Steele High School - Annual Yearbook (Dayton, OH)

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THE ANNUAL Page twenty-seven The third day was a day, the splendor of which could only be fully appre- ciated in a village as Braunsberg, where there was no smoke, no noise-only sunshine. Darley felt better. Rising feebly she dressed, and wrapped in a shawl, sat down beside the open window. A bright sun shone, but the clouds had deepened on the mountains, and a light breeze was blowing. Looking out, she saw orderly groups of people passing home from church, and a de- sire to leave the house seized her. Perhaps nobody knew-perhaps some kind person might speak tenderly to her-even pity would be sweet. Wrap- ping herself in the shawl and veil, she crept downstairs and into the street. Where are the people going? An unusual throng was pressing through the gates of the village, moving in long lines across the meadow. What could it mean? Where are all the people going? Darley asked of a little boy, who stood near the gates with his hands in his pockets. Down to see the baptisin', replied the boy, wonderingly. Ain't you going? There's ten of them. Some very vague recollection Hoated through Darley's mind as she fol- lowed the crowd. Yes, it was long ago when she was baptized in the pure waters of the river. She remembered so well the words of the pastor: May God keep you as clean as this water, my child. Had she kept herself clean? She had played with her youth. How bitterly the river reminded her of the ill-spent days of her life. But had she not also spent her happy childhood there? There was the shallow where she and Thomas used to playg there was the meadow-the flowers they had gathered from it had delighted her aunt so many times. Poor Thomas! She could feel his hand now, and see the boyish face close to her. They had sat there-strangest memory of all- when he had asked her to marry him. She wondered if he were living yet -if he had quite forgotten her. And as she was recalling these moments, the path she followed almost unconsciously, brought her to the bank where the members of the church were standing in silent groups. She shrank back, afraid that the people might see her. But as nobody perceived her she ventured to press forward. There stood the choir, and just then the leader gave the tune of one of the old sweet hymns. One stanza-then a couple slowly descending the bank passed into the water. Step by step they reached the center of the pool. Darley heard the sacred formula pro- nounced, then they vanished under the waves. Another baptism followed- another. Then some unusual excitement ran through the crowd, as a young man leading a girl, descended the slope. Darley just caught sight of the girl's face as they passed, a beautiful one framed in dark hair. The ceremony having been performed, the forms again turned toward the bank, the man holding the woman with a strong arm. His face-Darley gasped as she gazed-wore a look of steadfastness and peace which made the strong fea-

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Page twemgsk THE ANNUAL fellow, and every one remembered the looks after Darley had broken the engagement and had vanished from home, and from her aunt. Saying at first that Darley had gone to visit some of her relatives, old Miss Lare had told them that she had left her without explaining the cause of her sudden departure. A dark shadow rested over the fate of this village-child, until now, at the return of the girl-a girl no more-it had been lifted. But when did she come back? asked Mrs. Wayder, breathlessly. This morning, replied Miss Heddy, taking up her needle work again. My son went down to the depot to get some freight with his team, and he fetched her along. She was silent and didn't speak, and how she was changed, he said. She told him to drive to the house where her aunt-God bless her-used to live. 'Perhaps they'll take me in there to board,' says she, and burst right out crying. My son felt pretty bad about it, and he took her there and fixed it up all right. Well, I just hope somebody'll come and get her and care for her. He says she looks so yellow and thin and has such a cough-well, I must be goin'. Mother, cried Tepsy and Lisse, unable to resist any longerg who is that Darley you and Miss Heddy were talking about? You'd better be quiet. She was a poor girl, who didn't have it as good as you're having it, and she's come back. You'd better go and see if the chickens have their corn. It's time they'd be getting some. And in the excitement of their work Tepsy and Lisse soon forgot their curiosity. But the mother did not forget, and she prayed long and fervently that day, for the lost wanderer who had come back to the village. In the meantime Darley was lying in bed, where as a child she had slept beside her aunt. The room was little changed. There was the old clock, still ticking in the same old melancholy wayg there was the old oak shelf in the corner, where Miss Lare's Bible had its place. There was the mirror which had reflected a young, beautiful face in those daysg there was the blind through which the sun had greeted her, inviting her to enjoy herself in God's beautiful nature. Darley pursued her recollections with languid interest. She felt tired-too tired to rise. She would rest for a day or two, and then she would feel better. She wondered if anybody would visit herg and for the first time in these years that she had been away from her birthplace, a pain- ful curiosity to know what had been said of her absence awoke in her mind. Her kind aunt was dead. Would her former friends desert her, too? Darley closed her eyes, then opened them again and tossed restlessly. All that day and the next she lay in the room-ill and feverish. Her landladyhgrought her tea and crackers twice a day, but a sharp, inquisitive manner d taken the place of her former good nature. Her story must have beenntold to her. Vllhy had she come back? There seemed to be a power drawing her back with an immense force-a power irresistible,

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Page twenty-eight THE ANNUAL tures almost beautiful. It was Thomas, the lover of her youth, no longer a boy, but a man. just then Thomas's eyes, as he slowly ascended the bank, met hers, and he recognized his lost love. just look how white Thomas is, aint he? whispered somebody nearby in the crowd. But Anne isn't, was the reply. She's just as pretty as ever. I don't wonder that he thinks such a lot of her. Darley heard no more. With desperate footsteps she hurried back across the meadow, feeling as if she must sink every moment. The words of the preacher as he baptized them, pursued her- He will be merciful to you. Would he? Oh, if he would. That night Thomas and Anne were sitting in the big chair in the parlor of Thomas's father's farmhouse. There were tears on her face, and Thomas's face seemed grave as he stroked her small fingers in his broad hand. It's like a shadow over the day we thought would be so happy, Anne. At all times I am seeing that face-that strange face. My love for Darley died long ago, and I wouldn't dig it up for anything. But when I saw her face to-day, so unhappy, dear, I forgot everything that had happened between us two, and I only thought how I could help her. Don't be angry with me, darling, but tell me what you think. Angry, Thomas, how could I? I love you all the more for being so tender-hearted. But what can we do? I am trying to think, darling. If we were married it would be easy. But it won't do for me to go now: people would talk. But, Thomas, cried Anne, why should we mind people's talking if it's right? You know that we decided to do something in memory of our bap- tism. Perhaps this has been sent to us to fulfill our promise, who knows, Thomas? While kind persons were deciding upon her future, Darley stood beside the river-she had left the house and had come here. The night was wild. It had rained heavily during the afternoon. The unnatural music of the wind, signifying storm, fell like a terrible human voice upon the ears of the unhappy girl, as she passed along the meadow path, close to the river. Pausing at the bank, the idea of her present situa- tion seemed to crush her with terrible force. She bent over-weeping. Oh, what a dreadful place this world is, she sobbed. Oh, if I could only begin all over again. Isn't there any way to get rid of 1ife's burden? What did the preacher say- 'He will be merciful to you.' I-Ie didn't mean me. I wish the preacher would take hold of my arm and dlp me under as he did this moming with Thomas, and all my past life would