Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-03-16


of the plantation be paused to look at Bessie,
who was some twenty PAGES from him,
perchcd sideways ON tho low sod wall, and
framed, as in tho full, rich light of the set
ting sun. Her hat was Off, for the sun had
lost its burning force, and the hand that held
it hung idly by her, while her eyes were
fixed on the horizon flaming with all the
varied glories of tho African sunset. He
gszcd at her sweet face and lissome form,
and some lines that lie had read years before
floatcd idly into his mind:
The little c,rls about her head
Were all her crown Of gold,
Her delicate arms dropped downward
In slender mold,
As white veined leaves Of Lilies
Curve and fold.
She moved to measure Of music
As o swan sails the stream.
He had got as far as this when she turned
and saw him, and he gave up the poetry in
the presence Of ono who might well havc in
spired it.
@What are you looking ntl" she said with
smile; the sunsetT
"No; was looking ut you"
Then you might have been better employed
with the sunset, !" she answered, turning her
head quickly. aLook at it! Did you ever
zee such sunset We sometimes get them
like that at this time Of tho year, when the
thunderstorms arc about"
She was right; it was glorious The heavy
clouds which a couple Of hours before had
been rolling like celestial hearses across the
azure deeps werc now aAame with glory.
Some Of Them glowed like huge castles
wrapped in. fire, others with tho dull red heat
of burning coal.
JOHN stood and looked at it, and its living,
glowing beauty seemed to Gre his imagina-
ton, ns it free earth aud heaven, in such
sort that the torch of love lit upon his heart
like tho sunbeams OH the mountain tops.
Then from the celestial beauty of tho skies he
turned to contemplate the earthly beauty of
the woman who sat there before him, and
found that also fair. Whether it was the
contemplation Of the glories Of nature-for
there is always suspicion Of melancholy in
beautiful things-or whatever it was, her
face had touch Of sadness ON it that he had
mover seen before, and which certainly added
to III charm a. . shadow odds to the charm
of the light
~what are Jon thinking Of, Bessics" be
asked.
Hhs looked up, and he saw that her lips
were quivsring . little swell, do you
know" shs said, Il was, oddly enough,
thinking Of my mother. can only just 70
member hsr, woman with thin, sweet
fnce. romsmber one evening she was sitting
In front Of house, just as tho sun WINS set
ting liko Il = now, and was playing by her,
when suddenly she called mo to her and
kissed me, and then pointed to the red clouds
that were gathered in tho sky, and said: i
wonder il you will ever think OF me. dear,
when have passed through those golden
gntesr did not understand what she meant
words, and though she died 20 long ago ] do
often think Of her," and two large team
rolled down her face rs she spoke
Few men can bear TO SEQ aswect and pretty
woman In toars, anil this littlo incident was
too much Tor John, whose caution and doubts
all went to the winds together, and have not
since been heard Of.
~Beasie,n hc said. sdon't cry. dear; please,
don'tl can't bear to sec you cry"
She looked up as though to demonstrate at
his words, and then looked down again.
Listen, Bessie" he went ON, awkwardly
enough, II have got something to say to you
want to ask you lit, In short, you will
marry me. Wait q bit, don't say anything
yet; you know me pretty we'll by now. lam
NO chicken, dear, and / have knocked about
10 world . good deal, and had one or two
love affairs like other people. But, Bessie, I
newer met such q sweet woman, or. il you
will let me say it, such q lovely woman a.
you, and II you will havo me, dear, / think
that ahall be the luckieH& man In South
Africa" and he stopped, not exnctly know
ing what else to say, and the time had not
come for action. if indeed it was to come at
AL s
When she first realized the drift Of his talk
Bessie bad flushed up to the eyes, and then
the blood had SUM, back to her breast and
left her as pa!c as lily. She loved the man,
and they were happy words to her, and she
WIS satisfied with them, though perhaps some
women might have thought that they left q
good deal 70 lie desired. But Bessie was not
of en- exacting nature.
At last ahe spoke.
Are you sure" she said, that you mean
all thisi Imean sometimes people say thing.
OF q sudden. upon an impulse, and then after
ward they wish that they mover had been
said. II that was 50 it would 10 ruthcr awk-
ward, supposing l wero to say yes you
know"
'Of course l am sure" be said, indig-
nantiy.
w WCk4S ~ Oe114os YOk4x1K ~ GQo
sod wall with the stick she had IN hsr hand.
perhaps Ia this place you might b putting
an exAggsrated value on me. You think l am
pretty because you see nobody but Kaffir and
Boer women, and it would Be the same with
everything. I'm not fit to marry . man like
you, she went on, with Q sudden burst of
distress; Il have never seen anything or any
body. I am nothing but m ignorant, half
- 4
mend me, and no fortune except my looks.
You arc different to me; you are man of
the world. and II ever you went back to Eng
land l should BE- drag on you, and you
would b ashamed Of mo and my colonial
ways II It had been Jes now, It would have
been diGerent, for she hes more brains in her
little fngsr than havein my whole body"
Somehow the mention Of Je@ Jared upon
Johns nerves and chilled him like breath Of
cold wind on hot day. He wanted to put
Jess out Of his mind just now.
Ny dear Bessie, /" he broke IN, swhy do you
suppose such thingsl I can assure You that
il you appeared in q London drawing room
you would put most Of the women in it into
the shade. Not that there is much chance of
my frequenting London drawing rooms
again" he added.
~Oh, yes, may be good lookingl don't
say that am not; but can't yoa understand
l don't want you to marry mo Just because l
am . pretty woman, a. the Kadln marry
their wives II you marry me at all I want
you to marry mo because you caro- for me,
the real me-not my eyes and my hair. Oh,
don't know what to answer you'll don't,
indeed" and she began to cry softly.
Bessie, dear Bessisl" said John, who was
pretty we'll beside himself by this time, ajust
tell me honestly-do you care about mot l
am not worth much, know, but If you DO
oil this just goes for nothing" and he took
her hand and drew her toward him, SO that
she half slipped, half got OF the sod wall and
stood face to face with him. for she was tall
woman, and they were very nearly of o
height
Twice she raised her beautiful eyes to his to