The Red Cloud chief., 1905-03-17

you out, ana i let you get cruSneu III
the circus, nd
THAT she said. IL don't think I
would have missed the circus"
He had a thrilling hope that she
meant the tent pole. She looked as If
Che meant that, but he dared not let
himself believe it.
mo" he continued, 81 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 sud, with a gentle motion of her
hand to bid him listen. Just aftA' 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. / leave here tomorrow morn
ing"
lie 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
and friends who certainly were not
part of her life. He rose to his feet,
and, resting his arm against a syca-
more, stood staring away from her at
nothing. She did not mOvc. There
was Il long silence. He had Weakened
suddenly. The skies had been sap
phirc, the sward emerald, Plattville II
Camelot of romance, a 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 a faint physical sickness. Today
1t had all been touched to beauty. He
had felt fit to live and work here Il
thousand years-a fools dream, and
the waking was to arid emptiness. He
should die now of hunger ar thirst in
this Sahara. He hoped the fatcs would
let it be soon, but he knew they would
not; knew that this was hysteria, that
In his endurance he should plod on,
plod, plod dustily IN, through dingy,
lonely years.
There was Il rumble of thunder far
out on the western prairie. A 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 UNI
seen at their feet. Now and then a re-
Election of xlraway lightning family
limncd them with a green light. Thun-
der rolled nearer, ~Ominously. The gods
were driving their chariots over the
bridge. The chill breath passed, leav-
Ing the air again TO its hot inertia.
IL did not want to 60" she said at
last, with tears just below the surface
OF her voice. Il wanted to stay here,
but hc--thcy wouldn't can't
"Wanted to stay here?' he said hus-
kily, not turning. "Here? In In
dianaY"
eyes"
"ln Rouen, you mean?"
"In Plattville."
"1n Plattville!" He turned now. as
founded.
"Yes. Wouldn't you have taken me
on the Herald?" She rose and came to-
ward him. II could have supported
myself here If you would, and I've
studied how newspapers are made. |
know | could have earned Il wage. |
could have helped you make 1t a daily"
He searched in vain for a trace of rail
lery in her voice. There was none
She seemed to intend her words to be
taken literally.
II don't understand" he said. 81
don't know what you mean"
II mean that l want to stay here;
mat l ought to stay here; that my
conscience tells me l should; but !
can't, and 1t makes me very unhappy.
That was why l acted so badly"
"Your conscience!" he cried.
"Oh, l know what a tumble and puz-
Gle 1t must seem to you"
II only know one thing-that you are
going away tomorrow morning and
that shall never see you again"
The darkness had grown intense.
They could not see each other, but a
wan glimmer gave him a fieeting, misty
view of her. She stood half turned
from him, her hand to her cheek I'm
the uncertain fashion of his great mo-
ment in the afternoon. Her eyes, he
saw in the flying picture that he
caught, Were troubled, and her hand
trembled. She had been irresistible in
her gayety, but now that a mysterious
distress assailed her, of the reason for
which he had no guess, she was SO