Part 37 (1/2)
”You see the little cabin--nearest the river?” whispered Donald
”Yes, I see it”
”That was our cabin--Jane's an' o,” he said, and now his voice was husky
Joanne's breath broke sobbingly as she gave Aldous the glass So seeriedy in which Donald MacDonald and Jane had played their fatal part He saw the cabins as they had stood for nearly half a century There were four Three of theht have been built yesterday, for all that he could see of ruin or decay The doors and s of the larger cabin and two of the smaller ones were closed The roofs were unbroken The walls appeared solid Twice he looked at the fourth cabin, with its wide-open door and , and twice he looked at the cabin nearest the stream, where had lived Donald MacDonald and Jane
Donald had lass from his eyes Mutely the old ave hi behind a rock he sloept the valley
For half an hour he looked through the glass, and in that ti the last five minutes of that half-hour both Joanne and Aldous knew that MacDonald was looking at the little cabin nearest the streahtly they waited in silence
At last old Donald rose, and his face and voice were filled with a wonderful cale,” he said softly ”I can see the log in front o' the door that I used to cut kindling on It was too tough for them to split an' burn after we left An' I can see the tub Inext the door, where I put it the day before ent away Forty years ain't very long, Johnny! It ain't very long!”
Joanne had turned fro
”An' we've beat 'em to it, Johnny--we've beat 'en of life in the valley, and we sure could make it out from here if there was!”
He climbed into his saddle, and started down the slope of theHer eyes were blinded by tears
”It's terrible, terrible,” she whispered brokenly ”And it--it's beautiful, John I feel as though I'd like to giveJane back!”
”You rief to Donald,” said Aldous, drawing her close in his ar that is happening with hi tirief of a rief, Joanne It is joy, a great happiness that perhaps neither you nor I can understand--that has come to him now Don't you understand? He has found her He has found their old home To-day is the culmination of forty years of hope, and faith, and prayer And it does not bring hiladness We must rejoice with him We must be happy with him I love you, Joanne I love you above all else on earth or in heaven Without you I would not want to live And yet, Joanne, I believe that I am no happier to-day than is Donald MacDonald!”
With a sudden cry Joanne flung her arms about his neck
”John, is it _that?_” she cried, and joy shone through her tears ”Yes, yes, I understand now! His heart is not breaking It is life returning into a heart that was empty I understand--oh, I understand now! And we must be happy with him We must be happy e find the cavern--and Jane!”
”And e go down there to the little cabin that was their home”
”Yes--yes!”
They followed behind MacDonald After a little a spur of the mountain-side shut out the little valley from them, and when they rounded this they found themselves very near to the cabins They rode down a beautiful slope into the basin, and when he reached the log buildings old Donald stopped and disain Aldous helped Joanne from her horse Ahead of them MacDonald went to the cabin nearest the stream At the door he paused and waited for the thee as I can see!”
Years had dropped from his shoulders in these last few minutes, and even Aldous could not keep quite out of his face his aently Donald put his hand to the latch, as though fearing to awaken soently he pressed down on it, and put a bit of his strength against the door It moved inward, and when it had opened sufficiently he leaned forward so that his head and a half of his shoulders were inside; and he looked--a long time he looked, without a movement of his body or a breath that they could see
And then he turned to the as they had never seen them shi+ne before
”I'll open the ,” he said ”It's dark--dark inside”
He went to the hich was closed with a sapling barricade that had swung on hinges; and when he swung it back the rusted hinges gave way, and the thing crashed down at his feet And now through the openthe sun poured in a warm radiance, and Donald entered the cabin, with Joanne and Aldous close behind him
There was not much in the cabin, but what it held was earth, and heaven, and all else to Donald MacDonald A strange, glad cry surged from his chest as he looked about him, and now Joanne saw and understood what John Aldous had told her--for Donald MacDonald, after forty years, had come back to his ho! They didn't touch anything!” he breathed in ecstasy ”I thought after we ran away they'd come in----”