Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-12-08

retired to distant window. and tooA
UP tho Field: but r'y eyes wandered
from the close. cramped print to the
heads Of the girls bending over theiS
work, and thought what charming
picture they made in the chastenet
golden light. and how refectively my
wife's dark tumbled locks threw out
the smooth coronet Of FURNISHED gold
that crowned Edith's. stately head.
She was a most beautiful woman
tall, fair. with soft blue eyes heavily
lashed. md a faultless profile. Never
before had I seen her look so attract
I've as she did on that evening while
she directed Helen's little clumsy
brown hand across that square Of oat-
meal cloth on which such wonderful
birds. butterflies, and Towering vege-
tation were to blossom into life. Her
dress, Of light blue stun. trimmed
with delicate lace, fitted her exquisite
ly. and there was n suggestion of grace
ful poetic perfection about her general
appearance. her every movement. that
wae most soothing to the senses that
lazy summer day. l felt as II l could
have watched her with unsatiated
pleasure for hours at a stretch-"a
daughter of the gods, diyinely tall and
divinely fair"-while Helen, my wife,
was most distinct child Of earth,
small. dark-haired. dark-eyed. with
uniformed babyish features. and q skin
which. though pure and healthy. lacked
the delicate peach-bloom OF the other.
Was she ordinarily pretty or almost
plain? still asked myself that oues-
tion after nine months of matrimony.
and could arrive at no satisfactory So
luton. For Helen was seldom tho
same. either In mind. manner, or looks.
two hours together.
One hour she would look, even in
the most partial eyes. dull. common
place. hopelessly unattractivs-the
next. for no apparent cause. her ap-
pearance would change. her cheeks
glow, her eyes CLEAN with a light that
I vaguely felt for a moment would. in
most mems opinion, dim Edith's placid
beauty into insigniflcance. She had
certainly very strange eyes-l never
| could ascertain their exact shade.
Sometimes they were deep. dark, still.
like water In heavy shadow-again
they were all life with flickering tawny
lights. as they were that moment, when
raised to Edith's in rueful expostula-
tion.
"Oh, Miss Stopford. please don't asl,
me to change my wool again! Let
me finish to the stalk In this browny
yellow"
my dear Mrs. Dennys. impossible! !!
You have only three shades in the leaf
as yet. and have changed my wool
as many as three-and-twenty times In
a single spray of virgin vine"
"Have you? Then I'll never be an
artist in crewels!" laughed Helen. the
cloth dropping lazily from her hands; /;
whereupon Jim. her little terrier,
thinking the lesson over. jumped
briskly up on her lap. upsetting her
| workbasket, the contents Of which
rolled over the waxed boards-scissors
tapes, needles. bodkins went right and
left. A stout reel of black cotton
travelled languidly my way. and, stoop-
ing to pick It up. the golden hair OF
the only woman ever loved brushed
my forehead deliciously.
Meet me at the end of the cedar
walk in half an hour" she said in a
quick whisper. with downcast eyes,
fumbling for the reel that I. In my agi-
tation. had dropped again. Il have
something to say to YOU"
/ nodded. lay back In my chair. and
instinctively held up the paper to
shade my face from observation.
When my wife called me over to drink
a cup Of tea. glanced apprehensively
into mirror to see II the color had
faded from my temples yet. No. 1t
was still there. burning brightly, even
through my tanned skin.
Meet me at the end of the cedar
walk in half an hour" I repeated
stupidly, again and again, as strolled
across the lawn towards Breton Hall,
the residence Of General Stopford
Edith's uncle, and my grandfather s
brother. "What does 1t mean? What
can she have to say to me? can't
understand It."
ITO be Continued