The Fear
A lantern light from
deeper in the barn
Shone on a man and woman in
the door
And threw their lurching shadows
on a house
Near by, all dark in every
glossy window.
A horse’s hoof pawed
once the hollow floor,
And the back of the gig they
stood beside
Moved in a little. The
man grasped a wheel,
The woman spoke out sharply,
“Whoa, stand still!”
“I saw it just as plain
as a white plate,”
She said, “as the light
on the dashboard ran
Along the bushes at the roadside—a
man’s face.
You must have seen it too.”
“I didn’t see
it.
Are you sure——”
“Yes, I’m sure!”
“—it was
a face?”
“Joel, I’ll have
to look. I can’t go in,
I can’t, and leave a
thing like that unsettled.
Doors locked and curtains
drawn will make no difference.
I always have felt strange
when we came home
To the dark house after so
long an absence,
And the key rattled loudly
into place
Seemed to warn someone to
be getting out
At one door as we entered
at another.
What if I’m right, and
someone all the time—
Don’t hold my arm!”
“I say it’s someone
passing.”
“You speak as if this
were a travelled road.
You forget where we are.
What is beyond
That he’d be going to
or coming from
At such an hour of night,
and on foot too.
What was he standing still
for in the bushes?”
“It’s not so very
late—it’s only dark.
There’s more in it than
you’re inclined to say.
Did he look like——?”
“He looked like anyone.
I’ll never rest to-night
unless I know.
Give me the lantern.”
“You don’t want
the lantern.”
She pushed past him and got
it for herself.
“You’re not to
come,” she said. “This is my business.
If the time’s come to
face it, I’m the one
To put it the right way.
He’d never dare—
Listen! He kicked a stone.
Hear that, hear that!
He’s coming towards
us. Joel, go in—please.
Hark!—I don’t
hear him now. But please go in.”
“In the first place
you can’t make me believe it’s——”
“It is—or
someone else he’s sent to watch.
And now’s the time to
have it out with him
While we know definitely where
he is.
Let him get off and he’ll
be everywhere
Around us, looking out of
trees and bushes
Till I sha’n’t
dare to set a foot outdoors.
And I can’t stand it.
Joel, let me go!”
“But it’s nonsense
to think he’d care enough.”
“You mean you couldn’t
understand his caring.
Oh, but you see he hadn’t
had enough—
Joel, I won’t—I
won’t—I promise you.
We mustn’t say hard
things. You mustn’t either.”
“I’ll be the one,
if anybody goes!
But you give him the advantage
with this light.
What couldn’t he do
to us standing here!
And if to see was what he
wanted, why
He has seen all there was
to see and gone.”
He appeared to forget to keep
his hold,
But advanced with her as she
crossed the grass.
“What do you want?”
she cried to all the dark.
She stretched up tall to overlook
the light
That hung in both hands hot
against her skirt.
“There’s no one;
so you’re wrong,” he said.
“There is.—
What do you want?” she
cried, and then herself
Was startled when an answer
really came.
“Nothing.”
It came from well along the road.
She reached a hand to Joel
for support:
The smell of scorching woollen
made her faint.
“What are you doing
round this house at night?”
“Nothing.”
A pause: there seemed no more to say.
And then the voice again:
“You seem afraid.
I saw by the way you whipped
up the horse.
I’ll just come forward
in the lantern light
And let you see.”
“Yes, do.—Joel,
go back!”
She stood her ground against
the noisy steps
That came on, but her body
rocked a little.
“You see,” the
voice said.
“Oh.” She
looked and looked.
“You don’t see—I’ve
a child here by the hand.”
“What’s a child
doing at this time of night——?”
“Out walking. Every
child should have the memory
Of at least one long-after-bedtime
walk.
What, son?”
“Then I should think
you’d try to find
Somewhere to walk——”
“The highway as it happens—
We’re stopping for the
fortnight down at Dean’s.”
“But if that’s
all—Joel—you realize—
You won’t think anything.
You understand?
You understand that we have
to be careful.
This is a very, very lonely
place.
Joel!” She spoke as
if she couldn’t turn.
The swinging lantern lengthened
to the ground,
It touched, it struck it,
clattered and went out.
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