The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-05-25

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his lips.
The summer days were long and full
of idle hours in the months that elapsed
before Gilbert could make his wishes
known in the Atzlan tongue; the time
hung heavily upon his hands at times,
although when he mastered the Ian.
euage he was busy indeed, and he
was then marvel to the people, for they
rested often and long and busted them
selves little with improvements or even
repairs. He spent many hours swinging
in the hammocks which hung from tree
to tree, hundreds of them, all over the
courts, common property, for the Atz-
lans loved ease and shade above all
things.
Many hours, too, he spent by the river,
where the white cranes walked i'll solemn
procession along the sands while he lay
in the cool shadows of the pinon trees
listening to the quail piping and the
wild doves amorous cooling. 1t was
near the last of July, day so warm
and sultry that the blue haze filled the
canyon, making objects indistinct and
distorted. The city's walls looked out
of perspective, as though twisted and
warped by the heat; the air was SO still
that away up there in the woods he could
hear voices from the city's houses, and
the bells of silver on the cattle seemed
startingly near The birds were all doz-
ing close under the heaviest leaved
branches, and the only life in the scene
was given by a group Of naked boys
bathing in the river, their brown bodies
glistening in the sunlight with cop
perry luster. But even these were in
keeping with the scene, for they splashad
and dived in queer silence, unlike white
lads, who would have made the canyon
ring with shrieks and yells.
Gilbert was under the spell of the day,
feeling an Incidence and lassitude and
quiet content stealing over him until his
senses We're lulled into dreamy repose.
He felt the delicious languor of enforced
idleness, just tinged with enough of the
consciousness of the waste of precious
time to add zest to its charm, as it al
ways does to the naturally busy man. A
passing breath of wind swayed the
grasses and danced across the little
river, ripping its silver blue satin, bring
ing the eager trout to the surface and
ruffiing gently the plumage of the sol
emn sentrylike cranes. Out from the
shore a dozen turtles were basking on
the rocks, their heads held erect in a
painful and constrained way, their eyes
closed, and their whole bearing evincing
that they were being soaked in rich,
golden sunshine.
On a flat stone not a rod away was
cOiled huge rattlesnake, his oily skin
shining with black and yellow glossi-
ness. Gilbert drew his revolver, and
resting it over his left hand aimed at
the ugly fat head and glittering eyes
and fired. The report was followed by
startled woman's scream near by, the
turtles slipped with sudden alacrity
into the water, the cranes tapped their
wings as though about to fly, but
thought better of it and walked alb
with grave concern, and the snake lay
wrigghng and twisting at the foot OF
the stone in death agony. Gilbert
looked around and saw Kulcan, witt
Leila in his arms, pale and trembling
and her blue eyes resting on him in ter
ror. kulcan, too, was trembling. TO,
neither of them had seen his weapor
nor knew what caused the echoes which
were still rolling along the canyon and
causing the people in the sleepy city
to rush out of their houses and ask one
another the meaning of the thunderou.
sound.
Gilbert stepped forward with smile
ON his lips, and Kulcan, treasured, placed
ms sister upon a grassy mound, where
she sat painting for several moments
Gilbert knelt beside her, and taking he,
hand in his stroked it with unconsciou.
tenderness to quiet her fears, TIL,
warm blood shot up into her cheeks. nd
| ner eyellds fell beneath his gaze. HI
felt the sudden thrill rush through him
again, and he caught his breath as he re-
leased her hand, which she pressed
against her bosom with an involuntar,
movement, as though to calm her hearts
tumultuous throbbing. To another mar
she would have been as transparent a.
glass, but Gilbert was SO confused $,
dazed by his unwonted feeling that bf
saw nothing.
kulcan, however, DID see and knew
fuli well the meaning of what he saw
IL pleased him vastly to think that thu
| god might love his Beautiful sister. il
augured well for his own prospects: and
too, he had feared that the celestial Wis
ltor might have claimed. and Justly, hi.
own betrothed Aimee, whose life he had
saved. And he, being a lover and an
ardent one, felt a sincere and cordia-
sympathy for Gilbert; so, with a nat
/ ural tact and delicacy, he moved away
leaving the others almost unconscion,
Vi MS departing, returning to the cit,
10 explain that the god had caused tn.
thunder and destroyed a huge rattle
snake, news which set the gossins
tongues wagging at once.
The little grassy knoll whereon Lels
was resting was in the bright sunlight
ana hilbert led her to a shady spot
where he dropped into the grass beside
ner ana looked up into her face, drink
ing In Its rare beauty with the same
sense OF ecstasy which certain musit
mad often reused within him. A rioton.
SURFING OF the heart and wild throb
Ding OF his pulses accompanied thi,
ecstasy, and trembling joy mingled
with an uncertain feeling yery like main
ne could not have expressed in word.
the new and suddenly acquired wealth
OF feeling of which he found himselj
possessed, but he felt great wave O,
happiness sweeping over him. a divine
content, and realization of the mere
Joy OF living and being beside such in
comparable loveliness. He knew now
.nat ne loved; that something had come
INTO his life that filed and rounded i,
ont and made it worth living. OF tn,
slsns OF love he knew nothing, yet hs
knew somehow that Leila loved him.