FullReads

"The old scoundrel has let the weeds choke out the flowers and surround the beehives. Old man Kinney neverbelieved in anything but a petty utility. "

Will set his teeth, and marched up to the door and struck it like a man delivering a challenge. Kinney opened the door, and started back in fear when he saw who it was.

"How de do? How de do?" said Will, walking in’ his eyes fixed on a woman seated beyond, a child in her lap.

Agnes rose, without a word; a fawnlike, startled widening of the eyes, her breath coming quick, and her face flushing. They couldn’t speak; they only looked at each other an instant, then Will shivered, passed his hand over his eyes, and sat down.

There was no one there but the old people, who were looking at him in bewilderment. They did not notice any confusion in Agnes’s face. She recovered first.

"I’m glad to see you back, Will," she said, rising and putting the sleeping child down in a neighboring room. As she gave him her hand, he said:

"I’m glad to get back, Agnes. I hadn’t ought to have gone. " Then he turned to the old people: "I’m Will Hannan. You needn’t be scared, daddy; I was jokin’ last night. "

"Dew tell! I wanto know!" exclaimed granny. "Wal I never! An, you’re my little Willy boy who ust ‘o he in my class. Well! well! W’y, Pa, ain’t he growed tall! Growed handsome tew. I ust ‘o think he was a dredful humly boy; but my sakes, that mustache–"

"Wal, he give me a tumble scare last night. My land! scared me out of a year’s growth," cackled the old man.

This gave them all a chance to laugh and the air was cleared. It gave Agnes time to recover herself and to be able to meet Will’s eyes. Will himself was powerfully moved; his throat swelled and tears came to his eyes everytime he looked at her.

$he was worn and wasted incredibly. The blue of her eyes seemed dimmed and faded by weeping, and the oldtime scariet of her lips had been washed away. The sinews of her neck showed painfully when she turned her head, and her trembling hands were worn, discolored, and lumpy at the joints.

Poor girl! She felt that she was under scrutiny, and her eyes felt hot and restless. She wished to run away and cry, but she dared not. She stayed, while Will began to tell her of his life and to ask questions about old friends.

The old people took it up and relieved her of any share in it; and Will, seeing that she was suffering, told some funny stories which made the old people cackle in spite of themselves.

But it was forced merriment on Will’s part. Once in a while Agnes smiled with just a little flash of the old-time sunny temper. But there was no dimple in the cheek now, and the smile had more suggestion of an invalid–or even a skeleton. He was almost ready to take her in his arms and weep, her face appealed so pitifully to him.

"It’s most time f’r Ed to be gittin’ back, ain’t it’ Pa?"

"Sh’d say ’twas! He jist went over to Hobkirk’s to trade horses. It’s dretful tryin’ to me to have him go off tradin’ horses on Sunday. Seems if he might wait till a rainy day, ‘r do it evenin’s. I never did believe in horse tradin’ anyhow. "

"Have y’ come back to stay, Willie?" asked the old lady.

"Well–it’s hard-tellin’," answered Will, looking at Agnes.

"Well, Agnes, ain’t you goin’ to get no dinner? I’m ’bout ready fr dinner. We must git to church eariy today. Elder Wheat is goin’ to preach an’ they’ll be a crowd. He’s goin’ to hold communion. "

"You’ll stay to dinner, Will?" asked Agnes.

"Yes–if you wish it. "

"I do wish it. "

"Thank you; I want to have a good visit with you. I don’t know when I’ll see you again. "

As she moved about, getting dinner on the table, Will sat with gloomy face, listening to the "clack" of the old man. The room was a poor little sitting room, with furniture worn and shapeless; hardly a touch of pleasant color, save here and there a little bit of Agnes’s handiwork. The lounge, covered with calico, was rickety; the rocking chair matched it, and the carpet of rags was patched and darned with twine in twenty places. Everywhere was the influence of the Kinneys. The furniture looked like them, in fact.