don't drop me, aiblins I will be
yours, Adam"
There and then up with her and
carried her into the burn. 1t was deep
and sucking. She rubbed her head on
my shoulder in way that would make
a man think she liked to be where she
was. She peered up at me, and her
face was of the sweet homeliness of a
dove that have mentioned, and so al
so were her words.
She said kiss me first, Adam. in
case you have to drop me-" kissed
her, and I held her the tighter lest
by some dread undoing I should let
her slip. Her face was all sparkling
now, almost more than enough. Adam
DEAR" she said, Ito begin with. I am
Papist." At that awful word I drop
ped her in the burn. That she is still
there do not doubt, though I suppose