Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-02-13

one SHOOK DeI Heou IlTnlV, however,
and her fingers slowly framed the re-
ply. "You guess too m ..ch. Foolish
things come to the idle"
II saw you this afternoon" he
slightly urged.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
"There was nothing to see." She
knew he could not have read her ges-
lures. II was telling a story"
You ran from him. Why2" This
questioning was cruel that he might
in the end be kind.
1.-THE child runs from its shadow,
the bird from its nest, the fish jumps
from the water-that is nothing" :"
She had recovered somewhat. But
he said: 'sThe shadow follows the
child, the bird comes back to its nest,
the fish cannot live beyond the water.
But it is sad when the child in run
ming rushes into darkness and loses
its shadow; when the nest falls from
the tree and the hawk catches the
happy fish. Hawley saw you Also"
Hawley, like Ida, was deaf and
dumb. He lived over the mountains.
but came often. 1t had been under
stood that one day she should marry
him. 1t seemed fitting. She had
said neither yes nor no. And nowa
A quick tremor of trouble trailed
over her face, then it became very
still. Her eyes bended upon the
ground steadily. Presently bird
hoped near, it's head coquetting at
her. She ran her hand gently along
the grass toward it. The bird tripped
on it. She lifted it to her chin, at
which it picked tenderly. Pierre
watched her keenly, admiring, pity
ing. He wished to serve her.
At last, with a kiss upon it's head,
she gave it light toss into air, and
it scared, larlSlike, straight up, and,
hanging overhead sang the day into
the evening Her eyes followed it.
She could feel that it was singing.
She smiled and lifted finger lightly
toward it. Then she spelled to Pierre
this: 1T is singing to me. We inn
perfect things love each other"
"And what about loving Hawley,
then" Pierre persisted.
She did not reply, but a strange
look came upon her, and then in the
pause Talton came from the house
and stood beside them. At this Pierre
lighted a cigarette, and with good
natured nod to Talton walked away.
Talton stopped over her, pale and
eager. Ida, he gestured, will you
answer me now9 Will you be my
wife?" >
She drew herself together with a
little shiver. mo" was her steady
reply. She ruled her face into still
ness, so that it showed nothing Of
what she felt. She came to her feet
wearily, and drawing down a cool
Towering branch of chestnut pressed
it to her cheek.
You do not love me2" he asked
nervously.
II am going, to marry Luke Haw-
ley" was hef slow answer. She
spelled the words. She used no ges-
ture to that The fact looked terri
bly, hard and inflexibly so. Talton
was not vain man and he believed
he was not loved. His heart crowded
to his throat.
please go away now," she begged,
with an anxious gesture. While the
hand was extended he reached and
brought it to his lips, then quickly
kissed her on the forehead and
walked away She stood trembling,
and as the fingers of one hand hung
at her side they spelled mechanically
these words 1T would spoil his life;
/ am only mute-a dummy
AS she stood so she felt the ap-
proach of some one. She did not
turn instantly, but with the aborigi-
nal instinct, listened, as it were, with
her body, but presently faced about
to Hawley. He was red with an
ger. He had seen Talton kiss her.
Less one of his faculties, he had pro.
portionately less self restraint. He
caught her smartly by the arm, but
dWcu ny thC S5iSot NbiitAiCoS VI iiCI
face dropped it, and fell into a fit of
sullenness. She spoke to him; he
did not reply. She touched his arm;
he still gloomed.
All at once the full price of her sac
rifice rushed upon her and overpow-
cred her. She had no help at her
critical hour, not even from this man
she had intended to bless. There
came swift revulsion-all passions
stormed in her at once. Despair was
the resultant of these forces. She
swerved from him Immediately and
ran hard toward the high banked
riverl
Hawley did not follow her at once;
he did not guess her purpose.
She had almost reached the leaping
place when Pierre shot from the trees
and seized her, The impulse of this
was so strong that they slipped and
quivered on the precipitous edge; but
Pierre righted them, and presently