El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-21

lately 10 gave vent TO her laughter
Hugh lay asleep i'll hammock on the
piazza, Il newspaper over his face. A
Sabbath stiffness seemed to hold all the
place. The subdued murmur of insect
life suggested rest rather than the voice
of toll, and now and then came a sort of
babbling note of inquiry from the birds,
as if they asked what had happened
that the work of the world had ceased.
From the fields at the west came wave
of perfume more exquisite than any
chemist has ever yet caught in his bot
ties, the sweet contribution of acres of
purpling alfalfa, while butterflies, like
flowers broken loose from their stems,
foated dangerously in the warm EN-
brace of the scented breeze.
She slipped quietly to her room, Sc
curing hat and gloves, retreating
through the deserted kitchen to her ia
vorite walk up the creek. The narrow
trail was as the feet of cattle had worn
it, skirting the steep hill at the west of
the barns, keeping well to the valley,
where wild roses, tall spikes of creamy
yucca, Haunting sunfiowers and riot
of primroses, lupines and astragaIi
Knocked with their lawless bloom the
purple plumes of alfalfa tamely massed
beyond the Wire fence at the left A
little way, and the course of the river
had encircled the alfalfa field, almost
creeping up to the very feet of the san
dy, flower strewn hillside, the water
here pent up like beaver dam into a
wide, drowsy pool, its surface just
family stirred with the wind, like the
breath of sleeping babe As a finger
upon its lip saying, Hush the refiec-
ton of a dead tree fell III clear, gray
white line, and lush green things spread
their broad leaves on the shadows i'll a
coverlet wrought through with threads
of gold.
Beyond the river made another de-
tour, leaving bare a long crescent of the
valley land, upon which young forest
of rank growth had established itself
Now, coming from the brilliant sun
shine, it seemed a soft green twilight
under the thickly interlaced boughs of
cottonwood and box elder, and the wild
roses, of which there were many, We're
wan and pale as funeral wreaths.
Soft harmonies that weirdly thrilled
the nerves whispered among the tree
tops, with now and then sharp, crack
ling note of discord, as though a string
of the wind harp might have broken,
and OF Il sudden, with IA startling whir,
came a jack rabbit in a scatter Drained
race, frightening the girl into an absurd
impulse of imitation, so that she, too,
found herself running for step or two,
emerging after q moment upon the open
hillside beyond i'll breathless laughter
at herself.
She sank down here upon the steep
slope OF the ground, looking up the val
ley, where the flash of the creek shone |
chain of jewels thrown down on the lap |
of the meadows. Strange pungent smells !
from the marshy borders of the creek |
mingled with subtle whiffs of flower |
fragrance as in a tangled skeiu, and |
the rustling of the trees behind sounded
like a conchshelI held at
the ear. The light wind touched the |
girls cheek. like a sentient caress, play
ing with the loose fringe of hair across
her forehead as though with the ten
derness of a lover.
All day she had been troubled, and
the solitude was soothing and CRATE
full. A letter from Marshall Woodbury.
had told her that he was soon to pass
through Denver Oh a trip to San Fran
cisco. In the hurry of business he could
not stop to turn aside into the wilds of
to see her, but he begged
that she would come to Denver, where
ne knew she was later to visit her
friend Mrs. Hall, that he might see her
there as he passed through. 1t happen
ed that before the receipt of this letter
she had been planning to make this pur-
posed visit at the very time he desired
It, being urged thereto by Mrs. Hallet, !
Who had begged her to come before the
;ity's heat became more intolerable, but
low, If she went, she petulantly told
herself, 1t would seem to Marshall
Woodbury. as simply a granting of his
wish, and regarded in that light it
would practically be conceding every !
hing. 1t seemed to her that he had
aiken All unfair advantage of the situa-
ion in thus, as 1t We're, striving to
orce her answer. 1t did not once occur
O her that had there been any moiety
f loves real passion in her heart she
must have instinctively yielded to his
wish and gloried in the yielding.
A sound behind her caused her to
urn her head, to see Paul Brown hur-
wing down the hill, coming toward
er.
'Oh, Miss Ellery, L am so glad |
appened to meet you," he rather
began, and it was not until
that Edith reflected that a
erson at the barns seeing her go by
hight easily have hurried after her by s
nat other trail over the hills so as TO l
lake this seeming happening a matter
Or much less surprise than this young 1
ian made a point of exhibiting. Il {
ave been wanting to meet you to apol-
yize for my rudeness the other day.