El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-01
l)IRD[F 7 WOOD.

the edge of the wood and looked off at the
lake. She was not in her first youth
Janet Long. Her eyes showed expert
ences and sorrow, yet in society she
passed for brilliant woman. Her crit
les accounted her somewhat too exclu-
sive, but her critics were few in COM
parison with the number of her friends.
This day, with the chilly autumnal wind
announcing that the summer was at its
close, she had walked into the woods
with Edwin Walker. one of the men who
had made up her brothers house party.
"I've been careless, Miss Long, he
confessed. Il ought to have remember
ed that such a jaunt would wear you out.
You look chilled too"
Il am" she said. I'm cold and-and
lonely"
'You look as if you were, though for
you to say that you are lonely is not per-
haps much of a compliment to me-"
Il didn't mean it for compliment or
a criticism. It's The truth
He looked at her with a sudden flame
coming into his eyes.
'fe you are lonely" he cried, cts you-
own fault! If you would let me-
1.-The human soul is always lonely, !
suppose" she replied. But I'm stupid.
Please forgive me. l said I was tired,
but I was mistaken. I'm really cold.
Come down to the beach and build fire
of driftwood."
He couldn't follow her mood. but that
was nothing strange. She had baffie5
and perplexed him for long time. She
ran down the embankment like girl and
began Juggling great pieces of driftwood
and broken branches of trees to one spot.
He helped her. saying nothing, but MOTTO
ing the grace of her tall, slender figure,
the beauty of her tossing hair beneath
her slouched gray hat, the insouciant
gayety of her laughter and her mood
made her more charming to him than she
had ever been before. They heaped the
driftwood high and sat down before il to
gether. and as the flames leapcd up.
prising the dun sand and the gray water
and sky, she fell To talking.
"Old ships. old wharfs, old trees" she
said musingly, looking into the heart of
the fire.
"Old loves old memories. old pains" he
said musingly too.
II can magine the time when the ships
sailed the lake triumphantly and when
the wharfs were stanch and of much
service to men and the trees felt the SUI
and the wind in their branches muir
INJURED Janet Long.
Il can remember when the love was
full of hope. when there were more antic-
ipations than memories and when there
was no pain said Edwin Walker.
\ silence fell between them. The lake
made n melancholy murmur on the shore.
The flames lcaped and cracked. The
wind stirred through the dead coarse
grasses in the sand.
Wen be back in town presently" said
Janet. with n brisk reopening of CONVEX
sation. Il shall have new gowns. and
you'll make visits to your tailor. I'll see
people and hear music and 20 dancing
and win repeat poetry at teas and com
nit other sins
And | shall never see you except for
moment when you are talking airy
n1tilinGS. You'll have on all manners of
furbelows-and they won't become you
half 50 much as that roughing outfit you
have on now. You'll pretend you are in
tellcctunl-and you know you arent-par-
ticulariy. You'll affect heartless gayety
and you know you are neither heartless
nor gay. I'm saying goOdby to you today.
sS matter of fact"
You're saying goodby to my summer
self. My winter self is far more improv-
ing"
The flames are getting low. We might
As well he going home
''Nou are in 4 hurry
, Yes, for if we stay here any longer I'll
tell some things which would rather not
say
Say them"
You have forbidden me TO do so'
on give me permission? You mean
that may tell you that my whole life is
being imbittcred by your refusal to let
me tell you how | love you? You realize
that when | leave here tomorrow | leave
all that makes life attractive or even
endurable? My whole life has become
centcrcd in you. There is something
haunting and subtle about your person
ality which has bound me as with an
enchantmcDt You are the core of the
world to me. Ii IL mysterious. / con-
fess. Why out Of millions of human be-
IngS should you be the only one who can
give me any joy? Why must | read a
book with your eyes and listen TO an
opera with your ears and care only for a
beautiful morning because I think the
radiance of it shines on you? / can't tell.
But ii is So
She got up and heaped more pieces of
the driftwoOd the flame. Then she
sat down by it again. folding her arms
about her knees.
Il am not young" she said. NOR beau
tiful nor gay nor of the best courage.
am inclined To ask questions of life. If
were married. l might be inclined to ask
questions of love. should be forever
saying: Is this the best that life can Of
fer: Is this the ultiInatum of loveT''
Il don't care how much you question"
he answered. throwing himself forward
i'll the sand so that he could look into her
eyes, IF you will stay near me. If | can
see you in my home, you may question
as much as you please"
She looked down at him for a moment.
and then her whole face changed. break
ing into an expression of radiant joy.
81 believe l ought TO he able To get rs
much out of life as any one else" she
said. THE truth is I love You. ! love
you, do you hear? Put ! was afraid TO
test my capacity for joy
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