A SEPTEMBER CHILL 



them, but how well I knew what they were saying. 

 There would be the lists of returning passengers 

 on the incoming steamships ; the bulletins of the 

 theatre managers ; I could almost hear the orches 

 tras tuning up on those still nights ; there would 

 be house-hunting and much hand-shaking and put 

 ting in of coal and airing of salons. To be left 

 out of these notes of preparation made me ner 

 vous. Besides, the joys of the woods would them 

 selves be slipping away presently. The robins 

 already wore an au-revoir look, and even the blue 

 birds would soon be seeking more comfortable 

 quarters ; the wire grass in front of my hovel was 

 getting yellow in spots ; the maples had hung out 

 a few stray beacons of warning. Presently the 

 cicada would dry up, and then how the still nights 

 would gape. Gabe had piled up a few cords of 

 hard wood on the westerly side of the hovel, be 

 cause I told him I was going to face it out, and 

 he had ominously hinted that it would be well to 

 bank up the other side with a few sod. All this 

 sounded chilly. &quot; You could keep a barrel of 

 potaters in that kitchen,&quot; he said, &quot; if you are 

 goin to keep a fire there.&quot; I walked away and 

 whistled a few bars of&quot; La donna e mobile,&quot; that 

 being the proper expression of my mood. 



The more I looked at the prospect, the more 

 cheerless it became. I was getting desperately 

 moody. It was not possible for a man of my 

 habits and associations to stick this thing out all 

 winter ! I was not a sportsman, a recluse, or a 

 cowboy. My nature required that I should hear 



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