Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-03-22


OF this hill?" he asked. incredulity in
his voice "Why is it not in the val
ley, where it belongs, or on the hill
side? Why is it perched on the sum-
init in such an unusual and inacces-
sfble placer"
The woman laughed, merrily, watch
ing the sunlight glistening on the
bright tin pail the man was carrying.
81 do not know, she replied, ex-
cept that it chose to be there. 1t is
another of natures freaks, / suppose
She paused a moment, plucking
bunch of wild grape blossoms from
vine that hung over the path. Then
she waved the bunch of blossoms TO-
wards the shimmering sheen of green
and yellow stretched, like a vast Or1-
entail rug, beneath them
The path, at last, swerved suddenly
to the right and, circling large bowl
der which poised airily on the very
edge of the declivity, ended at the
brink of tranquil pool
Amid the tangled grass upon the
bank the woman sank to rest Her
straw hat dropped from her head as
she reclined upon the mold, and the
sunlight, dripping through the leaves.
fell asleep amid the copper of her hair.
The man sat down the pail and.
leaning against a tree. stood in silence.
watching the glory of her tresses.
And so 1 have come" he said, f.
nally, 81 have come these hundreds
of miles, only to find you changed
SO changed"
"Am l changed?" she asked sudden
~ raising her eyes from the cool
shadows of the spring
$50 changed" he repeated; $50
changed"
Involuntarily, almost unconsciously,
he reached out his hands to her In a
gesture of appeal as though yearning
to clasp her in his arms and draw her
back into the olden sweetness; into
the gentle, natural simplicity that had
been hers in the days when he first
had loved her.
How am l different" she asked.
after a moment of silence
81 hardly know he replied, slowly,
"only, only there used to be
warmth in your eyes that has van
ished, Hazel. Do you remember when
you used to stand at your fathers
gate and watch me come up the lane
in the long summer evenings, back
there in the Iowa hills? Your face
used to actually shine in welcome and
your eyes-your eyes glowed like the
stars"
The woman laughed.
why" she replied, mot an hour
ago. Walter. you said that my eyes
sparkled like the stars. Surely they
could not have changed much. then"
Yes the man said. your eyes do
sparkle like the stars but it is like
the sparkle of the stars in winter, Ha-
zel-bright, but cold and cherries.
Then-back there in Iowa-they
glowed, rather than sparkled -
glowed like the stars in an August
night-softly. subduedly, warmly.
There is vast difference in the glim-
mer of the stars in summer and in
winter, did you ever notice it? In
summer they are less distinct, but they
seem SO kind. SO tender, so near. We
feel like we could almost reach out our
hands and touch them. But in winter
they are more brilliant, more like g5-
gantic diamonds. They are beautiful,
but they are acknowledgements
that is the word. And, as we gaze at
them we are impressed with sense
of vastness, with a realization of the
great distances that. stretch between
them and US. And. somehow. they
impart to us feeling of loneliness"
"And do my eyes affect you that
way, now?" she asked
Almost" he replied They are
bright. but they have lost something
not lustre, nor yet beauty, but-feel-
ing, guess that is what it is
Then" said the woman, haughtily
perhaps 1 had best turn my gaze in