The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-01-26

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when any great thing is going to hap
pen, any event which will leave behind
it one of those tender regrets which
haunt a life like the joy of dream
which passes in waking, nature seems
to put on the half mourning of gray?"
1.-The red is dying out of the sea, and
the sky has grown gray. See, the mlsts
are creeping up the cliff, and they are
gray, too"
at is nature mourning the event
which is coming TO pass with u.s."
He moved again, uncomfortably. All
this was so much in the nature of what
he had planned to say himself. He felt
curious sensation of having passed
through all this aeon before, and re-
scented it all vaguely.
"What event can come TO pass with
us? Nothing can come to US tonight
but from ourselves. We are alone.
The world has folded us together"
AS though to disprove his statement,
two men, two blatant tourists, passed
behind them. talking of cathedrals and
table d'hotes. Clifford leant back in
his seat with protest against the IN
seemliness of events.
''But from ourselves" Her voice was
soft, and there was tone of COM
placent Pity in it. either for herself or
for him. which was disturbing.
''We have watched the sun set for
many evenings; we have felt the cool
of the air off the sea; we have sat here
while the earth fell asleep and the stars
crept out into the sky for their vigil.
Why should there lie sorrow for us to-
night?" 1t was not at all what he had
meant to have said, but it seemed
forced from him by the course she had
taken.
''They must be so tired" she said,
dreamily.
"Who?" he asked; wonderingly.
THE stars, coming out at night and
looking down at the same earth al
ways"
They are constant" he asserted.
gloomily.
Eyes, but so tedious. Don't you think
that constancy always is tedious?"
mo"
81 think it argues a small mind. You
see anyone can love one thing for al
ways-it becomes a habit and there is
no merit in it.''
"LOve?"
eyes. suppose the stars love the
earth or they wouldn't spend their time
watching it, would they?"
81 think you are wandering from
your original position
81 am not SO sure that am. We were
talking about sorrow and grayness.
Clifford, do you know that we must
part tonight"
"Part?" he said, starting rather too
dramatically. She had tax en- the ball
bodily away from him, and there was
no other position left to him but that of
the broken-hearted lover. 1t had arts
tic possibilities, though, he reflected
Eyes, part. 1t is very sad, but we
shall each have pleasant memory to
look back upon"
at will be painful one for me-"
perhaps so, but it will be a quiet,
comfortable. tender sort of pain which
will be almost pleasant. We have been
al in all to each other for three weeks,
which is a very long time
1T has passed like moment of sun
shine"
THAT shows how pleasant it has
been. Really, when one comes to think
Of it. three weeks pleasure is more
than we could re;tonably have expect
ed in this world"
'You hare never felt for me what l
have felt for YOU"
Yes, | think have. 1t is rather
difficult to determine, because we have
no standard of comparison"
And that is why you dressed in
gray?"
1T WAS compliment to your artistic
appreciation of the fitness of things"
"A foretone of my life?"
"Yes. The trimmings are of soft
pink"
They got up and strolled in silence
towards the lights of the town. The
murmur@of many voices came to them
on the air. Some bats were flying heav-
lily. and the band was still playing in
the distance.
Let lis part here" she said.
YES, it is better so. Here we are
alone-before us is the world. I shall
go into the world leaving my soul here
among the mists"
"it is great pity, but it is fate" she
said, with Il keen delight in the TO-
nance OF the parting.
"Good-by." he said, and they parted.
little later he lit cigar and laughed.
st. Paul's.
Young America.
A cute little three-Year-nld Clavala nd