Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-01-02

finding tongues in trees, books in
running brooks, sermons in stones. and
good in everything"
Alas! 1t was here they had quarrel
ed; what 1t 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 he
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, 1t 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 her
mind. Perhaps he did not care; per-
haps his was merely 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
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 lonely than before.
Then, beside, Autumn, laying here
and there fiery finger on the leaves" "
told only too plainly of approaching
winter, when this loved spot would be
robbed of many of it's beauties.
Stepping from the rock, Eleanor
climbed up lew feet and steadying
herself by clutching the ferns and
bushes at 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.
stant 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 then
too near the tops, and the branches
slipped through her fingers, leaving
only the leaves in her hand.
A second attempt caused her to lose
her balance altogether, and she hall
slipped, half rolled, some distanc,
!. down the bank, carrying with her, IL
the descent, shower of dirt and small
stones. An instant later she found her
self sitting upon a ledge of rock jut
ting out from the hillside, upon whicl
was bench similar to the one upoi
which she had been seated.
Making no attempt to rise, Eleano
r leaned back against the bench, unde
! cided whether TO laugh or cry, an,
G thinking how ridiculous she must an
pear, and thankful, indeed, that no on
G had witnessed her undignified fall
;. She was shaken and breathless. bu
uninjured, and she laughed as sh
y thought how fortunate it was Hal wa
:. not with her this time. She was stal
a tied by slight exclamation; the
\ came a hurried footstep, and a voic
4 said:
!. Are you hurt? Let me assist you.
q Instinctively Eleanor drew her fee
/, toward her sideways, smoothing OF
;. her skirt with one hand, while wit
~ the other she tried to put back he
q hair, which had become loosened b
- the fall. Again the voice spoke.
"Tell me-are you hurt?"
n The girl glanced up quickly, the
with surprised little "ohr' covere
- her crimson face with both hands. A
= she turned toward the speaker /
sprang back, exclaiming, Eleanor
and the next instant was on his knet
= at her side.
90 With one arm about her, he gent
10 took her hands away from her fac
n and kissed away the tears of humili
ID ton which started into the blue eye
re Eleanor, my darling, what has ha
nj pened? asked the young man, as
raised the girl and put her upon Il
at bench, still keeping his arm about he
II wanted flower which was a lit
a. labove-'our bench'-and l fell from Il
a ledge above" she answered
oh "You fell from the ledge above"
er repeated, glancing upward, then at t
i'm dark ravine below. He shuddered al
ad drew the girl closer to him. "Eleane
ne sweetheart, l have been the mo
fe. wretched man in the whole world (
en- many months. / would have come
'ul beg you to forgive my thoughtle
he words long ago. but did not kno
ok where you were. went abroad sole