The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-08-06
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Z TIE FACE IN THE SAND. s
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BY OCTAVE LYNNE.


Tired and bored with the idle gossip
on the porch, she sid out quietly pas.
the groups of women, evaded the vis-
lence Of her chaperon and the girls, and
walked towards the beach The greas
sea seemed TO call her from the petty
affairs which disturb narrow minds. Ia
It's stormy unrest she saw a symbol II
her own troubled heart; in contempa.
ton Of los awful beauty she sougb.
comfort and distraction.
1t was the middle OF a hot SUNNI =
afternoon few persons were on either
beach or broadwalk ;he usual quiet
calm had falleh on tine say seaside. Tee
hotel porches were nearly deserted; a
handful Of stragglers walked here aud
there on the sand; some anxious, fre.-
ful invallds with tired attendants sat ia
the shady corners Of the pavilions a
few servants from the hotel passed hcs
and smiled nsinuatingly when they saw
her alone She kept on her solitary
way. A fresh color came into her pale,
hot cheekt and now and then tho
breezes from the water were refreshing
and satisfying. There was a novelty IN
her feeling OF independence, as there
had been little opportunity to be alone
little time for the serious contempla-
tion this summer. She felt Ike an eJ.
caped prisoner, and when an old gep-
tlemen who boarded a the hotel greet
cd hm with quizzical look and the -
mark: You've wandered off by your
self, see. she answered him almost
sharply. then pulled down her heavy
blue veil and walked on. faster, faster,
to accompany the Wild hurried throbs
Of her heart
She hoped no one else would see her,
no one intrude upon her solitude and
misery Walking rapidly, she soon
j passed through the fashionable district
and found herself in the poorer neigh
borhood. The strangeness Of her sur
. roundlngs distracted her for a moment
S conventality exclusion had narrowed
her sphere her experiences had befa
conhded to the fashionable distractions
in the more select neighhorhoods.
Some happy thoughtless children
played on the sands. and in the merry
go-rounds" smiling mothers watchad
gieeful little ones, who rode gallantly
round on noble wooden horses, fero-
cious tigers, and ponderous elephants.
AS she walked away, she caught tae
tchoes OF the mechanical organ as It
ground out its monotonous tunes. She
attracted much attention, her slim.
graceful figure and her fashionable
dress being commented upon by loung-
srs around the bathhouse, She did no.
concern herself about their rudeness or
,mpsrtlnence, nothing really mattsrcG
today, a restless, unhappy spirit having
taken possession Of her and making
her obliyious to all but her owl
misery. She was glad to be freed from
tho overzealous guardianship Of her
sh"Seron, and when she came to dc
sesteo little pavilion she turned a benrh
towards the sea and seated herself %
gaze longingly at the great, grand
water. And when she felt a little rest
ed and cool she leaned her head against
the side Of the pier ahd talked to her
heart-frankly freely as she had not
done for a long time
She told herself she was wicked, vain
silly, mercenary, -scornful he
had called her when he left her. She
had sent him away because he was
poor; she had refused him because he
was humbly obscure, because her d..
signing aunt had other schemes on
ha0d for her Yet somehow she had nor
be- happy since then. Her friend :
were disappointed in her. and gave vie
bic evidences Of their chagrin whAA
ere seemed so little prospect Of any
r, allzation Of their ambitious plans.
Out, out beyond, the ocean rose aud
fell, up and down. like the fluctuations
OF her Gn heart She gazed though
fully out into the distant blue as the
melodies Of the organ sent stray notes
to her ear Before her mighty witness
she told her heart the truth--"she loved
him" Here. with no one for listener
but the pittlless waters, she made her
confession; and then, either because
she was happy or because she was
little sad, she wept
Perhaps he had forgotten her In that
far-of strange land where he was no
longer obscure, unknown. but a recog
nized artist and sculptor. Fame haf
come to him, because he had lost Love,
perhaps; and a mad, dellrlous, jealous
fury took possession OF her Perhaps
,,ro hod oop,o 400. sor,o ,,n h.9