The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-06-15

came through. He asked her to
help him and she brought square,
deep basket and made Rusty bed
"You-all ies' put him heah by the
fiah, and I'll look after him."
Evans shook his head. ''I want
him in my room. I'll take care of
him in the night"
He carried the dog upstairs with
him, knelt beside him, drew hard
deep breaths as the little fellow
licked his hand.
What kind of a man am II" Ev-
ans said sharply in the silence.
"God, what kind of a mani"
Through the still house came old
Mary's thin and piping song:
Stay in the fieP,
Stay in the fiel, oh, wah-yah-
Stay in the fier
Till the wah is ended"
Evans got up and shut the door.
Jane was walked usually by the
hoarse crow of an audacious little
rooster, who sent his challenge to
the rising sun.
But on Thanksgiving morning, she
found herself sitting up in bed in
the deep darkness-slim and white
and shivering-oppressed by some
phantom of the night.
She came to it gradually. The
strange events of yesterday. Evans.
Her own share in his future.
Her own share in Evans future?
Had she really linked her life with
his? She had promised to pray
that he might get back-she had
pledged youth, hope and constancy
to his cause. And she had prom
ised before she had seen that stum-
bling figure in the snow!
In the matters of romance, James
thoughts had always ventured. She
had dreamed of a gallant lover, a
composite hero, one who should
combine the reckless courage of a
Robin Hood with the high moralities
of a Galahad. With such lover
one might gallop through life to a
piping tune. Or if the Galahad pre-
dominated in her hero, to an inspir-
ing PROFESSIONAL
And here was Evans, gray and
gaunt, shaken by tremors, fitting
himself into the background of her
future. And she didn't want him
there. Oh, not as he had been out
there in the snow!
Yet she was sorry for him with a
sympathy that wrung her heart. She
couldn't hurt him. She wouldn't.
Was there no way out of it?
Her hands went up to her face.
She had simple and childlike faith.
"Oh, God," she prayed, make us
all-happy-"
Her cheeks were wet as she lay
back on her pillows. And a GER
tain serenity followed her little pray
er. Things would work together in
some way for good. She would
let it rest at that.
When at last the rooster crowed,
Jane cast off the covers and went
to the windows, drawing back the
curtains. There was faint white
ness in the eastern amethyst
and pearl, aquamarine, the day had
dawned!
Well, after all, wasn't every day
a new world? And this day of all
days. One must think about the
thankful things!
Baldy wanted to hear from Edith
Towne so much that he did not 60
to church lest he miss her call. But
Jane went, and sat in the Barnes
pew, and was thankful, as she had
said, for love and warmth and light.
Evans, with his mother in the pew,
looked straight ahead of him. He
seemed worn and weary-a dark
shadow set against the brightness
of those comrades on the glowing
glass.
After church, he waited in the
aisle for Jane. "Pll walk down with
you. Mother is going to ride with
DR.. Hallam."
They walked a little way in ST.
lence, then he said, Rusty is COM
Portable this morning"
"Your mother told me over the
telephone.
He limped along at her side.
"Jane, ! didn't sleep last night
thinking about it. 1t is a thing I
can't understand. A dreadful thing"
II understand. You love Rusty.
1t was because you love him so
much"
''But to let woman do it. Jane,
do you remember-years ago? The
mad dog?"
She did remember. Evans had
killed it in the road to save a child.
1t had been horrible experience,
but not for moment had he hesi-
tated.
IT wasn't afraid then, Janey."
"This was different. You couldn't
see the thing you loved hurt. It
wasn't fear. It was affection"
"Oh, don't gloss it over. I know
what you felt. saw it in your eyes,"
"Saw what?"
Contempt"
She turned on him. "You didn't.
Perhaps, just at first. I didn't un-
derstand ;" She fought for self
control, but in spite of it, the tears
rolled down her cheeks.
"Don't, Janey, Don't" He was in
an agony of remorse. "I've made
you cry"
She blinked away the tears. "It
wasn't contempt, Evans"
"Well, it should have been. Why
not? No man who calls himself a
man would have let you do it,
They had come to the path un-
der the pines, and were alone in
that still world. Jane tucked her