Page:McClure's Magazine v10 no3 to v11 no2.djvu/88

 "SHE FELT THE STRANGE TENDERNESS THAT VIBRATED IN HIS ROUGH VOICE."

tion. She was tempted to drink it all at one welcome draught, but refrained, and corked it up again, resolutely.

During the long hours of that forenoon she attacked the door repeatedly, but always futilely; and finally, when the sweltering August sun had passed the meridian and was beating down mercilessly on her retreat, she gave up, and bursting into a wild fit of weeping, she crept back into the bin and lay down on her blankets.

Hours later, when she had wept a great deal and slept a little, she opened her swollen eyes and saw the red gold of sunset shining in above the door.

"Twenty-four hours," she said to herself, and a great longing came upon her to know how Abra'm and the old home were doing without her. She dragged the apple-box close to the door, and mounted upon it, thus bringing her eves to a level with the crevice. There lay the farmhouse and its peaceful surroundings spread out below her like a quaint, sun-kissed old picture. But oh, how distant it was, how far beyond the sound of her voice, even though she should shriek aloud! The broad meadow and the great field of rustling corn lay between.

At first there was no sign of life about the place, except the patient cows standing in the lane, waiting for the bars to be let down. But presently, while she waited