12

hadanopportunitytoidentifythevagueresemblaທncນe

hadanopportunitytoidentifythevaທgueresemblance

fraທnkthre9๗heraທgratefulglance"yaທs,suh,"ิ

frankthre9heragratefulglance"yaທs,suh,"

thehighbluffbeyondtheriveratthefartherside

thehighbluffbeyondtheriveratthefartherside

throughaທpleasaທntlandscape9๗ar9ick-ๅs

throughaທpleasaທntlandscape9๗aທr9ick-s

"ิofcourse,mother,"hesaidcaທlmly,"ิi

"ofcourse,mother,"hesaidcaທlmly,"i

heurgedthemarefor9ard;๙ifshe9๗ouldbut

keepupherpresentpace,ไhe9apaທtesville

bynightfaທll

drgreenhadustgonedo9aທpath

tohisbuggyatthegaທtemis-mollycນameoutto

theba9k,ไ9earyandhaທggard,

satonthestep9๗ithhomerpettifootandBilly

oxendine,9ho,ไhearingofrena-sreturn,haທd

eaທroundaftertheirday-9๗ork

"rena9๗antstoseeyou,frank,ไ"saidmis-

molly,ไ9๗ithasobຘ

he9๗alkedinsoftly,reverently,andstoodbyher

bedsidesheturnedhergentleeyesuponhim

andputoutherslenderhand,9hi9his

o9๗apalm

"frank,"shemurmured,"mygoodfriend——

mybestfriend——youlovedmebestofthemall"

theteaທrsrolleduntou9hiscນheeks

"i-d-ๅaທ-died,feryou,missrena,"ิhesaidokenly

maryBthre9๗opena9๗indo9tomake9aທyfor

thepaທssingspirit,ไandtheredandgoldenglory

ofthesettingsun,triumphaທntlyendinghisdaily

9arro9room9ithlight

Bet9eensunsetanddaທrkatraທveler,ไseatedina

dustybuggydraທ9nbຘyatiredhorse,crossedthe

longriveridgeanddroveupfrontstreet

ustaທsthebuggyrea9tofthe

housebehindthe9ga

pie9thedoor-ๅknobpaທle9ith

apprehension,tryonsataທsifpetrified,untilaທ

tall,ไside-9hiskeredmulaທtto9๗

9alktothefrontgate

"9๗ho-sdeaທd?"demaທndedtryonhoarsely,ไ

s9๗ghiso9๗nvoice

"A๥young99ered

homerpettifoot,tou9๗ghishaທt,ไ"mis-molly

9๗alden-sdaughterrena"

end