The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

and birds that lived in the open air new
er went into decline; that the chip
hunks health did not fail nor the
quail have nervous prostration."
yes" admitted Llama, who had been
listening with her cheek on her hand,
at is better to eat than to be eaten"
She said the words slowly and precise
ly. She was as proud Of an English
quotation as most people are Of Latin
one.
They chatted a little more until half
past 5 came upon them. Then 1t was
time for Llama to leave. '
When she had dressed for dinner
that night, she went into the library |
and, sinking into chair by the open
fire, began reading. She was all in
soft yellow, and bunch of yellow car
nations mixed with some maidenhait
was buried In some creamy lace just |
under each shoulder. Presently De
White parted the portieres and put In
his head.
beg pardon for disturbing you.
Where's mother? 2" a a. a
Llama took her head out of her book,
literally and fguratively, with some
unwillingness.
"Your mother? She's dressing, be-
lieve."
"Oh, all right! only wanted pin
for my necktie. The little loop at the
back has come away, and 1t gets con-
stantly crooked"
Il can give you pin II that is all
you want"
"Could you? 1t would be 80 good Of
you" De Witte came in and stood
warming his hands by the fire. Llama
fumbled among her flowers and
brought out the desired pin. One of
the yellow carnations that had been
added to make that bunch the same
size as its companion fell to the ground
when she removed it's prop.
De White picked it up. "Bravo!' he
said. 81 had no flower"
"But you mustn't take miner
Eyes, 1 must" he said earnestly. 1t
was hard work for Llama to resist even
dogs dumb prayer these days. That
was why she answered.
"Take it, then"
Llama loved flowers with an almost
personal love. and as the man was
clumsy and promised to break the car
nation in getting it through his but
tonhole she offered to fasten it for him.
The nails of her white fingers rested
on his dark coat and cleaned like
milky agates in the bed of a moon
light stream. The heat Of the open
fire caused some Of her loose, fluffy
hair to fly up in his face.
The man whose wishes had always
been their own justification was rapid
ly losing presence of mind. He caught
her wrists suddenly and began show
ering kisses upon them.
81 love you, and you know it," he
said in a voice which she scarcely rec
ognized for it's thickness.
AS his lips met the flesh on her pulses
she gave a great backward start and
remained at bay, painting. How dare
your she gasped. But In a moment
she had recovered her poise.
II am sorry this has occurred. Do
| not let it be renewed" And with a
quiet dignity she left the room. The
:, dinner that followed was something
dreadful for her. She wondered if the
: torture chambers of the inquisition
5 could have looked much like this stump
2 tuous dining room of the end of the
nineteenth century,
f That night she sobbed herself to
sleep, questioning when the whirl in
/ all things would cease and reality re-
: turn. Everything had got grotesquely
0 mixed, irrationally jumbled There
= seemed no solid foothold anywhere
S Just as she was going into dreams q
0 few words that Margaret had uttered
0 that afternoon came back to her.
e "There are only two or three great
n facts in life; there is Death and there
: is Love-and there is not much else"
Yes, 70 be sure, one always is con
T fronted with death-her mother, he
/ father, her grandfather, her little
l. brothers, that famous musician thl
other day Llama reached for her rosa
g ry under her pillow. GAS to love-
Z The little silver cross at the end O
e the rosary caught the moonlight an,
J. seemed to SMILE blessing.
GAS to love-
n How beautiful it was, the little eros
" in the moonlight. Llama looked at
d dreamily through the lashes Of he
y sleepy eyelids. They fiickered for
ar few seconds and she was asleep.
IL
l. "a gentleman waits for mademo
selle in the drawing ROOM" announce
n the little French maid the next morr
~ ing.
u His card,' said Llama Indifferent!
T. reaching back one hand toward th
r r -
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