Lost Short Story

[pmason]

I'm trying to track down the name and author of a short story I read many years ago. It has to do with a recurring phenomenon at a certain spot, every year or whatever there is a disturbance of dust and sound and a figure appears in the haze. It eventually turns out that it's a space (or maybe time) traveller trying to return to earth, and only every year does his path through space/time coincide with that of the earth and he can be seen.
I thought it was called "Coming Home", but I can't find any such short story listed. Obviously it made a big impression on me - I'd really appreciate it if anyone recognising my rather vague description could point me to it.

Paul

[Teresa Edgerton]

Moved to Book Search, since that's where this kind of thread is likely to get the most answers.

[beenorthern]

This is "The Man Who Walked Home" by James Tiptree, Jr.

I googled and found an online site with the text, which is rather odd ... Surely her works are still in copyright ...

[pmason]

Thanks so much! Yes, that sounds like it.

I've ordered "Her Smoke Rose Up Forever" from the library, apparently it's in that anthology.

I wasn't able to find the text link on Google - would you mind posting it?

Paul