The Voice of the People

emed to contain all that was needed for the making of his future-those books and his impatient mind. His success was as assured as if he held it already in the hollow of his hand-and with s

d dash of ambition; to rise from obscurity unto prominence throu

a glow had risen, harmonising his inharmonious features. He felt as a man feels who stands before a closed door and knows that he has but to cross the threshold to grasp the fulness of his aspiration. Yes, to-day he envied no one-ne

pen country stretched before him in monotonous grays, the long road gleaming pallid in the general drab of the landscape. As he passed

the outlook. The farmer, a thick-set, hairy man, whose name was Turner, gave a

; I can tell by the way that thar oak turns its leaves. It's a bad sign,

las a

t has come at last and for a long stretch." His eyes swept the

got his

nuts were harvested a

much luck this

shook h

lost the brindle cow that was ca

hard to have Providence on his side. I allers said that Providence had ru

'm read

ing w

in the judge's office-J

yo' head when those plagued c

ases to court an

to the land and mak

aw's h

ook his h

of 'taters las' year," he said. "Do

las l

if you get in trouble," he rej

ped and laughed again. He wondered if he could be really of one flesh and blood with these people-of one stuff and fibre. W

ly towards him from the gray perspective. She was riding rapidly, her short skirts fly

as she half rose in her saddl

Nick Bur

up, which she did in a moment, panting from her

Her eyes shone as she looked at him. There was a singular brilliance of expression in her face, due partly to the exercise, partly to the restless animati

his hand upo

wanted me I'd have been hangin

look a

, turning his fa

I'm ugly eno

her straight, black hair, which

you have changed

ed towa

he asked

, though a smile played

t. Not a

I lost my frec

ck. There are one-two

t my looks a

d softly, half

er, and "be still, beauty!" to the hor

ly got something to

t, then. Do

gs idly from the sadd

n do

ose I

hanged if

. You're just dying to

eck, watching Nicholas w

e! I told you you w

m n

s, an

coming o

ook he

gain,

going to b

You aren't real

y got

ey only came

ive it up

ple

se, G

e, dear, go

ear, darli

'darling.' I

he same

at him with

ally a d

ally know

bet I

t is

ghed te

make yo

up, G

tainly cry

ke you in

olite to sh

a lady. You'

. But will you promise not to weep a f

rer, resting her han

going

ha

school. I shan't come back for a whole year. I'm-I'm

egan

aid Nichol

t. You're just a stone. Oh,

a stone.

and never come back any more,

I say. Do you hear

and, failing to find one, wip

going to do wh

ll be proud of me

sixteen in

, twen

be a man

e a woman

I shall like yo

like yo

he asked

know. Am I so aw

this

flushing beneat

l you-awful," sh

o ugly,

ur br

se," imp

u are-ye

his hea

be mean enough to te

ou ask

d. You might have sai

being ugly when I'm with you," she said. "It's a goo

iled

d rather a man would be clever than handsome;" then she a

d at her

said. "Most women are. It

for an instant in silence;

said. "Will you come down to t

of c

bye now, too. Did we e

N

od-bye. I

e, dear-

e willow, but promptly drew rein, reg

make it any easier if

! I shoul

er lips. She drew back with the same frank laugh, bu

d, but she laughed an

etter. There, good-bye, dear

m, and a whirl of dust

ld Stage Road, and the clatter of the hoofs was gone. Whe

learing. The smoke hung low above the undergrowth, assuming eccentric outlines and varied tones of dusk. Presently the fires glimmered nearer, and he saw the red tongues of the flames and heard the parched crackling of consuming leaves. The figures of the workers were limned grotesquely against the ruddy background with a startling and unreal absence of detail. They looked like incarnate shadows-stalking between

rnyard he saw the long rows of pine staves that had supported the shocks of peanuts, and from th

and small pale eyes. Jubal, at the churn in the hall, rested from his labours as Nicholas entered, and grinned as he pointed to his mother in the kitchen. Marthy Bu

with a kind of triumph. "When I heard yo' step o

her abstractedly as

y. "I thought he'd have got in b

the back window. "If he does it'll be the first time sence he war born. 'Twarn't nothin' to be done in the fie

d presently Amos Burr came in, shaking

l over, an' it seems like you're 'bliged to go yo' own way for the sheer pleasure of goin' agin somebody else's. If I'd

stove and turned his dr

pleaded, and his daughter took a dry

an iron on the stov

inner, Nick?" she

he ju

he hall, ceasing the clatter of the churn.

the children who had come into the kitchen with muddy feet. "I ain't tasted anybody else's vit

ed clothes, spread it on the ironing-board, and sprinkled it with

m before the stove, whe

he words had been revolving in his brain for some

s,

s she bent over the shirt. "He ain't got nothin' of yo'rn onless it

shed, and then went on heavily as if the

d it'll do you, I reckon. I never saw nothin' come of larnin' yet, 'c

he had recovered breath from his last sentence. "Many's the night I've wrastled with you ti

e of it," repeated Burr stolidl

w," he said, "seein' yo' ma is well wore out an' the bri

ed at him wit

quiringly, and hi

ow eyes rest upon his son's, "an' he said you war as likely a chap as

cholas again i

ed in the pause with a series of running interjectio

oks an' the business. He's gittin' too old to keep up with the city ways an

Nicholas, still

e says-somebody as will be bright at praisin' up the calicky to the gals when they come

sping the books tightly beneath his arm.

swered. "I am going-" Then he checked himself,

he other. A slow steam rose from his smoking shirt, and

cash in that, I

e books slipped from his arm and fell to the floor, with open leaves, but he let it

t much cash in t

n' Sairy Jane an' me have done. That don't seem to count, somehow. But nothin' ain't come straight, an' thar ain't a

cry softly. One of t

it all in time." Then the sound of Sairy Jane's sobs maddened him

all closing upon him and that

and came to where he stood, la

arp voice broke suddenly. "Go ahead an' make

Then he looked at her hand as it lay upon his arm. That trembling hand brought

id quietly at last. "It'll b

slip from his shoul

k porch and stood gazing v

l lengths like a fantastic fall of colourless pine n

rted landscape. A raw wind blew in gusts from the northeast, and the distorted ailanthus tree in the yard moaned and wrung its twisted limbs. Sharp, unpleasant odours came from the pig-pen

is turned inward. He made no gesture, uttered no exclamation. H

o his face. He turned, re?ntered the house,