The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-07-04

Of similar sacrifices and compare her to
Jephtha's daughter and TO Iphigenia,
only with the difference that they were
sacrificed, not by their mothers, but by
their fathers. It was indeed wonderful
how these historic parallels lifted the
affair out of the everyday humdrum
.eality and invested it with poetic dig
nifty. In fact, Hulda, when she came
TO contemplate her situation in this
light, began to feel quite heroic, and
she was grateful to Mr. Falck for open
ing this new vista in her life and sup
plying little imaginative coloring to
the Greary monotony Of her existence.
She scarcely suspected that it was her
self who supplied this element, while he
merely cited the dry and colorless facts.
But like every rich and generous nature
she knew no meum and tuum in the re-
gion Of mind ard lavishly credited to
her poorer companion what she drew
from her own abundant stores.
1t was two days before Christmas eve
that an incident occurred which l fancy
neither of the persons concerned had an
ticipated. The great annual ceremony
in country houses called the slaughter
ing was in progress, and the parsonage
was peryaded from cellar TO garret by
savory odors. A manservant with
white towel about his head was stand
ing in the hall welding a huge pestle
with which he was pounding a mixed
meat dough in a large marble mortar
Every time the door Of the kitchen was
opened fresh whiffs Of tantalizing dishes
escaped, and you saw Mrs Brincllman
and Magda, with white aprons envelop-
ing half of their persons, lifting ladies'
filled with appetizing substances i'll vari-
ous stages of preparation. The three old
est girls had divided the care Of tho
household between them, each taking
her week in the kitchen under the gem
oral supervision Of the mother, and this
happened to be Magda's week.
Hulda was seated at the piano singing
TO Mr.. Falck, who, according TO his
habit, was strolling up and down ON the
floor. 1t was the exquisite roguish tune
of Kjerulf to Bjornsons "The fox he
lurked meath the birchcn root " and she
sang it with a wanton gayety and aban-
don which made the curate's sedate
blood strangely uneasy. Then with an
abrupt change of mood she wandered
away into a richly melodious voluntary
full Of sadness and sweet resignation,
ont of which rose now and then a wild
and passionate cry for life and joy and
happiness. And that again glided
through series Of vaguely articulate
sighs into "Synnoy's Song, with its
ineffable tenderness and yeaIning just
as Hulda had finished the third verse
Magda, all aglow with kitchen fire and
housewifc'y dignity, appeared in the
door against am illuminated background
Of stoves, candles and busy domestic
industry.
Mother says TO stop that singing at
once, she said, emphasizing each word
with the ladle she held in her hand.
''The maids are losing their heads from
listening 10 you and sugar the meat and
salt the cake.
Il viii stop, said Hulda, quietly
rising from the piano
She noticed as she turned her head
that Mr. Falck's eyea where riveted
with a singular intensity Of interest on
her sister as she stood gesticulating with
her scepter Of domestic authority. She
knew that there was something in the
vision of the girl which revealed her in
a new light and made her double at
aactiTe 10 him.
She reminds me Of Penelope" ne
said with a slow smile when the door
had closed upon the pleasant apparition.
why Of PenClopei" asked Hulda
with a little note of asperity.
You know there is a scene in the
odyssey, f" Mr.. Falck replied blandly,
'whcre the clamorous and insolent suit
ors are deyonring the substance of Ulys-
ses, Staying his bullocks and roasting
them over the fire And Penelope moves
among them with beautiful hcusewifely
dignity as ii wholly unconscious Of her
beauty, and she spins the sea blue wool
and weayes at The loom, patiently and
heroically faithful, longing for the re-
turn of her lord 4"
Dear me, how can Magda suggest
all that TO yon? am not aware hat she
has ever been troubled by clamorous on
nsolent suit0rs.
shew aware before she had finished
this remark thas she was saying AN I'M
generous thing and that the motive
which prompted her was an ignoble one
She had cherished SO long the notion Of
turning her lover over TO Magda--had,
in fact, beer half disposed 70 win him
for that very purpose--and now when
the prospect presented itself IL appeared
distinctly unattractiye. She was 80
ashamed Of herself that she could have
wept. Where was now the nobility'un