Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-02-25

alter II. and this is the way I must re-
| member YOU! Ah!' She drew in her
breath with q sharp sigh nnd cover.
ing her face with her hands, sank back
upop the bench. IL will not cry" she
said, not so firmly ns she thought she
did.
"Ny blessed childw he cried in great
distress and perturbation. "What have
I done? II
"Call me small all yon 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
ewes with a mournful little laugh. He
saw that her fingers were clinched
tightly and her lip trcInbled. 81 will
not cry" she said again.
/ "Somebody ought to murder me. l
ought to have thought-personalit
ere hiteous'-
Don't! 1t wasn't TINT"
ct ought to be shot
"Ah. please don't say that" she said,
shuddering. "Please don't. not even as
a joke, after last night"
"But ought to be for hurting YOU.
fndeed"--
She laughed sadly again. at wasn't
that. don't care what you call me. l
am small. You'll try to forgive me for
being such a baby? I didn't mean any
thing I said. haven't acted so badly
since was child"
| I.s< 60, ~
you out and | let you get crushed at
the circus. and
"That" she said. II don't think
would have missed the circus"
He had thrilling hope that she
meant the tent pole. She looked as IL
she meant that, but he dared not let
himself believe it.
"No," he continued II have been so
madly happy in being with you that
I've fairly worn ont your patience. I've
haunted you all day. and have
"All that has nothing to do with it."
she said. with gentle motion Of her
hand to bid him listen. Just after you
left this afternoon found that I could
not stay here. My people are going
abroad ut once and | must go with
them. That's what is almost making
me cry. 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 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 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 swnrd emerald, Plattvlle a
Camelot Of romance, n 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
il had all been touched 10 beauty. Ht
had felt fit to live and work here Q
thousand years-a FOOLS dream, ano
the waking was to arid emptiness. Ht
, this Sahara. He hoped the fates would
let it be soon. but he knew they would
not; knew that this was hysteria, TIM
in his endurance he should plod on
plod, plod dustily on, through dingy
lonely years.
! There WIS rumble of thunder fnl
out on the western prairie. A cole
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 KEEP
silence between them. They nigh
have been two sad guardians Of tn
black little stream that FLASHED I'm
seen at their feet. Now and then Il re
Election Of faraway lightning f9intl!
, lmned Them with a green light. Thun
der rolled nearer. Ominously. The sod
: were driving their chnriots over thu
= bridge. The chill breath passed, leav
ing the air again to its hot inertia.
Il did not want to CO. she said a
, last, with tears just below the surfsc
5 of her voice. II wanted to stay here
{ but he--thry wouldn't can't
9 WANTED to stay here?" he said hus
= kily, not turning. Here? In In
. diana?'
. Yes"
: 'In Rouen. You mean:"
: "In Plattville."
an Plattvilew He turned now, az
: founded.
= YES. Wouldn't you have taken N
T. on the Herald" She rose and came &c
4 ward him. II could have suppOrte
g myself here IL you would. and "
= studied how newspapers are made.
Y know could have earned wage.
could have helped you make it daily.
3 He searched in vain for n trace of raj
q lery in her voice There was none
It She seemed Ia intend her words to
Z taken literally.
: II don't understand" he said. 6
|. don't know what You mean"
r Il mean that | want to stay here
= that l ought to stay here; that IN
conscience tells me | should hut
y, can't, and it makes me very unhappy
That was why l acted so badly"
u "Your consciencc!' he cried.
"Oh. | know what a tumble and pu5
e zlc it must seem to YOU
l. Il only know one thing-that you AZ
=, going away tomorrow morning an
that shall never see you again"