Evening star., 1897-05-08

crest as promptly reddened and apologized.
The habits OF European travel had been
sun strong on him. and he felt a slight
patriotic thrill as he said, with a grave
smile Thank you. then; and thank you
still more for reminding me that L am
among my own people," and stepped
lightly out into the road.
The air was still deliciously cool. but
warmer currents from the heated pines be
gan TO alternate with the wind from the
summit. He found himself sometimes
walking through a stratum of hot air.
which seemed to eXhale from the wood
itself, while his head and breast were
swept by the mountain breeze. He felt the
old intoxicatiori of the baimy scented air
again, and the five years OF care and nope
les: ress laid upon his shoulders since he
had last breathed its fragrance slipped
from them like a burden.
There had been but little change here;
perhaps the road wider and the dust
lay thicker, but the great pines still mount
ed in serried ranks on the slopes as before
with no gaps in their unending files. Here
was the spot where the stage coach had
passed them that eventful morning when
they were coming out of their camp life
into the world of civilization: a little fur
ther back the spot where Jack Hamlin had
forced upon him that grim memento of the
attempted robbery of their cabin which he
had kept ever since. He half smiled again
at the superstItous interest that had made
him keep it, with the intention of some
lections OF the deed. under the site of the
OLD cabin. AS he went on in the vivifying
infiuehce of the air and scene, new life
seemed TO course through his veins; his
step seemed to grow elastic as in the old
days of their bitter but hopeful struggle
for fortune, when he had gayly returned
from his weekly tramp to Boomville laden
with the scant provision procured by their
scant earnings and dying credit. Those
were the days when her living image still
inspired his heart with faith and hone:
when everything was yet possible to youth
ana love, and before the irony of fate had
gwen him fortune with one hand only to
withdraw her with the other. 1t was
strange and cruel that coming back from
his quest of rest and forgetfulness ne
should find only these youthful and san
Suine dreams revive with his reyivins
vigor. He walked on more hurredly as if
to escape them. and was glad to be di-
Verted by one or two passing carryalls and
char-a-bancs filled with gayly dressed pleas
ure partles-evidently visitors to Hymettus
which passed him on the road Here were
the first signs OF change. He recalled the
train of pack mules of the old days the
hIe OF nd-basket-carrying Chinese
the squaw with the pappoose strapped to
her shoulders. or the wandering and foot
sore DrosDector. who were the only way
farers he used to meet. He contras ted
their halts and friendly greetings with the
lnsoIent curiosity und!sguised contempt
or the carriage folk, and smiled as he
ihoUsht of the warning of the blacksmith
But this did not long divert him; he found
himself again returning to his previous
thought.
Indeed. the face of the young girl in one
OF the carriages had quite startled him
Win It's resemblance to an old memory of
MIS- lost love, as he saw her-her frail pale
elegance encompassed in laces as she lean
ed back In her drive through 9th avenue
Win eyes that lit I'D and became trans
inquired only as he passed. He tried to
.hlhk OF MS useless quest in search of her
last resting place abroad: how he had been
baffied by the opposition of her surviving
relations. already incensed by the Thought
that her decline had been the effect of her
hopeless passion. He tried to recall the
Few frigid lines that reconyeyed to him
the last letter he had sent her with the
announcement of her death and the hone
that his prosecutions would now cease
A wild idea had sometimes come to him
out or the very insufficiency of his knoWI-
edge OF this climax, but he had always
put 1t aside as precursor of that madness
which might end his ceaseless thought.
AND row 1t was returning to him here.
thousands OF miles away from where she
was peacefully sleeping, and even filing
MIN with the vigor of youthful hope
Ihe brief mountain twilight was giving
way now to the radiance of the rising
moon. He endeavored to fix his Thoughts
upon his partners. who were to meet him
at Hymettus after these long years of
separation.
Hymettus! He recalled now the odd CO.
incidence that he had mischfevously used
as gag to his questioning fellow traveller.
but now he mad really come from a villa
near Athens to find his old house Thus
ciassicaiiy rechristened after 1t, and