The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-08-12
Kerl's ,ast words ringing in her ears

weeks for Miriam. Between bersel
and Karl Scott a truce had been d.
clared, and they met apparently Of
their old, friendly footing. Only tn
girl and Karl himself knew that Their
was difference. The old friendly re
lation had somel Nv he<-nme imposs:bl
and into their intercourse a strange
new element had crept.
We'll, Miriam, how's that bet?' sail
Mary Sanborn, one morning SOM
months after the scene with which
our story opens, as she met her frient
coming out of college.
Cali right. We had fight that yer!
evening, you know, and the sky
cloudy even yet"
That's nothing" said her com
panion, with laugh. Il don't believe
III buy the gloves just yet"
'I'll get them for you If you like. In
going to ride over to Ipsi this after
noon."
"No, thanks" was the laughing an
swer, and then the girls separated.
| But Miriam was not so light-heartet
to-day as she had led her friend t.
imagine. Somehow Karl's treatmen
OF her had often wounded her of late
It was not that he was unRipd. bu
some way the old, friendly relation:
| were broken. Karl was not the joll.
companion he had once been. He was
silent and reserved; kind. always, bu
somehow the girl was miserable ant
unhappy.
And Karl? He, too. felt the differ.
ence. but to save his life he could not
treat Miriam in his old, friendly fash
ion. Why, he could not have told, but
ne realized that life in these pas
weeks was very different thing from
that of the years before. The Mills
about the little college town had looked
more beautiful in their snowy white
ness against the winters sky when he
went with Miriam in their weekly
rambles,
On this December day, when Miriam
had met Mary Sanborn, the girl was
unusually restless and unhappy. She
could not study, and after wandering
aimlessly about the house for some
hours, she suddenly put ON her hat, re-
membering some tri1e she had in
tended to buy at Ipsi, town few
miles distant. Hastily putting the
saddle on her horse, she started off
down the road. This was Miriam's
usual mode of recreation, and no mat
ter how cold or stormy the day, she
always returned from her ride re.
freshed and in good spirits 1t was
early in the afternoon when she
started.
"I'll surely be back before dark"
she said, as she left the house, but the
hours wore away and she did not re-
turn. A binding snowstorm had set in
with the approach of evening. 1t was
difficult to discern objects in the gath
ering dusk and the flakes fell thicker
and thicker as the darkness became
more intense. So it was with start
of surprise that man refined in his
horse as the animal started at the sight
of something by the roadside dark
object, strangely like human form
In an instant he had dismounted and
then Karl Scott heard sobbing voice
that sent the blood to his heart in
great bounds. He bent over the
mournful little figure and the next in
slant he had gathered the sobbing form
In his arms and was holding it as
though he would never let 1t go again.
"Oh, Karl, I thought no one would
ever come and my foot hurts me SOL"
Then two arms crept up about Karrs
neck and for awhile the darkness and
the storm were forgotten by the two
there alone on the hills.
Miriam's horse had thrown her as
she was returning and for several
hours she had been here by the road
side with terrible pain in her ankle
and chilled and wet by the storm. And
then the darkness had come and the
girl had given up all hope of rescue for
that night, till she had looked up tc
see Karl's frightened, gray eyes and
felt his kisses on her lips. How she
got home that night the girl could
never have told. but there was always
the dreamy consciousness Of her lovers
white, anxious face bending over her.
But, Karl, just think! How will |
ever endure it," said Miriam one even
ing, few days later, as she was lying
on the couch by the open fire. whose
ruddy CLEAN was making a hundred
fantastic shadows in the little room
and making the sweet, girlish face
there among the cushions more beauti.
full than ever, as Karl, who was bend
ing over it, fondly imagined.
you know these girls will never
get through teasing me. And was so
sure, too! Why did you do it, Karl ?"-
this last with reproachful glance
from her brown eyes that makes her
lover answer softly, as he bends and
kisses her:
why, just because I couldn't help it
dear"
And, strange to say, this illogical
answer seemed quite satisfactory to
the college girl, though in al her
studies in Kant and Spencer no trace of
such reasoning had ever been found.
The next mornings mail brought n
package to Mary Sanborn, and as she
held up to view dozen pairs of gloves
she said, critically:
Il always knew Miriam Westcott had
good taste in gloves"