The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-06-15


never seen such o being, her dark hair
hanging loose. her dark hazel eyes aud
so fair; and then that plain
white. low necked dress, and that jockey
hat and blue ribbons; and she was 90
queenly. so majestic-she was Just my
deal And then when she saw me she
blushed so prettily. and ceasing her low
warbling turned away into the grove
beyond so proudly, 80 defiantly, that !
dropped my book in the water in my
Eager gaze after her.
The following evening found me on
The same spot, but my coat was brushed.
my boots polished, my hair oiled, my
beard close shaver, for l was no smooth
faced boy, and altogether doubt
one Of my own scholars would
have known me. | had been reading
quite diligently. as thought. for half
hour. when, suddenly possessed Of ra-
tional thought, gave rational glance
1T my book and found it upside down.
But ! discovered | could comprehend
and appreciate the page 30 as well as any
way, for my mind was not there: it was
of yonder among the trees and pretty
intoxicated.
AS often in o storm at sea there sud-
denly comes still, dead calm for mo-
ment, and then the wind and waves
again, so frequently calm
thought displaces the contention of the
mind and then is gone. For moment
| looked upon myself with rational,
mortal eye and had not an ever benefi-
cent Providence made 1t physical i'm
should have been sorely
tempted to kick myself. had aver con-
sidered myself. and been SO considered
by others, pious hater Of that wildcat
nature which induces young ladies to
marry their fathers coachman, and
young men to shoot themselves. or i'm
merse their precious bodies deep in some
abyss.
And now that l should change my
nature for this unnamable nature flashed
upon me as SO strangely maniacal or
idiotic that shut my book a little Sc
verely and hastily turned away. But l
had not taken three steps when by some
fatality | saw that same
white dress, jockey cap and blue rib
bons stealing along this side the stream.
Strangei Whom the gods wish to de-
stroy they first make mad" It is ven-
cradle saying and must be true, for no
sooner did my eyes reach that white
dress and blue ribbon than my legs bore
me back to the rock. and I began to
read most laboriously.
To record how infinitely each days
progress in the road (oh, rosy roadD Of
love, to repeat our wild conversations, to
speak Of the strange, new life | felt
within me, how she fed the fire OF my
how stood for hours like q
lovesick Egyptian mummy and gazed and
gazed at her tall, queeuly tigure--to re-
cord all this. say. would but cause on
your part q contemptuous smile at an
old mans weakness. and on mine a
twinge Of a too retentive memory. Let
1t suffice. then, to know that before q
week was gone we spoke; before month
we loved and were plighted. and now
after three months, each passing day
evening when we must part.
suppose all loves. especially printed
ones. must endure partings, and any one
possessed of sufficient patience to read
thousandth part of the love stories
written, will find parting an essential
ingredient In each. 1t would be there
fore thrice told tale, and to you, per-
haps stoical or platonic. a nausea, wers
| to record infinitely the event so well
remember. Besides. the memory of it is
to me sacred memory. But we were
not boy and girl; our attachment was
not fitful outbreak of passion, the fruit
Of love for romance-no, 1t was a
strong. deep river running from heart to
heart, whose current never rolled and
dashed headlong over precipices to sink
again into sluggish, muddy stream. 1t
ever flowed in that steady, unwavering
course, disturbed by no fears or jealous
les. and overshadowed by no clouds Of
doubt and suspicion.
And at the parting interview. as !
gazed upon her seated on that old rock,
her hands lying listlessly in her lap, her
eyes fixed ON the ground. and ever and
anon a single truant teardrop stealing
down her cheek; as. standing by her side
and looking down upon her, could
hardly believe that she was really NOR
tai, and more than all, that she was
mine. all mine. Then, as IL at that mo-
ment q dark angel had swept by us.
started at my temerity. For a second
the beauty. the wealth, the bliss of love
fed away, and was startled to see my
self-ne, starving, threadbare stu
dent, vagabond; no home. no family,
no friends was alarmed to see such q
being stand by the proud. wealthy Lima
Spencer, and claim her as his bride.
But then the cloud passed, my thread
bare coat. my well worn shoes, my unpre-
possessing, not to say uncouth appear
ance, all were forgotten. and ! was
pressing this child Of rank and wealth
to my poverty begotten bosom.
How all this came about, how "a city
belle" already arrived at womanhood,
whose life had been passed in gay saloons
and fashionable watering places; who
had been the pet Of an indulgent father
and a silly mother till she had grown
almost naughty: how this person, the
courted, the admired, the envied Lima
Spencer, came to forget or conquer her
pride. to descend from her exalted posi-
ton to give her heart, nay. her hand to
me. never questioned, nor shall ! now
attempt to find q cause. Enough for me
that 1t was so. And how could | doubt
her sincerity At the bare intimstion Of
forgetfulress or change Of mind, when
surrounded by fiatterers in her fathers
brilliant parlors. she stretched upward
her tall form. and her eyes flashed al
most fiercely: