Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-04-10

one k8t IN tVI DARN
hc began To cry. Al which Lola rsa
To him. and putting her ar..s around
him In a mothcriy way. attempted to
soaih him.
do not cry. little one. you bcion.
to me. Tho moon hare brought you
To me for a companion. You will see
how happy I can make you. Come.
we will go to brcakfas, and then VIC
will play
Threats. cntrcatIca and earcsscs
failed TO unlock tho lips of the little
man. but after he had suFscd himself
with hot coffee and cakes. his reserve
thawcd lorg enough to enable his
hosts TO learn that his ram. was
"bcriic." that he had run away from
home because nobody loved him: that
his sicpmothcr beat him and he hated
her. lie concluded his little history
by putting his arms s-ound the dc.
lighted I.oia's neck aud Offering his
lips for q kiss.
The chiid's parents were quickly
found In the nciRhbofinE village. but
at the earnest cn'rca,ics Of Lola. he
vas permitted to remain with her for
a sliost visit, watch lcns,hcncd into
several months. dufiaF which time
the t~o became boy and siti lovers.
Bcrtic's father. Obliged TO depart for
a distant part Of the country. scpara;.
cd tho heart t.hroscn children. Lola.
particularly. refusing 10 be eomforscd.
II will bring Berthe TO you next
summer" said his father. and with
that hope she dried her tears. Years
elapsed. however. before the two met
again. Lola ehcrishiHs the memory
Of her moon hare Eift. and Dcrtio
never forgetting his little bluc-cycd.
blonde playmate. Many Easter ewes
came and went. and each Of them
hoped the moon hare would bring
them together. but he apparently
neglected them. Lola's grand par.
cnts werc laid away in the church.
yard. and the little girl. now grown TO
~omanhood. was left alone to battle
with the world. Bcrtie. too. was
alone. but somehow they never met.
though each had visited the old home
in the hope OF once more meeting.
However. neither could find trace
Of the other.
Youthful impressions are generally
biottcd out in less than twenty years.
but in this case the memory Of Lola
and Bcrtic was fresh and green. They
had met with hardships. hers all the
harder to bear because she was a
woman. until 1t came about for the
twentieth time after the moon hare
had given Lola cherished compan.
ion. that he made preparations TO de.
light her again.
On q bright afternoon of Q certain
Easter eve. beautiful young girl.
perhaps young lady" would be bet.
ter term TO apply TO her. sat in
sheltered nook In the city park. anus.
ing a bevy of little girls not more
than seven years of age. Just behind
her. separated by a thin screen OF
evergreen hedge. sat young man.
smiling as he listened to the chatter.
Did the Easter rabbit ever bring
you anything. Lola7" questioned one
of the little ones who had been grave.
iy listening to the folk lore told by
her older companion.
"Yes. once he brought me Dy
hearts desire"
Tell us all about II. Lola" and
the young maidens clapped their
hands and gathered close around her.
There is not much TO tell said
Lola. Il was a little orphan and
lived with my dear grand parents
near a small village. | was just your
age. baby Clara, six years. and had
never had companion to play with,
and wanted one SO badly"
Unperceived by any Of them. the
young man on the other side of the
hedge turned around to look and lis.
ten. The name of Lola" had attract.
ed his attention and the beginning of
the circumstances of the story seem
ell familiar.
"One Easter night I went to bed
dreaming of a companion and pray:
Ing that's the white moon hare would