Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-05-24

SDOulQ lcSt longer tnaD uldu- sue
looked about among the old familiar
objects. All was there, but the old self
was gone.
What are you noticingY asked En-.
Nothing and everything. l thought
the windows were higher. If l were
you. when | get this place | should
raise the walls. There is not room TO
breathe here; one suffocates."
Gregory is going TO make many al
terations." said En-, drawing nearer
to the gray dressing gown respect
fully. DO you like him, Lyndall? Is
/ he not handsome?"
He must have been n fine baby"
! said Lyndall looking at the white
| dimity curtain that hung above the
! window
! En- was puzzled.
/ There are some men," said Lyndall,
whom you never can believe were
| babies at all, and others you never see
without thinking how very nice they
must have looked when they wore
( socks and pink sashes."
/ En- remained silent. Then she said,
with n little dignity: when you know
/ him, you will love him as l do. When
l compare other people with him, they
| seem so weak and little. Our hearts
! are so cold; our loves are mixed up
with so many other things. But he
no one is worthy of his love. | am
not 1t is so great and pure"
"You need not make yourself unhap-
! py on that point-your poor return for
his love, my dear" said Lyndall. "A
mans love is fire Of olive wood. 1t
leaps higher every moment; 1t roars, it
] blaZes, 1t shoots out red flames; 1t
| threatens to wrap you round and de-
YOUR you-you who stand by like an
| icicle In the glow of it's fierce warmth.
You are self reproached at your own
chilliness and want of reciprocity. The
next day, when you go to warm your
hands a little, you find few ashes.
IT'S long love and cool against
short love and hot. Men, at all events,
have nothing to complain Of"
"You speak so because you do not
know men," said EN-, instantly as
suming the dignity of superior knowl-
edge so universally affected by affianc-
| ed and married women in discussing
| mans nature with their uncontracted
| sisters. "You will know them, too,
some day, and then you will think diff
| ferently," said EN-, with the conde-
scending magnanimity which superior
knowledge can always afford to show
| to ignorance.
Lyndall's little lip quivered in n man.
| ner Indicative of intense amusement.
She twirled a massive ring upon her
| forefnger-a ring more suitable FOR
the hand of man and noticeable in
design-a diamond cross let into gold,
| with the initials "R. R." below 1t.
"Ah, Lyndall," EN- said, perhaps
you are engaged yourself-that is why
you smilel Yes, l am sure you are.
/ Look at this ringr'
| Lyndall drew the hand quickly from
| her.
81 am not In so great hurry to put
| nv neck beneath any mans foot, and
do not so greatly admire the crying
of babies" she said as she closed her
ewes half wearily and leaned back in
| the chair. "There are other women
glad of such work"
EN- felt rebuked and ashamed. How
could she take Lyndall and show her
the white linen and the wreath and
the embroidery? She was quiet for
| little while and then began to talk
about Trana and the old farm serv-
ants till she saw her companion was
weary; then she rose and left her for
the night. But after En- was gone
Lyndall sat on, watching the old
crone's face in the corner, and with
weary look, as though the whole
worlds weight rested on these frail
young shoulders.
The next morning Waldo, starting off
before breakfast with bag of mealies
slung over his shoulder to feed the os-
triches, heard light step behind him.
"Wait for me. l am coming with
you," said Lyndall, adding as she came
I'D to him: "If | had not gone to look
for you yesterday, you would not nave
come to greet me till now. Do you not
like me any longer, Waldo"
Eyes; but-you are changed"
1t was the old, clumsy, hesitating
mode of speech.
! You liked the pinafores betterr she
said quickly. She wore dress or
simple cotton fabric, but very fashion
ably made, and on her head was
broad white hat To Waldo she seem
ed superbly attired. She saw 1t. MY
dress has changed a little" she said,
"and l also, but not to you. Hang the
bag over your other shoulder that l
may see your face. You say so little
that If one does not look at you you
are an uncomprehended cipher Waldo
changed the bag, and they walked on
side by side. You have improved
she said. do you know that l have
sometimes wished to see you while l
was away; not often, but still some
times"
They were at the gate of the hrst
camp now. Waldo threw over the bag
of mealies, and they walked on over
the dewy ground.
"Haye you learned muchr he asked
her simply, remembering how she had
once said, "When come back again, l
shall know everything that human
being can"
She laughed.
"Are you thinking of my old boast!
Yes; 1 have learned something, though
hardly what l expected and not quite
so much. In the first place, l have
learned that one of my ancestors must
| have been Il very great fool, for they
say nothing comes out In man Du'
one of his forefathers possessed 1t be
fore him. In the second place, / have
discovered that of all cursed places un'
der the sun, where the hungriest SOU
can hardly pick up few grains oi
knowledge, n girls boarding school Is
the worst. They are called finishing
schools, and the name tells accurately
what they are. They finish everything
but imbecility and weakness, and thai
they cultivate. They are nicely ADAPT
ed machines for experimenting on the
question, Into how little space can q
human soul be crushedY l have seen
| some souls so compressed that they
would have fitted into small thlmDle
and found room to move there-wlde
room. a woman who has been foI
many years at one of those places car
rics the mark Of the beast on her TIL
she dies, though she may expand lit
tie afterward when she breathes in the
free world"
"Were you miserableP he asked
booking at her with quick anxiety.
81? No. | am never miserable and
never happy. | wish | were. But
should have run away from the place
O..