Arizona republican., 1904-10-23

her idea. She was seeing far into the
 land of mystery and light and TO-
 nance. Then the exaltation died
 No" she confessed humbly. "he
 would not think of me I am not
 worth his thoughts I am silly. and
 a little fool Oh, I am a little fool
 am ashamed of myself"
 The summer day had already begun
 to lay its silence on the morning. A
 wild bee hummed musingly over a
 flower. Far in the woods, clear as a
 cameo. the crash of a breaking limb
 sounded. Ehe porcupine, who had just
 turned over the parasol with his nose. eocked his head inquiringly. From
 time to time he glanced uneasily back,
 as other sounds engraved the stiffness Barbara gazed at nothing with sad eyes. T wish I had died in the woods" she said. slowly T wouldn't despise myself so."
 T must have looked perfectly hOrrid with my gown all tOrn," contemplated | Barbara. The round tears trembled on her !ashes. and finally splashed to the ground. T shall never see him again she ended, brokenly. Never On, I can't help it. I want to seem him | again! I want tol want tor
 The tears flowed urrestrained now- | E i her tender heart and her quaint, tan ! talizing small face. and her eighteen 1 years, was suddenly face to face with 1 the great. terrible life which men ana ' women live. And life was being very f harsh with her.
 She covered her faioe and gave her self frankly 10 her misery She care | Nothing else mattered. But the DOT l cupsne, crafty and wary animal, long ! If ion eeat l gnawlng the altogether delightful va-- nish. and prepared to roll into an un- 1 assailable ball. He was rather stu pid porcupine as porcupines run, buL ! he knew better than to omit the or l dinary precautions when sonnet hing ] reckless and hasty was tearing through ] the forest exactly dn his direction In | a moment he did coil cOngratulating | himself on his chance for a green old ! age. The dim, mystic symbolism Of 1 approach through the invisibility of the | forest had suddenly materialized- Bar | bara dd not know it; grief is even | stupider than pOrcupihes-
 Then suddenly, subtly, she knew | Life. great and mysterious, had re- f tented She threw her arms out to 1 him. 4ler face transhgured, her eyes i streaming. What did she care fo- torn chihons and blurred vision for
 the gossamer web Of convenient Life had turned kind. She, dear little 1 Barbara. whose tender heart was never meant to be denied. knew now 1 that the sun of happiness had not been really plotted out from the heavens; that the cloud had passed
 "Oni" she cried "Ohi Ohi" | He dropped beside her on the grass and took her hands His impressive
 bronze face had become bOyish in its 1 joy and relief 'I could not goi" he kept repeating. "I could noti 1 could not, I tried, I got as far as the cross ing. But I had to come back to you l I thought I was strong It was 1 stronger than l. Dear little girl. look up al me. Let me see you. Let me be 1 sure it is you Oh, it can't be true, ] Dear little girl: dear little Baubara. Ali the way to the Crossing I saw you I sitting there on the log in the fire 1 light. I could not go. I love yOui I ! love you. I have always loved you l have always known that you must
 be- 1 have always felt that some day | I should see you, that should see i your eyes, and your hair, and your I red lips. and your dear pointed chin | always, always. since began to ! dreami"
 The porcupine cast one beady eye on l his TWO neighbors and promptly un- l coiied. He was a stupid por-upine. as | porcupines run, but he was not 80 1 stupid as all that.
 They talked perhaps perhaus not
 They could not have told Life moved ! on in cadences- The great life Of the I winds of heaven had commanded her | children; and minimizing. Ike children, 1 they had obeyed her- That was all So the porcupine leisurely ate his ! unnoticed way from one end of the 1 parasol to the other