The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-12

more passed by on the other side without
a sign or token, and presently silence
and solitude again settled down upon
the shaded lawn, and the last rays of the
westering sun kissed the tree tops good
night and slowly died away.
''Surely there should be another letter
from Mabel tonight; this one is week
old now" said Portia. But, old as it
was, there seemed one page which de-
served re-reading, and the white hands
sought and found the letter and lifted it
before her eyes:
''Mr. Hearn has been gone week
now, and we miss him sadly. He had
almost made his home here with us dur
ing the winter, and rarely spent an even
ing anywhere else. His fathers death /
seems to have been very sudden, and it /
was a great shock. He has months !
leave, with permission to apply for an
extension. Georgia = Portal could
say so much, so very much, if you would
only listen. If yon would only release
me from that promised | was thinking
but yesterday how blessed the day that
my pride broke down and gave me Fred
and happiness. Sometimes L cannot but
think that only pride-foolish, unwar-
rantable pride-stands between you and
life as blessed as my own
Impatiently the letter was hurled upon
the grass, and, half turning, Georgia
buried her wan face on her arm. Of
what was she thinking? Surely those
were hot tears trickling through the
long white fingers; surely there was
| little evidence of stubborn pride in the
abandonment of that silent, lonely
sorrow. All day she had been at leisure,
the family and children away in town,
and. though neither her duties had been
very onerous nor the trials of her new
position very great, she had dropped ali
winter long. This was the first real day
of rest; yet, with all it's sweetness and
sunshine, had it not been full of tears?-
full of vague unrest and longing? And
now even the sunshine was going, and
the cleaning was slowly settling down
upon the valley.
Far over the eastern heights the sill
very shield of the soft May moon was
peeping into view; but the fairy shafts
of her gentle light could not yet pene-
trate the gathering gloom here in the
grove where swung the hammock. Still
the hot tears came trickling down be-
tween the white fingers and, yielding
at last to the mournful influence
of the dying day, Georgia Marshall
wept unrestrainedly-we while great
sobs shook her frame; and while one
fluffy kitten, disturbed in her intended
nap, stretched forth a furry paw and
lifted up q querulous note of remon-
STRANGE, her companion, suddenly dis
lodged from her cozy nest in Georgia's
lap, clawed vigorously back upon the
heaving folds of the summer fabric,
} glared around in excited search for the
| possible cause of such seismatic disturb
! ance, and instantly set back pair of
tiny ears, arched a furry back, bristled
her stiffening tail, and gave vent to
spiteful challenge at the fell disturber
of her peace. There stood a man.
A tall young fellow, erect and power
full in build, clad in civilian garb, but
striding across the lawn with the swing
of a trooper, halted suddenly not ten feet
| away and lifted from his shapely head a
Rat banded heavily with Grape. The
next instant he had hurled this aside,
stepped quickly forward, utterly ignor-
ing pussy's hostile guise, had thrown
himself on one knee beside the ham,
mock, and the dropping mustache al
most swept the soft, white hands as he
impetuously seized them.
Georgia, :" he whispered.
Heavens! what start! In her wild
CONSERVATION she recoiled from his
touch, striving at the same instant to sit
erect. Hammocks are not made for
combinations so eccentric. The next
instant the flimsy thing had slipped from
under her and she felt herself going.
) Drowning men catch at s.raws; drown
ing women seize the hand they would
have Stunned. But for his sudden
spring, but for prompt clasping arms,
! she would have gone headlong to the
ground on the opposite side. For min
ute she was held in close embrace, con-
fused mingling of dusty braids, of throb-
: bling femininity, of hotly blushing, tear
| wet face, of cool linen lawn and clinging
hammock netting. Then her hands re-
gained their cunning and found his
broad shoulders and she pushed herself
free, and then hysterical laughter came
to her aid and the shaded grove rang tC
a peal that, if not merry, was at least
irresistible, and at last, as she sat there
restored to equilibrium and striving tc
> regain her whirling senses as he stood
: patiently bending over her, half praying
= : that the inspired hammock might YET
: attempt some new freak, she glanced VI
at him through smiles and tears and dis
. ordered bangs only to say:
GLOW utterly absurdr'
To which philosophical remark h
- vouchsafed no reply whatever.
1t is full minute before she RECEIVERS
even partially, either breath or sci
possession. Then she holds forth he
l hand, and he assists her to rise.
! 'This is not the welcome should Civ
u you. Shall we go to the house,"
> But even as she asks and her eye
% glance nervously, shyly, up into his face
~ y she knows he will accept no invitation
- that will peril this tete-a-tete. She see
=. - how the lines have deepened in hi
y frank, soldierly face, and that sadness
. not all of his recent bereavement ha
Y left its traces there. She would Leaf
y, 70 him from the shaded grove to the par
u lor, where the lamps are already begin
8 ming to twinkle, but he will not budg
= one step. He stands confronting her.
a mo! I have come solely to see you
= Is there any reason why we cannot sta
L here q momentpp And she cay, think n