The Red Cloud chief., 1899-07-07

and he sighed.
"Ah," she said, you sigh. Yov
yourself have felt and suffered. You
have belied YOURSELF You sigh.
There are facts in life even for signs
"'Tis true" he answered softly,
yet sighed for pleasure"
What pleasure9" she asked curl
ously.
"0r IL may be hope" he added.
He looked at her, and his gaze was
mild and wistful She regarded him
In p~erplexity, and then q wild flush
took her in the cheek and throat
"Poohl pooh!" she cried, and turned
of, plucking at the hawthorne bush.
The white may smelt rank, but
strange and soothing; the petals
shivered and fell. Miranda's heart
beat on, wondering. Something
clapped at its doors again and again.
Would she open? What was this inn
patient visitor that pleaded 80 for
entra nceP She had so little knowl.
edge; she was but newly arrived upon
the world. Her emotions were still
strangers to her; she was a pilgrim
still among her new sensations.
Ought she to open? Nay, TO stay 30
n wonder was surely pleasantest
One day she would throw wide the
doors and look. But now Il was
sweet to feel that hand upon the
knocker, that olutching at the latch,
and lie trembling within in feigned
insecurity. She turned and faced
him. straightway the clamor ceased,
and In her heart was silence. She
looked him coldly In the face.
"You smile for lovep" she asked.
Eyes, dear" said he, "and for the
thought Of you.
"Oh. you take mi too lightly" she
broke out. "You do not guess what
. solemn thing this love may be.
You fiutter into . thousand follies on
the scsntest reflection. You will
dance, and you will play. and you
will jingle-jsngle through your Holt.
day world without . thought for any.
thing but pirouettes and jiQs and
whirligigs Of laughter. The most
sonorous Of sacred sorrows may sound
In your cars and wake no echo but Q
cape within your heart And You
would put mo upon that dead plane
Of ribald merriment with YOURSELF
] will laugh with you. Yes; I will 70
beg Of you for jests in my jocund
seasons. am willing to shrek over
your whimsicalitieE at my own pleas
ure. In my serene unthinking mo-
ments I will be content to exchange
humors with you, and to VOW life
were void and dull were not such as
you at my beck. But when I've
opened my chamber and fastened the
door upon myself, my soul and I shall
DO alone together, and I will weep,
and pity, and repent, and ache out
my heart with sorrows in which O
can have no lot I am young, but I
have an inkling of what the world
may mean"
"The world" said he, means hap.
piness."
1.-THE world" she retorted, means
tears and bitter wringing Of the
hands. Have l not heard Of death,
and have l not seen pain? You think
me CAV. yet how long shall 1 keep
this gaiety in my heart? l 60 round
upon the wheel. 1t turns and changes.
What shall befall tomorrow that I
shall not weep todayp You would pluck
me with no greater consideration
than you would pluck a flower from
its stalk w~herewith to deck your coat.
Should it wither or fall adjust, another
will serve until the coming Of the
wine. Look you, you will sigh and
weep for love, and your signs will be
smiles, and your tears will be laugh
ter. Fortnight your heart is singing
like a lark. Yours! yours is the shall.
lowest of paltry passions"
81 would do much for YOU" said he.
"Give me your dimples." cried Mi.
randa, and so to the churchyard with
q wry face?"
Even that" he answered, noddipg.
"Pah! You will not contain your
face lugubriously for five minutes by
the clock. Though you shall remem.
Der to be sober for two sentences, at
the third you will be whistling, and |
the fourth will find you holding your
sides"
He moved a step toward her.
"And i'll should die for you," he
asked. pleadingly.
Miranda gasped. She contem plated
his face with uncertainty. His eyes
shone with the dew of tears; his
hands trembled; it was the corner Of
his mouth that betrayed him. Mi
randa burst into laughter.
"You!" she cried. "You! Why, you
would forget my coffin as it passed,
and the color Of my face ere my back
was upon you. ''See here" she said;
~ will give you to the hedge for mis-.
cry; but I swear you will take to the
lane as jauntily as IN hour since.
you gone, my merry man. and