Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-08-27

Down its narrow, rock hewn pathway,
to the reverent soul as an aisle of one of
the grandest of earth's ~cathedrals. a
Denver and Rio Grande train was tor4
tuously twisting its way, following the
curves Of the Arkansas, while the old
stone Titans keeping watch on either
side gossiped Of the event in hoarse,
whispering echoes. 1t was a frowning,
gray day, when the wind was rioting in
the shadowy canyon like a thoughtless
child knocking at the dignity of age,
whistling weird harmonies as it heavily
hurled its might from one rock wall to
the other, buffeting the bristling pines
and spruces as though to compel the bare
roots to loose their grip IN the repelling
rocks, blowing the foam crested waves
OF the river into madden hurry every lit
tie while in a wilder frenzy of diablerie,
throwing itself crafty into the spinning
Of whirlwinds of dust that yelled the
landscape like a fog.
Once or twice above the echoing roar
and rattle Of the train ~soundedthe boom
of distant thunder, and people turned
for the moment from their papers or idle
talk to glance up at the narrow strip of
sky. like a twist of ragged gray ribbon,
showing Ear away above the mighty
rock walls that hedged them in, specu-
lating with the comfortable indifference
Of people well housed as to the chances
of a storm. 1t was a local train, and
most of those who looked, dulled by
familiarity to ever this grandeur, saw
nothing Of the rich harmony of color,
the ineffable beauty Of the vast walls
piled block upon block, thousands upon
thousands of feet, until. like castles of a
race of giants, their towers and pinnacles
seemed touching the swirling clouds of
the sky, whose frowning mood seemed
so perfectly attuned to this rugged
grandeur-looked at it all but barometer
wise, seeing only that the storm might
blow over. Well for man that the dull
ewes of the flesh may one day be cast 10
earth. else ever the glories of heaven
would presently pail upon the sluggish
souls made free.
More Indifferent than any, Anita lay
back in her chair wellnigh pale and still
as the dead. She was physically ex-
hausted to a degree that her superb
strength had never known before, spent
and beaten by the storm of passion goad-
inc her on TO feverish activity through
ali the long night. She had not thought
of sleeping. going about the preparations
for her tourney with a care for small de
tails as punctiiious as though there had
bean weeks to spare for the planning.
An alone in the still night, her serv-
ant eepiu undisturbed, she had gone
ahont uniting her house in order as
though to grace the coming Of some "a
vored guest, pushing a chair IN place
here. adjusting the fold Of a curtain
tbere. emptying the witaered flowers
fr,n the vases. even threading fresh
~;bhon in tine ends of a bureau scarf,
ara with new knots of ribbon. pinning
tbe clean cover on a pincushion. Each
garment in the basket Of clothes tresn
from the laundry had been carefully iaia
IN it, Mace. and, though her fingers had
trsnhled over their task. they had yet
n.,er falterei nor bungled over al the
s,;,+v Stitcherv she was accustomed 70
lavish on the weekly mending M
when her feverish fancy could devise
nntbinr more TO occupy her restless
tsr3s when her n trunk was packed
and her curt note Of explanation 20
maid had been written, out on me
D;azza. in the cool gray preceding ne
5svrn she had gone. pacing back ana
e--tb in the same mad hurry until the
Lowing lights Of the eastern sky were
S~N.roniug : sleep drugged world 70 up
- make the most Of another day ot1te