Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-11-12
OTHER PEOPLE,"
Z x = had quarreled. don't
wv know what ABOUT: neither OF

NJ ~ huoN Wldl ABOUT, neltlef Ol
quite knew, | think. One OF
those unexplained quarrels when we
thought mean things of each other
without any cause, and then justified
the others condemnation by mcanei
actions. We were polite to stupidity
and our conversation was interlarded
with he poorest satire, IN which W.
eXulted as displaying the sharpness of
our wit and the Indifference of our feel
ingS. We ruthleSsly stabbed, and won.
dercd every time at the others cruelty
with Il renewed SENSE of surprise,
whilst bordering on a return thrust
likely TO prove more hurtful. Every
day we seemed to be growing farther
from the possibility of Il reconciliation
till AT last we became quite friendly in
our enmity. We ceased to be personal
and only discussed outside matters,
Our hearts had solidly frozcm-we, who
had loved each other so much-there
was no longer warmth enough over for
satire. We ate our meals silently to.
gether in the great hall of The queer old
w vi WI lie II
up on the rocks above tie swift river
cOiling about their base 2u0 feet below,
an impresnable stronghold in the old
times of the border wars. aul now hut
u hoStelry for travellers crossing the
wild forest lands thar stretched for
miles to the horizon. | had com to
meet the Count. my father, on his way
south, but he had been detained, and
ugo had declared he would not l.a:c
me in the desolate old castle till a safer
protector than my female attendant
should arrive. | acquiesced-how will
ingly then. when my heart beat at the
sound of his footsteps, and the gloomy
halls seemed so mysteriously delight
full whilst he was there! Things had
indeed changed! Now | protested i'm
patiently ut the waiting. Would not
my father soon arrive? Yet surely
dreaded his advent, which would mean
our parting without eve Il %reconcilia.
tiOn.
p He offered to ride to his encounter. I
murmured. "Ilc might If he wished"
and turned away with my heart sink
Ing into my toes. He did o go, how
ever, and in this | found further cause
for n display of ill-humor. He success
fully retnliatcd. till | despised him with
all my soul. and wondered how | ever
could have thought him aught but a
bar.
one day, as | strobe angrily along
the corridor. | encountered one of the
guests | had not before noticed, though
later l. remembered that she had been
about the inn for Sorne days. She was
Il little person, not so much in hcight-
she might have been us tall as myself
as In general effect: she looked little.
n had the mcanCSt COuntenance | had
ever beheld. | took such a sudden dis
like 10 the creature that | in%voluntarily
drew my skirts aside as she passed.
Later on in the day we both observed
her mt n table in the company of n man.
lie was taller than she, yet had the
anne appearance of puny meanneSs.
An impotcnt ~pugnacity marked the
whole of his irascible physiagnomy. the
features of which were white and form
less. The two openly wrangled during
the whole curse of the meal, so that we
could not help laughing at the ridicu-
lousncss of their behavior. They
banded words on every conceivable
subject. Pray don't eat your soup rs
If you were fond of It," said she; " |
hate to see people eat their soup in that
way" You hate every one but your.
self" said he, Perhaps | do. when
every one has diminished to a YOU" she
replied.
How brutal they arc!" murmurcd
Ugo.
laughed. Wen, we were well bred In
our Q%uarrelS, ut any rate. Whatever
we thought we took care to conceal In
elaborate polltcness worthy. certainly.
of better feelings. | think he under.
stood what was passing through my
mind, for he flushed a little angrily.
Surely | did not mean to compare our
selves to these low creatures. whose de.
formed bodies seemed the index to thei,
crooked souls. Whether | did or not,
succeeded in hiding further expression
of my thoughts.
During the following days we becam,
better friends; the discussion OF thes,
oddities made US forget something o