The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-21

curly head, sns long roIds OF the crimson
cloak, shone like . very marvel Of splsndor
and color.
Karen came in quickly from the kitchen
with her walter. She bent her head 80 no
one could see her face, as she FASTENED
from one guest to the other. She set the
roast hare before tho hsh peddlers and
brought the commercial traveller, who sat
in an adjacent room, the bottle OF soda
water She gave the anxious farmer .
tallow candle, and, slipping 20 the stranger
by the stove, she thrust the change from
the crown In his hand.
The hostess was in the deepest despair.
Everything had gone wrong in her kitchen.
She had lost the advocates letter and
boundless confusion filled the inn. The
traveller pounded the table with the bell
loudly. The fish peddlers laughed until
they were half dead over the hares spread
before them. The bewildercd farmer tapped
tho landlady on the shoulder with the can
die and pulled himself out like turkey
cock.
And amid all this maddening confusion
Karen had disappeared. Tho position
Anders sat on the drivers seat. The stable
boy stood ready to open the door The trav-
elers In the mail coach were impatient and
so woro the horses, although they had
nothing pleasant to look forward to, and
the wind still ratified and whistled through
the stable At last the conductor, whom
they all awaited, camo. He carried his
mantle over his arm as he stepped into the
coach and excused his delay with few
curt words. He laughed TO himself as he
drew his cloak about him and took his
scat. The door was closed, the mall coach
rolled on. Anders let the horses trot gen
tly now there was no moro need OF haste.
From time to time he glanced slyly at the
conductor, who still laughed to himself,
while the wind ruffled his hair. Tho pos
tilion laughed too. He suspected some
thing. The wind followed the coach to a
turn In the road then threw itself again
over tho plain and sighed mystcriously
through the heather bushes
The fox lay at his post. All was ready
now-the hare must soon come. Yonder ut
the inn harmony was restored, the anxious
farmer was relieved Of his candle and re-
ceiyed his change, and the travellers con-
sumed their hare The hostess complained
a little, but she did not blame Karen. No
one in all the world had ever scolded Ka-
rem. Quietly, unconsciously she FASTENED
from one TO the other, and the serene salts
faction that always followed her footsteps
spread through the coy, half dark inn par
lor.
The two fish peddlers that had ordered q
second cup of cognao and coffee, to follow
the first, were specially pleased with her
A soft pink flush rested on her pale check,
the gliInmer Of a smile on her lip, and once
when she raised her eyes their light was
dazzling. When she felt the mems eyes
followed her, she went into the next room
where the travellers sat, pretending that
she wanted some teaspoons from the cup
board. ibid you notice tho conductor
asked one of them.
mo; not till he went out. He left very
quickly" answered the other, with his
mouth full Of roast hare.
"a devilish handsome fellow I attend
ed his wedding"
$50 is he marriedf'
ayes, indeed. His wife is the daughter
of tho landlord ut Ulstrup, and got there
the night OF tho wedding. That was q
jolly time, I assure you. They have two
children believe"
Karen dropped tho teaspoons and went
out. She heard nothing that was called
after her from the inn. She went across
the court to her room and began mechanic
ally to make her bed. Her eyes stared .nto
the darkness. She pressed her hands to
her head, to her breast; she groaned. She
could comprehend nothing-nothing She
heard the laDdlady's complaining voice.
Karen, dear Karenl'' IL called. She ran
out across the court behind the inn, across
the moor.
The winding strip of grass glimmered IN
the half light as II 1t were path, but II
WAS no path. No one dared to follow IL,
for 1t led abruptly to the brink Of the great
POND. The haro quiokened his steps. He
heard rustling. He gave long jumps as
II be were mad to escape; not knowing
W hat no feared he fed over the plain. The
fox stretched cut his sharp nose and stared
in surprise at tho bare. He had heard
nothing. According to the instincts Of his
kind he had eTouched there in the hollow
he was conscious of no error. He could
not understand the action Of the hare. He
stood long with outstretohed head and
sinking body. His bushy tail was hid by
the heather bushes, and he began to won
der II foxes were getting duller or hares
wiser. But when the west wind had run
its long course it turned into north wind,
and then into an east wind, and then into
the south wind and at last came back over
the sea as the west wind again, threw it.
self upon the dunes and long, mysterious
signs moaned through the heather bushes.
But there were wanting In Kraruper
inn two wondering gray eyes, little blue
wooden gown that had grown too small,
and the hostess complained moro than
ever She could not understand 1t at all.
No one could understand 1t save the pos
tilion Anders and one therl-From the
Danish For Short Stories.