Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-03-26

cause 1 am not tall. People take big
girls with more gravity. Big people
are nearly always listened to-"
Listened to-" he said, and felt that
he must throw himself at her feet
You oughtn't to mind being Titania.
She was listened to- You
She sprang to her feet. and her eyes
flashed. DO you think personal com
ment is ever in good taste?" she cried
fiercely. and In his surprise he almost
fell off the bench. IF there Is one
thing l cannot bear, 1t is to be told that
L am small" l am not. Every one who
isn't giantess isn't small | detest
persona lities. | am great deal over
Ave feet, a great deal more than that
p
'Please. please" he said, 81 didn't
Don't say you are sorry" she inter
rupted. and in spite of his contrition
he found her angry voice delicious. 1t
was still so sweet hot with indigna-
ton. but ringing. not harsh. "Don't
say you didn't mean Ii, because you
did. You can't unsay ii. you cannot
alter It. and this Is the way | must re
member you! Ahr' She drew in her
breath with a sharp sigh and. cover
ing her face with her hands. sank back
upon the bench. Il will not cry" she
said. not so firmly as she thought she
/ did.
My blessed chiIdr' he cried In great
| distress and perturba ton. what have
| done? II
Call me small all you like" she
! answered. 81 don't care. 1t isn't that
| You mustn't think me such an i'm
beetle" She dropped her hands from
her face and shook the tears from her
eyes with a mournful little laugh. He
/ tightly and her lip trembled. 81 will
! not cry" she said again.
Somebody ought to murder me-
F, ought to have thought-personaliti
| are hideous'-
Don't! 1t wasn't that"
81 ought to be shot
"Ah, please don't say that" she said
shuddering. "Please don't. not even as
joke. after last nightr'
But I ought to be for hurting you.
Indeed
She laughed sadly again. "It wasn't
that | don't care what you call me.
am small. You'll try to forgive me for
being such o baby? | didn't mean any
thing | said. haven't acted so badly
since 1 was child"
''lt's my fault, all Of it. I've tired
you out. and l let you get crushed ut
the circus. and
THAR she said. 81 don't think
would have missed the circus"
! He had "A thrilling hope that she
meant the tent pole. She looked as IL
she meant that, but be dared not let
himself believe it
NO" he continued, II 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 it,"
she said. with a gentle motion OF her
hand 10 bid him listen. Just after you
left this afternoon found that | could
not stay here. My people are going
abroad at once, and | must go with
them. That's what is almost making
me cry. 1 leave here tomorrow morn
ing"
He felt something strike at his heart
In the sudden sense OF dearth he had
no establishment that she should be-
tray such agitation over her departure
from a place she had known so little
aud friends who certainly were not
part of her life. He rose to his feet,
and. resting his arm against syca-
more, stood staring away from her at
nothing. She ,.ici not move. There
was long silence. He had Weakened
suddenly. The skies had been sap
phire, the sward emerald, Plattville a
Camelot Of romance, city of enchant-
ment, and now. like 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
ii had all been touched 10 beauty He
had felt fit to live and work here
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 il be soon, but he knew they would
not; knew that this was hysteria, that
in his endurance he should plod on.
piod, plod dustily on. through d!ngy.
lonely years.
There was rumble of thunder far
out on the western prairie. \ cold
breath stole through the hot stiffness.
and an arm 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 ut their feet. Now and then IA re-
Election of faraway lightning family.
limned them with "a green light. Thun-
der rolled neareC Ominously The gods
were driving their chariots over The
bridge. The chill breath passed. Ieav-
Ing the air again to its hot inertia.
Il did not want to go" she said at
last. with tears jus; below the surface
OF her voice. Il wanted to stay here.
but he-they wouldn't can't
Wanted TO Stay here?'' he said hus-