Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-02-03

N'ON N' tNAfo'' - ~ ELI a ECou
ed at the piano, her back toward them.
She was singing a song which Elliott had
heard a well known Irish tenor sing many
times:
Solve me a word of love, Douglas Gordon,
just a word of pity, o my .love!' said she.
"For the bells will ring tomorrow, Douglas
My wedding bells, my love, hut not for you
and me-"
Miss Carruth's eyes grew tender as she
listened to the words. She looked at FL
lott. He touched her arm and they walk
ed softly through the hall to the room be
yond, where Cousin Margaret was busy.
"You have company, Cousin Margaret"
Elliott said, after introducing Miss Car
ruth.
Cousin Margaret flushed. "You don't
mind, do you, Elliott? You see, the pianD
belonged to her and they had to sell It
with all the other things. She's such a
sweet girl. I told her to come in and use
the piano whenever she liked. 1t will keep
it in tune, you know"
Cousin Margaret's explanation was not
very lucid, but Elliott understood thas tho
girl was the daughter of the man who har
owned the farm. While they were still
speaking they heard the hall door close
and the girl crossed the lawn. Miss Car
ruth, standing by the window, looked
after her, and with the quick intuition
some women have she felt that this girl
was to have some influence over Elliott's
life.
Elliott was to remain at the farm for
the entire hunting season, and now and
fhnn hn nat1Uht a n1ir,ncn pf thn ripI l,r1t
she did not come to the house again when
he was likely to be home. One day, how
ever, Black Bcss went lame and he re-
turned from the first ditch. He heard the
sound of the piano as he crossed the lawn,
and just as he reached the door it opened
and the girl stood before him.
Although he had not seen her face, he
had known she was beautiful, and when
she blushed her face was like some sweet,
delicate flower.
Excuse me-" she said. IT didn't
know
Elliott smiled. "You are Miss Thomp-
son. Cousin Margaret told me you came
in to awaken the echoes sometimes. l ain
glad you do" His tone was SO pleasant
that the girl smiled as she again bowed
and passed on.
He did not go to the hunt the next day,
and whom the girl anne across the lawn
he went to meet her and asked IL he might
come in and listen to the music.
''It has been a long time since l have
heard a really good voice" he said.
"Do you like my ~voicey" she asked
frankly.
Il do. l came in the other day when
you were singing Douglas Gordon 1t is
my f~ayorite song. Will you sing it for
Inc now?'
She sang it and many others, and so it
came about that she promised to come ev-
cry morning, while he sent to the city
for his violin, and he hunted no more
mornings or afternoons. Miss Carruth
noted day after day that he was absent
from the chase, and her woman's heart
told her the cause.
One morning the girl did not come, and
Elliott paced uneasily up and down tho
hall, drew the bow across the strings of
his violin, went to the window and at last
wondered at his impatience. II never
knew l cared so much about music, :" he
said to himself. just then the girl came
through the gate. She had pulled a few
blossoms of the pink cosmos and wore them
in her belt, and as she saw Elliott at the
window she looked up and smiled.
If a thunderbolt had fallen out Of the
autumn sky Elliott Raymond could not
have been more %astonished than he was at
the throb his heart gave when he saw her.
His surprise at his feelings was so great
that he leaned against the window to
steady himself for o moment.
"Thirty-1iye years old" he said to him
self, land l have never And then she
came in.
You were waiting" she said.
Eyes, / was waiting"
She looked up In surprise at his tone. |
When she saw his face, she flushed. He
held out his hands. "Alice," he said, II
want you always. Will you come? I
want you to be my wife"
He was surprised that he could not ex-
press himself better. She looked up at
him, her eyes moist and glad.
"Do your" she asked.
81 do. Will you, Alices''
She held out her hands and met his.
81 will, she said softly. "You are very
sure?'
"Quite sure, Alice"
AAu 81 ~ CoHlcS dpouO CnaU ElllOJG Hay-
mond will undoubtedly carry out his
promise to himself to spend all next sum-
mer in Flint valley, because Mrs. Ray
mond will want to 90 back to her old
home Oh the farm after the winter Of
in the city.
And Miss Carruth's gift to the bride
and groom Is a water color sketch Of a
slender, dark haired girl seated at a piano,
with autumn sunlight streaming in at the
window, and the card accompanying 1t
has a most informal line, with the best
love Of Gertrude Carruth ."-katharine
Hartman in Buffalo News.