Evening star., 1899-07-08

! trace its course. oBut in that single mo-
ment she had been struck and bewildered
by what seemed TO her the daZZiingly beau
tiful apparel of the women and their pret-
tiness. She felt az sudden consciousness of
her own coarse, shapeless calico gown her
struggling hair ana her felt hat, and re-
vuision or feeling seized her. She crept
like a wounded animal out of the under
wood, and fheH ran swiftly and almost
fiercey bach toward the cabin She ran
so fast that for d time she almost kept
pace with the doctor and Hoskins in the
wagon on the distant trail Then she diyed
into the underwood again, and making a
short cut through the forest came at the
end of two hours, within hailing distance
OF the cahfn-footsore and exhausted, in
spite of the strange excitement that Mad
driven her back. Here she Thought she
heard voices, his voice among the rest,
catilnS ners but the same singular reyul-
sion or reeifng hurried her vaguely on
again, even while she experienced a foolish
| savage delight in not answering the sum
mons. In this erratic wandering she came
upon the spring she had found on her first
entrance in the forest a year ago and
drank feverishly a second time at its trick
nng source. She could see that since her
nrst visit 1t had worn a great hollow be-
low the tree roots, and now formed a
sh1nlng, placid pool AS she stopped to look
| at 1t she suddenly observed that it reflect
ed her whole figure as in a cruel mirror
her slouched hat and loosened hair. her
coarse and shapeless gown, her hollow
hopeless. uncompromtsng details She Mt
tered quick, angry, half reproachful cry
ana turned again to fly. But she had NOT
gone far before she came upon the hurry
ing hgures and anxious faces of the doc
tor and Hoskins. She stopped, trembling
and irresolute
"Ah." said the doctor, in a tone of frank
rtaa reLei. Here you are! was getting wor-
RED about you, Waya said you had been
gone since morntng!" He stopped and
looked at her attentively. rs anything the
His evident concern sent a warm glow
over her chilly frame, and yet the strange
sensation remained. mo. nor she STAN
mered. - ~ S'SAii
ID, DR.: Ruysdael turned to Hoskiss. 60
oack and tell Waya I've found her"
Libby felt thai the doctor onlv wantsd
TO get rid of his companion and became
awed again.
Has anybody been bothering your"
,Have the Diggers frightened your
NO, with a gesture of contempt
Have you and Waya quarreled?"
Mary with faint, tremulOus snt1e
he still stared at her and then dronnad
MS blue eyes musingly Are Won InneIv
mere: would you rather go to San lose -,
,v Hike dras a nash the figures of the two smart
~ dressed women started up before her
again, with every detail of their fresh and
mhoiesome hnery as cruelty distinct as had
been t, her own shapeless ugliness in the
mirror of the spring. No, MOI She broLe
out, Vehemently and passionately. ..Neveri..
He smiled gently. Look herei ri send
you up some books. You read, don't yo,I?"
ole NODDED quickly, Some magazines and
papers: Odd l never thought of it before !"
he added. half musingiy Come along -
the cabin. And" he stopped again and
said, decisively, "the next time Won want
ANYTHING don't wait for me to come, but
write" ~
A few daysi aftaar. he left she received
package of ebooksNar odd eoIlection oy
novels, magazineH and illustrated Journals
hn irAt
as an evidence ofnilfs concern for ber9hnt
It is to be feared that her youthful nature
found little satisfaction in the gratifica
ot uon nr OF lansyyl Many 9 OF the people she read
OF were strange to- her; many of the incf-
dents related seemed to her mere lies.
some tales wtlichstreated of people In her
own sphere Che found profoundly uninter-
esting: In one offhe cheaper magazines
she chancea upohf fashion plate. she
glanced EAGERLY through all the Others
Tor a like revelation until she got dozen
together, when she promptly relegated the
remaining literature to corner and oh
livion. The fext accompanying the plates
was In a jafSon npt always clear, but her
instinct supplied the rest. She dispatched
Please send me some brite Kalikers and
things for sewing. You told me to ask"
A few days later brought the response in
good-sized parcel.
Yet this did not keep her from her care
of the stock nor her rambles in the forest.
she was quick to utilize her rediscoyery al
the spring for watering the cattle: IT was
not SO far afield as the half dried creek in
the canon. and was quiet sylvan SPOT
She ate her frugal midday meal there. and
drank of its waters and, secure In her Sc
clusion bathed there and made her rude
toilet when the cows were driven home
But she did not again look into it's mirrored
surface when 1t was tranquil!
And so month passed But when DR.
Ruysdael was again due at the cabin-a
letter was brought by Hoskins with the
news that he was called away on profess
sional business down the coast. and could
not come until two weeks later. In the dis
appointment that oyercame her she did