The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-12-26
In the Painted
Woods
tcopyr,sh,, 1901. By Ausho. Syndicate,

couch in the port1co, ground MS
teeth. IL was about the only thing
that he could do, and cursed the road.
the horse, the accident that held him
a prisoner in this dense Wilderness
prisoner bandaged and shorn OF his
strength.
As the days passed his evil star
rose slowly to the zenith. The per-
fume OF the vanished summer was in
the fern-bed that grew knee-deep be-
yond the porch; the maple branches
glorved red as rubies; the beech trees
illumined the woods. and from behind
a fallen log near by q Bob White sent
his clear. exultant call. He clinched
his hands and groaned. To be free
once morei To walk through the
sweet-scented fern, gun cooked, eyes
| alert-since the time of the Pharaohs.
| IL seemed, he had been chained to the
cot.
His evil star, that had reached the
zenith. dropped suddenly below the
horizon and the atmosphere was food
ed with light of celestial, rosy hue.
She was his sisters friend. she told
him, as she stood on the porch, tall,
distinguished girl; she had heard of
his accident, they were camped only
a half-mile away; she had come hop
ing she might, IL ever so slightly, re-
lieve the tedium Of his days.
He had heard of her social triumphs
her beauty: he had heard that men
raved over her. although they said she
had no soul. and in this sweet, friend.
ly way she had come to him in his
hour of need.
After that afternoon there was al
ways a look Of expectancy in young
Mason's eyes turned toward the brill
liant forest. He blessed the accident
that held him willing prisoner.
The cushions on which he was
propped were hers, the books were
hers She came each afternoon. She
laughed with him. talked to him. read
to him. sang sweet old-fashioned
songs while the sun. blood red. dropped
behind the mountain side. and his boy.
heart swelled.
From the camp below half dozen
men came ostensibly to inquire Of his
health but in reality TO accompany
her home, and IL pleased him to see
her naughty and indifferent TO them
to him she was all tenderness, al
, friendlness and womanly gentleness
, Whim sically, as is the privilege of {
/ sick man, il pleased him to think heI
/, a princess who came through the sun
, lit. painted woods. to him an exile II
pain There were other fancies too
beautiful fancies.
, One afternoon he watched for her
his brows knotted with puzzled
, frown. He held an unopened lette
addressed to her; servant had foun,
:, it in lot of old rubbish.
He remembered that she had beel
one of the gay party that camped Il
, the old farmhouse two summers be
!, fore--it was there she had known hi
sister. and Boyd had been of the party
q Boyd was some ten years the senio
of young Mason. and he was gratifie
4 and honored by the older mans friend
ship.
a There was a letter in his pocket tina
tool him Boyd was coming to share tn
tedium of his conyale scence-w woul
he there that very night, in fact, an
the bold, firm handwriting was tn
same rs that on the girls letter.
>, When the princess came up the step
q young Mason put the letter under hi
q pillow. and sudden sense of pendin
'f calamity possessed him. For a littl
II while he would listen 10 her voice, hav
!. her smile on him, and watch the ge'
10 lures of her hands with their odd, fol
IS eign-looking rings. The night woul
0. bring Boyd. And afterwards? Iii
2. mind didn't go any further.
d They touched on many subjects an
:: he brought the conversation aroun
s, to the mountain-party that had mc
,s under the shadow of the great hill
N two summers before.
q "Have you seen Boyd since his r,
turn from the west?" he asked, al
ruptly.
NO" said the princess. "He ha
"a. found other interests since he wer
west and has dropped the old friends
., but ! can scarcely claim so much
ID There was an odd little chill in h,
voice.
or "Oh," with breath of relief,
In thought thought"
10 The princess threw back her hea
Is defiantly and looked al him throup
half-closed lids. "One's friends are
good" she said, "They think for the
m and thus simplify life" She laughed
~ laugh that held no heart or much.
" ~ was right, then" His lips trer
bled in way that would have gor
s- TO her heart if she had loved him.
"a He drew the letter from under u
pillow and handed it to her silentl
He seemed not to see the color, war;
o. joyous wave, that swept her face al
left 1t still and white.
TX When she had read the letter 81
looked not at him, but at the mou
n tain in front of them purple with u
"a sunset mists.
~ "Corrinne," he said, softly.
w. She turned, strange light, perha
n the reflection of the dying day, on h
n face.
princess" he said, brokenly.
She stooped and kissad his bro