The Red Cloud chief., 1897-11-26
when she had done his head dropped

III v Nlubbi' hINN ""N
, when she had done his head dropped
and he sighed.
"Ah," she said, "you sigh. You
yourself have felt and suffered. You
have belied yourself! You sigh.
There are facts in life eve for sighs."
"'Tis true he answered softly,
''yet | sighed for pleasure"
"What pleassre?" she asked curl
ously.
cor IL may be hope" he added.
lie looked at her, and his gaze was
mild and wistful. She regarded him
in porplexity, and then n wild flush
took her in the cheek and throat.
"Pooh! poohl' she cried, and turned
off, plucking at the hawthorne bush.
The white may smell rank, but
strange and soothing; the petals
shivered and fell. Miranda's heart
beat on, wondering. Something
clapped at its doors again and again.
Would she openY What was this i'm
patient visitor that pleaded so for
entr ance2 She had so little knowl-
edge; she was but newly arrived upon
the world. Her emotions were still
strangers to her; she was a pilgrim
still among her new sensations.
Ought she to open? Nay, to stay so
and wonder was surely ~pleasantcst.
One day she would throw wide the
doors and look. But now it was
sweet to feel that hand upon the
knocker, hat clutching at the latch,
and lie trembling within in feigned
insecurity. She turned and faced
him S~traightway the clamor ceased,
and in her heart was s%ilence. She
looked him coldly in the face.
"You smile for love?" she asked.
Eyes, dear" said he, land for the
thought of you.
ooh, YOU take me too lightly, she
broke out. lyon do not guess what
a solemn thing this love may be.
You fiutter into n thousand follies on
the scantcst reflection. You will
dance. end you will play, and you
will jingle-jangle through your holt
day world without Il thought for any
thing but %pirouettcs and jigs and
whirligigs of laurhter. The most
sonorous of sacre sorrows may sound
in your ears and wake no echo but a
cape within your heart. And you
would put me upon that dead plane
Of ribald merriment with yourself?
] will laugh with you. Yes; / will go
beg Of you FOR jests in my jocund
seasons. am willing to shrek over
your whimsicalities at my own pleas
ure. In my serene unthinking mo-
ments will be content to exchange
humors with you, and to VOW life
were void and dull were not such as
you at my beck. But when I've
opened my chamber and fastened the
door upon myself, my soul and | shall
be alone together, and ! will weep,
and pity, and repent. and ache out
my heart with sorrows In which you
"a have no lot. I am young, but
have an inkling Of what the world
, may mean"
!, THE world" said he. means hap
pinesa-"
1.-THE world" she retorted, means
tears and bitter wringing of the
banda Have I not heard Of death,
and have ! not seen pain? You think
me CAV. vet how long shall I keeI
this gsiety in my heart? 90 round
upon the wheel. 1t turns and changes.
What shall befall tomorrow that
shall not weep today? You would pluck
nc with no greater confederation
than you would pluck . flower from
it, stalk wherewith to deck your coat
Should II wither or fall adjust, another
will servo until the coming of the
wine. Look YOU, you will Sigh and
weep for love, and your sighs will be
amilea. and your tears will DO laugh.
Ter. Fortnight your heart 10 singing
like . lark. Yours! yours IL the shall
lowest Of paltry pssslonA"
~ would do much for yeu." said he
"Give me your d~imples," cried MI
rsnda, and 90 TO the c~hurchyard Will
. wry facet"
Even that" he answered, nodding
!, "Pshi You will not contsin you
face lugubriously for I've minutes b.
the clock. Though you shall rsmen
!, ber to Do sober for two sentences, q
: the third you will be whistling, an,
= y the fourth will find you holding you
sides"
He moved q step toward her.
And II should die for you," h
asked, pleadiugly.
n Miranda gasped. She contem plate,
@ his face with uncertainty. His eye
a shone with the dew Of tears; hi
d hands trembled; it was the corner O
his mouth that betrayed him. Mi
randa burst into laughter.
Your she cried. you! Why, 20,
would forget my coffin as it passed
and the color Of my face ere my bac
ID was upon you. "See here" she said
is IL will give you to the hedge for mis-
10 cry; but | swear you will take to tn
he lane as ~jauntily as an hour since
r, Get you gone, my merry man, an
come again to dispute with me in a
nc idle humor. Fiel fe! to think on 20
IL and death in tho same company.'