The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-12-13

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Among her most highly priced trea
sures was a sketch Of the river and a
glimpse of the Virginia hills, which
Hal had been making on the day her
party had accidentally come upon him
in this very spot 1t was here he had
been introduced to her; here. some time
later. he had asked her to be his wife.
Here it was, she promised, and then
had followed those many delightful
months. To-day the thoughts of the
unhappy girl continually drifted back
over the hours, oh, such happy times,
spent in these woods and the Chautau-
qua grounds adjoining, where she and
her lover wandered like two children,
finding tongues in trees, books in
running brooks, sermons in stones, and
good in everything"
Alas! it was here they had quarrel
ed; what it had all been about the girl
could scarcely remember. Both were
fOolshily quick, both proud. To who
was at fault, Eleanor now gave no
thought; she would have taken the
blame and asked forgiveness for her
haSty words fault or no fault. if lie
had but come to her; but he did
not, and she could not seek him. Not
long afterward she had gone abroad
with her parents, and when she re-
turned to Washington, it was only to
learn that Hal had left the city.
She caught her breath sharply and
pressed her hand against her heart as
if to quiet its violent throbbing. when
sudden thought flashed into Ler
mind. Perhaps he did not care: per-
haps his was merely a fancy. No, no!
She felt that he had suffered, too, for
he loved her; of that she was con-
vinced, and as she sat thinking of the
happy past and the dreary future with
out him, she vowed to herself that if
she ever saw him again she would
speak to him and explain, even if he
did not come to her. But where was
he? Would she ever see him again
ever have an opportunity to explain?
Sitting thus dejectedly, she allowed
her eyes to wander restlessly from OBJ
ject to object, scarcely needing what
she saw, until, on the opposite side Of
the narrow ravine, over which the
ledge of rock projected, she noticed a
beautiful cluster of early autumn flow
ers. They seemed almost within
reach, and she decided to gather them
as souvenir of this visit to Glen
Echo. Perhaps it would be the last,
for each succeeding visit only served
to make her more loI-ly than before.
Then, beside Autumn, laying here
and there a fiery finger on the leaves, -
told only too plainly of approaching
winter. when this loved spot would be
robbed of many of its beauties.
Stepping from the rock, Eleanor
climbed up lew feet and steadylng
herself by clutching the ferns and
bushes ut her side, reached out over
the narrow space toward the coveted
blossoms. Closing her hand around
them, she gave quick jerk to pull
them from the stem, but at that in
slant the moss covered stone upon
which her weight rested moved slight
ly, and she felt herself slipping down
the bank She frantically clutched
some bushes growing directly before
her, but in her eagernesS caught them
= too near the tops. and the branches
slipped through her fingers, leaving
only the leaves in her hand.
second attempt caused her to lose
! her balance altogether. and she half
slipped, half rolled, some distance
down the bank, carrying with her in
? the descent, Il shower of dirt and small
stones. An instant later she found her.
self sitting upon ledge of rock iut
ting out from the hillside. upon which
was bench similar to the one upoi
which she had been seated.
> Making no attempt to rise. Eleanor
< leaned back against the bench. unde
K cided whether TO laugh or cry. anC
+ thinking how ridiculous she must an
4 pear, and than.~ ul, indeed, that no on,
t had witnessed her undignified fall
She was shaken and breathless. bu
uninjured, and she laughed as sh,
e thought how fortunate it was Hal wa,
f not with her this time She was star
$ tied by a slight exclamation; theI
D came n hurried fOotstep, and a voic,
r said:
e Are you hurt? Let me assist you.
e Instinctively Eleanor drew her fee
e toward her sideways, smoothing GU
h her skirt with one hand, while witt
i the other she tried to put back he
e hair, which had become loosened b,
j the fall. Again the voice spoke.
Tell me-are you hurtY"