The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-06-15

nat cOulu you eSpectf
well, / do think she might show
some signs Of gratitude and some gen
tleness toward those ready to die for
her"
ooh, o dol" said he with high
scorn. You all combine to ruin her
temper and disposition with foolish
lattery and weak yielding to her
whims. right or wrong; you smile at
her imperious pride and encourage her
willfulness, and then not only wonder
at the results, but blame her, poor
child, for all. Oh, you r a fine lot,
the Duke and all OF you'll"
He had a most eXasperaing ability
for putting one in the wrong, and !
could only think of the proper and suf-
ficient reply long after the opportunity
for making it had passed. / wondered
what the Duke would say to this doc
trine. All the following day, which
was Sunday, 1 could see that Gwen was
on the Pilots mind. He was strug-
CLING with the problem of pain.
Monday morning found us on the
way to the Old Timers ranch, and
what n morning it was! How beauti-
full our world seemed About us
ho'iN' thS iootNh tSpDCut NSiNSl hltib
BROW and yellow or family green,
spreading out behind us to the broad
prairie, and before, clambering up and
up to meet the purple bases Of the
great mountains that lay their mighty
length along the horizon and thrust UP
white, sunlit peaks into the blue .eky.
On the hilisides and down in tho shel-
tering hollows we could see the
punches OF cattle and horses feeding
upon the rich grasses. High above,
the sky, cloudless and blue, arched Ito
great kindly roof from prairie to noun
tain peaks, and over all, above, below,
upon prairie, hillsides and mountains,
the SUI poured his floods of radiant
yellow light. H.
AS we followed the trail hat wound
up and into the heart of these rounded
hills and ever nearer to the purple
mountains. the morning breeze swept
down to meot us, bearing n thousand
scents Ii filling us with it's own fresh
life. One can know the quickening
j%oyousness Of these foothill breezes
only after he has drunk with wide open
mouth deep md full Of them.
Through all this mingling beauty Of
sunlit hills and shady hollows and pur-
pie, SNOW peaked mountains we rode
with hardly n word, every minute add
ing to u heart filling delight, but
ever with the thought of the little
room where, shut I'm from oil this III
side glory, lay Gwen, heart sore with
fretting and longing. This must have
been In the Pilots mind, for he sud-
denly held up his horse and burst out:
Poor Gwen, how she loves all thisl
1t is her very life. How can she help
f~retting the heart out OF herr To see
this no more!' He flung himself off
his bronco and said, as If thinking
aloud: "It is too awful! Oh, 1t is
cruel! don't wonder Mt her! God
help me, what can I say to herr"
He threw himself down upon the
grass and turned over on his face.
After n few minutes he appealed to
me, and his face was sorely troubled.
How can one go to her? 1t sesma
to me sheerest mockery to speak of pa.
uence and submission to n wild young
thing from whom all this Is suddenly
snatched forcver-and this was very
life to her, too, remember"
Then he sprang up and we rode hard
Tor an hour till we came to the mouth
Of the canyon. Here the trail grew diff
hcult, and we came to n walk. AS we
went down into the cool depths the
Spirit or the canyon came 10 meet us
and took the Pilot III Its grip. He rode
In front, roasting his eyes on all the
wonders in that storehouse of beauty.
Trees of many kinds deepened the
shadows of the canyon. Over us
waved the big elms that grew up here
and there out of the bottom and around
their feet clustered low cedars and
hemlocks and balsams, while the
sturdy, rugged oaks and delicate, trem-
bling poplars chung to the rocky sides
and clambered up and out to the can
yon's sunny lips.
Back of all the great black rocks,
decked with messy bits and clinging
things, %glistened cool and moist be-
tween the parting trees. From many
an oozy nook the dainty clematis and
columbine shook out their bells, and,
lower down, from beds of many colored
moss the late wind flower and maiden
hair and tiny violet lifted up brave,
sweet faces. And through tho canyon
the Little Swan sang Its song to rocks
and flowers and o~verhanging trees, a
song of many tones, deep booming
where 1t took its first sheer plunge, gay
chatterlng where 1t threw itself down
the ragged rocks and soft murmuring
whore 1T fingered about the roots of the
loving, listening Gins. A cool, sweet,
soothing place 1t was, with all its
shades and sounds and sllences, and,
lest 1t should be sad to any, the sharp,
quick sunbcams danced and laughed
down through all It's leaves upon moss.
es, flowers and rocks. No wonder that
the Pilot, drawing Il deep breath as he
touched he prairie sod again, said:
THAT does me good. 1t Ia better at
times even than the sunny hills. This
was Ovens best spot"
/ saw that the canyon had done Its
work with him. His face was strong
and calm as the hills on a summer
morning, and with this face he looked
In upon Gwen. 1t was one Of her bad
days and one Of her bad moods, but like
n summer breeze he burst into the 1T
tie room.
"Oh, Gwon," he cried, without q
word OF greeting, much less of COM
miseration, 1--WE have had such a rider
And he spread out the sunlit, round
topped hills before her till I could feel
their very breezes in my face. This
the Duke had never dared to do, fear
ing to grteve her with pictures Of what
1 aha ehA.,Il A~s n-I