The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-12-13
HER CASTLE.

scrub the aoorI I never in all my life saw
such a lazy, shiftless girl DO you hear
meg''
"Yes, aunt.
"There you gOi It's yes, aunt from
mornin till night. What on Airth air you
a-lookin att"
''I was watching the clouds, Aunt Hes
ter. Do come and see this one in the
form of a castle
"a castlel Good Lordl Just as if them
dumpy lookin clouds had any more shape
to EN- than q feather bed. Land saIes,
how some folks imagination runs away
with emp
MAY trouble you for glass of wa
ter9'' interrupted q voice at this moment
Aunt Hester started In the kitchen
door stood young man clad in a hunting
costume, with his gun slung carelessly
over his shoulder.
i've had but poor luck, - he said, s1nil-
ing pleasantly at Alice, land am quite
thirsty"
Then, turning to Aunt Hester, he added:
''You have a fine, old place here. May
ask if you know of any one in the vicin-
ity who would be willing to take a boardeE
for few weeks2''
Il dunno. replied Aunt Hester slowly.
eve got spare room that amt in use
Perhaps might. Is it you2"
YES have come up among the hills
here for months holiday. I win pay
you we'll like the place.
And Aunt Hester, always eager to make
money, led the way to a large, pleasant,
square room, whose windows looked out
upon the hills and surrounding country
for miles around.
The stranger was so pleased with the
view that he engaged the room then and
there.
ssTtI1 e,o tac1- to Tho b~te1 ot fI,e r,frsr,os
Of the valley and have my traps sent up at
once, " he said II shall have time to get
back before sunset. "
Ezra Barnard was in waiting in the
front room when he returned
fHeIlo, AIl'' he said, greeting her. Il
came over to ask you to q dig they re ago
in to have down to the Corners tomorrow
night How dye do?' acknowledging the
Introduction to the stranger awkwardly.
At cannot CO." she said eoldly
"Oh, pshaw, All You're always assay
in that You can go. Your aunt said
you could They re a-goin to have "a tarna-
ton sight of funP'
81 cannot so, Ezra"
''For the land sa1es, Alice, I shu' d think
you'd be ashamed Of yourself, . broke in
Aunt Hester Indignantly, "arber all the
pains Ezra's took to come way over here
a-purpose to ask you. Shu'dn't you think
she orter be ashamed, Mr.. Ellisg''
Perhaps Miss Bond does not care for
parties, " said the young man pleasantly.
g But this ere one is goin to be an extra
affair-two fddles and bass VOL I tell
you it'll be regular old hoe down. Say,
But the girl had slipped quietly from
the room.
II swan" exclaimed Ezra, rising, his
forid face becoming several tinges redder,
IF that hain't purity trick to serve a
felleri There's more gals than one in the
III ask AIminy Rindwort to go She'll
jump at the chance -
la, now dent be hasty, Ezra, - said
Aunt Hester sOothingly. "Alice will 90.
III bring her round tomorrow. She's only
a little odd and offish. When you're mar
ried it'u be all right. -
81 don't know as care about balky
gal for a wife, exclaimed Ezra coarsely.
Perhaps I won't have her. arter all. -
And snatching his hat he suIIenly left the
house.
Every moment that Alice could now
snatch from her drudgery she spent in
reading. Before the books which Mr..
Ellis had first lent her were finished he
had sent to the city for more. Nearly ev-
cry evening, when Aunt Hester was COM
fortably doing in her armchair, Mr. Ellis
would select a book, and going out into
the porch would read aloud in his clear,
musical voice to Alice.
Mr.. Ellis had fallen into the habit Of
calling her "Allie," and somehow she
liked it, for now his month had heightened
into three, and it seemed to Alice as il
they had been together almost forever.
allie, " he said, tomorrow viii be the
1st of November, and am going away
They were standing in the twilight. The
last rays of the setting sun were gliding
the girls chestnut hair until it shone like
FURNISHED gold.
The fringed curtains dropped quickly
over the brown eyes, and a sudden pallor
overspread the sweet girlish face.
This has been a pleasant summer and
autumn, Allie, y he said. Hasn't it?'
Yes" she answered, with voice that
faltered in spite of all her efforts
shall you miss me, A1lie?''
The intonatiop was so low it was hardly
more than a whisper.
With great effort the girl steadied her
voice and answered calmly:
Certainly Mr. Ellis. It-that is, we
shall all miss you.
ct am going home, Alice he said,
watching her keenly, ''to prepare a castle
for my ladylove, as a true knight should.
Shall I tell you about her-where first
met her and how came to love hers'
"If you please, came ever so family.
There was a terrible sickening at her heart
1T w-s one day was returning from a
hunt. I WIS very tired and thirsty, and
from the brow of hill I espied in the val
ley below mouse determined TO 90
down to it and ask for glass of water.
AS drew near 1 saw a young girl stand
ing in its yard watching the great feecy
white clouds that were floating idly aboua
in the sky
Alice started and crimsoned suddenly
81 paused in admiration of the sweetsss
face had ever beheld, he said, pressing
her hand. "Just then a woman came ogs
of the house and repriInanded the girl
sharply and asked her what she saw
The reply was, A castle. Do you remeIR-
Der it. AlIie9 From that moment, dearcsS-