Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-15

Cne room 10 grow sliil STdNeI anu ulhChor'
And the tall figure with the fine, dark
curly head, the long folds of the crimson
cloak, shone like a very marvel of splendor
and color.
Karen came in quickly from the kitchen
with her waiter. She bent her head so no
one could see her face, as she FASTENED
from one guest to the other. She set the
roast hare before the fish peddlers and
brought the commercial traveller, who sat
in an adjacent room, the bottle of soda
water. She gave the anxious farmer a
tallow candle, and, slipping to the stranger
by the stove, she thrust the change from
the crown in his hand.
The hostess was in the deepest despair.
Everything had gone wrong in her kitchen.
She had lost the advocates letter and
boundless confusion filled the inn. The
traveller pounded the table with the bell
loudly. 1he fish peddlers laughed until
they were half dead over the hares spread
before them. The bewildered farmer tapped
the landlady on the shoulder VIII the can
die and pulled himself out like a turkey
cock.
And amid all this m%addening confusion
Karen had disappeared. The position
Anders sat on the drivers seat. The stable
boy stood ready to open the door. The trav-
elers in the mail coach were impatient and
SO were the horses, although they had
nothing pleasant to look forward to, and
the wind still ratified and whistled through
the stable. At last the conductor, whom
they all awaited, came. He carried his
mantle over his arm as he stepped into the
coach and excused his delay with a few
curt words. He laughed to himself as he
drew his cloak about him and took his
seat. The door was closed, the mail coach
| rolled on. Anders let the horses trot gen.
thy now there was no more need of haste.
From time to time he glanced slyly at the
conductor, who still laughed to himself,
while the wind ruffled his hair. The pos
tilion laughed too. He suspected some
thing. The wind followed the coach to a
turn in the road, then threw itself again
over the plain and sighed mysteriously
through the heather bushes.
The fox lay at his post. All was ready
now-the hare must soon come. Yonder at
the inn harmony was restored, the anxious
farmer was relieved Of his candle and re-
ceived his change, and the travellers con-
sumed their hare. The hostess complained
a little, but she did not blame Karen. No
one in all the world had ever scolded ka-
rem. Quietly, unconsciously she FASTENED
IRON one to the other, and the serene salts
faction that always followed her footsteps
spread through the cozy, half dark inn par
lor.
The two fish peddlers that had ordered a
second cup of cognac and coffee, to follow
the first, were specially pleased with her.
A soft pink flush rested on her pale cheek,
the glimmer of a smile on her lip, and once
when she raised her eyes their light was
dazzling. When she felt the mems eyes
followed her, she went into the next room
where the travellers sat, pretending that
she wanted some teaspoons from the cup
board. "Did you notice the CONDUCTOR
asked one of them.
"No; not till he went out. He left very
quickly" answered the other, with his
mouth full of roast hare.
"a devilish handsome fellow! I attend
ed his wedding"
$50 is he married."
"Yes, indeed. His wife is the daughter
Of the landlord at Ulstrup, and l got there
the night Of the wedding. That was a
jolly time, l assure you. They have two
children, l .elieve."
AAAhoA uAopPNu oAo OSuoPoOIIo oil0 "SIu
out. She heard nothing that was called
after her from the inn. She went across
the court to her room and began mechanic
ally to mako her bed. Her eyes stared into
the darkness. She pressed her hands to
her head, to her breast; she groaned. She
could comprehend nots.g-nothing! She
heard the landlady's complaining voice.
Karen, dear K~aren!" it called. She ran
out across the court, behind the inn, across
the moor.
The winding strip of grass glimmered in
the half light as if it were a path, but it
was nc path. No one dared to follow it,
for it led abruptly to the brink of the great
pond. The hare quickened his steps. He
heard a rustling. He gave long jumps as
If he were mad to escape; not knowing
what he feared he fled over the plain. The
fox stretched out his sharp nose and stared
in surprise at the hare. He had heard
nothing. According to the instincts of his
kind he had crouched there in the hollow
he was conscious of no error. He could
not understand the action of the hare. He
stood long with outstretchcd head and
Sinking body. His bushy tail was hid by
tho heather bushes, and he began to 0
der If foxes were getting duller or hares
wiser. But when the west wind had run
its long course 1t turned into a north wind,
and then into an east wind, and then into
the south wind, N at last came back ovel
the sea as the west wind again, threw it
self upon the dunes and long, mysterious
signs moaned through the heather bushes
But there were wanting in Krarupel
inn two wondering gray eyes, a little blue
wooden gown that had grown too small
and the hostess complained more thar
ever. She could not understand it at all
No n could understand it save the pos
tilion Anders, and one other!-From tn,
Danish For Short Stories.
: Phil NAV. Gladstone and Autographs,