Cañon City record., 1904-03-10

was still so sweet, hot with lhulshh-
ton. but ringing, not harsh. Don't
say you didn't mean 1t. because you
did! You can't unsay 1t, you cannot
alter it, and this is the way l must re-
member you! Ahr' She drew in her
breath with sharp sigh and, cover
ing her face with her hands, sank back
upon the bench. II will not cry" she
said, not so firmly as she thought she
did
my blessed childr' he cried In great
distress and perturbation. what have
l done? II
"Call me small all you like" she
answered. Il don't care. II 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 n mournful little laugh. He
saw that her fingers were clinched
tightly and her lip trembled. Il VIII
not cry" she said again.
Somebody ought to murder me. !
ought to have neutrality-suspicious.
are hIdeous"-
Don't, II wasn't that
81 ought to be shot
"Ah. please don't say that" she said.
shuddering. please don't. not even AZ
q Joke. after last nightr'
"But l ought to be Cor hurting you.
Indeed
She laughed sadly again. 1t wasn't
that. don't care what you call me. |
am small. You'll try to forgive me for
being such babyf didn't mean any
thing said. / haven't acted so badly
since | was a child
Its my fault. all OF II. I've tired
you out. and | let you get crushsI at
the circus. and
THAR fSe said. Il don't think |
would have missed the circus"
He had thrilling hope that she
meant the tent pole. She looked as II
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 l have
''All that has nothing to do with II"
she said. with a gentle motion Of her
hand to bid him listen. Just after you
left this afternoon found that l could
not stny here. My people are going
abroad at once. and ! must go with
them. That's what In 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 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 sycn-
more. stood staring away from her at
nothing. She did not move. There
was long silence. He had wakeDcd
+, suddenly. The skies had been sap
phire. the sward emerald. Plattvillc a
Camelot of romance. a city OF cnchnnt-
meut. and now. like meteor burned
out In breath. the necromaDcy 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. To-Day
II had all been touched TO beauty. He
had felt lit to live and work here n
thousand yenrs-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 II be soon. but he knew they would
not; knew that this was hystcrla, 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 mn arm of yHDgr reached out be.
tween the moon and the quiet earth.
Darkness fell. Tls, man and girl kept
silence between them. They might
have been two sad guardian of the
black little stream that FLASHED un-
seen nt their feet. Now and then re-
Election OF faraway lightning fnintly
limned them with n green light. Thun-
J der rolled nearer, omlnously. The gods