The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-05-01
CHAPTER XIII

It was late October, but summer
seemed to have forgotten that it was
time to leave the Colorado world. Day
by day the sky was of an intense, OK
quisite blue, the heat at midday OPP
pressive, although at morning and even
ing there was the chill in the air that
called for fires. The hills had turned to
duller browns, splashed here and there
with touch of red, more often with the
dark disks of dead sunfowers bent low
on their shriveled stems. Behind them
the mountains had caught a misty blue
that changed to rich lapis-lazuli in the
shadows, fading all day long to paler
tints, until with the going down Of the
sun they seemed to SILVER and turn blue
again with the cold. The quaking asps
Haunted in lines Of Pickering yellow
flame up every gulch, a fame that daily
burned more low; and down by the
creek the cottonwoods, erstwhils
clothed in palest yellows and faded
greens, were leaved all over with SHIN
1nering bits Of bronze just touched with
gold where the sunshine played, Even
in the blossom-time of summer there
had not been 80 much Of brightness
nor Of beauty; but withal Windy Gulc),
looked only shade more dull and
lifeless than it had been before, it's old
weather-beaten face borrowing new
ugliness from contrast with the eyanes~
cent glory of it's background. 49,.
Harvey Neil, bolstered up with many
pillows in his bed at the Palace hotel,
looked out at the small segment of land
scape to be seen between the Topped
back curtains Of his window, with on
apathetic disgust for it all that hardly
took shape Of words even In his
thoughts. He had been ill Of that form
of typhus known as mountain fever, and
the doctor, in order to give him all pos
sible attention, had induced tho young
man to allow himself to be brought here
from his cabin at tho mine. Hero he had
been for nearly three weeks now, his
perceptions for most Of the time dulled
beyond heed for anything outside Of the
hot discomfort of his bed aud the grow
ing grievance Of over-much beef tesi
but now he was fast mending, tho pro.
test Of his appetite taking form In an
intense desire for varied and generally
tabooed forms of refreshment, while
other interests Of life were gradually
reawakcning.
He had made his nurse move the bed
nearer the window, that he might look
out; but there was little Of entertain
ment to be derived there. Tho roosu 4
was at the back Of the house, overlook
ing the creek, and a few struggling cab
ins, their back yards abruptly slopinS
to the stream, while behind them
showed tho dreary sequence Of bare,
bnrn-like buildings housing the ADAM
doned process Of treating ores, each adj 3
dition in tho line q little lower and
smaller than itspredeccssor, so that tho
whole wore an air Of having been drawn
out like cunning continuance Of Chi.
1lese boxes. Beyond the mill were tho
tree-fringed tops Of the hills hedging
the creek where the Tomtown road
crept along by it's side; and many 4
time as he looked, it had seemed 70
Neil as though the old mill had Dis
solved to nothingness, 10 clear before
his staring eyes was the shaded visits
of roadway where q young girl IN !.
broad-brimmed hat and dainty mug
lin gown seemed forever looking q
hin, in smiling greeting. 5;s1.
To-day, however, he was hardly y
thinking Of the Tomtown road or even 4
of Dorothy Meredith; hardly thinking
of anything beyond the soul-sickcning
WEAKNESS Of this environment which VI
held for him nothing that at tie mos
ment he was willing to reckon good.
He was 20 tired Of It oil: 20 heart
sick; 20 homesiok. He had spared his i
mother knowledge Of bis sickness, sit b
ting up in bed now and then to pencil y
her brief soravls for which he apolo-
gized on special pleas Of haste; but
now, lying hero alone IN the dreary, s3
little hotel chamber. he felt himself
fairly starving for her sympathy. heF
sncompassfnS love. He 1onged to 60 4
away, to DO Ct home, to forget Windy
0ulch, the Tomtown road-everyt thing
nk mind was 70 weary Of traversirg d