The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-03-31

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"But ought to be for hurting you.
Indeed"-
She laughed sadly again. "It wasn't
that. 1 don't care what you call me.
am small. You'll try to forgive me for
being such baby? didn't mean any
thing said. I haven't acted so badly
since was child
"Its my fault, all of it. I've tired
you out, and let you get crushed at
the circus, and''-
'sThaty' she said. II don't think I
would have missed the circus"
He had a thrilling hope that she
meant the tent pole. She looked as If
she meant that but he dared not let
himself believe it.
NO." he continued, Il have been so
madly happy in being with you that
I've fairly worn out your patience. I've
haunted you all day, and have"-
'All that has nothing to do with il, -
she said, with a gentle motion of her
hand to bid him listen. "Just after you
left this afternoon found that could
not stay here. My people are going
abroad at once, and I must go with
them. That's what is almost making
me cry. I leave here tomorrow morn
ing"
he felt something strike at his heart.
In the sudden sense Of dearth he had
no astonishment that she should be-
tray such agitation over her departure
from a place she had known so little
and friends who certainly were not
part of her life. He rose to his feet,
and, resting his arm against a syca-
more, stood staring away from her at
nothing. She did not move. There
was long silence. He had Weakened
suddenly. The skies had been sap
phire, the sward emerald, Plattville a
Camelot of romance, a city Of enchant-
ment, and now, like a meteor burned
out in a breath, the necromancy fell
away and he gazed into desolate years.
The thought of the square, his dusty
office, the bleak length Of Main street,
as they would appear tomorrow gave
him faint physical sickness. Today
1t had all been touched to beauty. He
had felt fit to live and work here a
thousand years-a FOOLS dream, and
the waking was to arid emptiness. He
should die now of hunger and thirst in
this Sahara. He hoped the fates would
let it be soon, but he knew they would
not; knew that this was hysteria, that
in his endurance he should plod on,
plod, plod dustily on, through dingy,
lonely years.
There was rumble of thunder far
out On the western prairie. A cold
breath stole through the hot stiffness.
and an ann of vapor reached out be-
tween the moon and the quiet earth.
Darkness fell. The man and girl kept
silence between them. They might
have been two sad guardians of the
black little stream that FLASHED I'M
seen at their feet. Now and then a re-
Election of faraway lightning family
limned them with green light Thun-
der rolled nearer, ominously. The gods
were driving their chariots over the
bridge. The chill breath passed, leav-
AAAo IAS al c5d4A " lis uOI 1ucIlld.
II did not want to CO." she said at
last, with tears just below the surface
Of her voice. II wanted to stay here,
but he-they wouldn't-I CAN'T
WANTED to stay here?' he said hus-
k1ly, not turning. Here? In In
diana?'
EYES,"
In Rouen, you mean?''
"In Plattville.''
"In Plattvillew He turned now. as.
founded.
Eyes. Wouldn't you have taken me
on the Herald?' She rose and came to-
ward him. II could have supported
myself here if you would, and I've
studied how newspapers are made. /
know I could have earned wage. I
could have helped you make it a daily"
He searched in vain for trace of rail-
lery in her voice. There was none,
She seemed to intend her words to be
taken literally.
II don't understand" he said. 81
don't know what you mean"
II mean that I want to stay here:
that l ought to stay here; that my