Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-10-19

Hermione jerked her fish pole impa-
tiently.
I'm sure it's better fishing over in
FL Dorado county, she said plaintive-
ly.
There was once a man." l answer
ed, "who stood at the fork of a sandy,
stony country road, not knowing
whether he should turn to the left, or
60 straight ahead. As he hestitated, q
farmer came along and the man said,
which road leads to San Fernandez 2
And the farmer answered, Both
And the man said, Which one shall
take, thenT And the farmer answer
ed, No matter; whichever ene yeu
take, you will wish you had taken the
other -
Il suppose you mean that if we
we're in Ell Dorado county l should
think it would be better fishing here
in Placer county?' yentured Her
mione.
Possibly ! d." / SAID, continuing
my scribbllng, though doggedly, for
was not in story writing mood. Pres
emily l Glanced to look down just as
| Hermione looked up. Something there
was in her linpid eyes, her rose fut-
ed mouth. even the dash OF COLOR IL
| her smooth cheek, Which made me
| shove my Notebook hastily into my
| pocket. | told myself II was her re-
semblance to her sister May
| May was in Paris, selecting her
| trousseau. When she returned at
some indefinite time-she really seem.
ed to be in nc 1.ore paste 20 get back
| Than was 10 have her come-we were
| to be married. We We're not senti-
mentalists, but were looking forward
| TO a successful comradeship undlsturb-
| cd by disquieting elements of love. 4
| working union in which she would IL
| Iustrate what her husband wrote, We
| bad been engaged for three years with
| put q quarrel This, we argued. BODIED
| well for a pleasant future. Still thore
was no hurry.
] but '" -.', something had entered in
| to my placid life which was setting me
all awry. The mischief Of it was toe,
that the disturbance was not tangible.
| III 1t had been debt, could have paid
| It; if d tale rejected, could have re-
vlsed it or laid it upon the flames; if
| poor health had been the disquietlng
cause, | could have sought remedy,
| but it was none of these. 1t was an
omnipresent ghost which walked with
me, unseen, unheard.> l had O faint
idea of its birth. Oh The day of Mays
| departure for Europe we had been dis
cussing Hernione.
"She must live with u.s. l said.
"Oh, yes" answered May, until she
| Ia married. ! fancy she will marry
young She is going to make very
attractive woman"
Before that day / had been a con-
tented man; since that day 1 lived in a
misty world except when / resolutely
| forgot my absurd, unreasonable feel
ing.
-sqme 0n. chicken l called gayly to
Hermione, "well 60 into El Dorado
county"
Over the rocks we clambered, laugh
ing-it is SO easy for a child to be
happy and for grownup child to catch
the spirit IL he will-over the racks.
across the suspension bridge spanning
| the American river, and we had gone
from Placer county into Ell Dorado.
There! This is lots nicer" she said
when we were again seated to her sat
isfaction.
How sweet her Voice was, and really
the child was going to be handsomer
than her sister, though May was con-
sidered beauty. Hermione was
changed lately, somehow. All, it must
be her hair, which used to hang down
her back in a frowzy braid. Today
why-a golden coronal, cleft here and
there with a turquoise blge studded
comb and topped off with black bow.
Why
FWhat are you staring at me so for?"
she asked, putting on her bat aud
blushing.
Fancy Hermione blushlng!
"Ihere was once a man." / answered
hypocritlcally, "who was a-a-well,
Cicero, for example, who was at work
| on a difficult mental problem, and at
the time he was gazing hard at the
the family cat, for example. but he
had no conception Of the cat
Hermione pouted, "If you call your
aelt Cicero, you might be little more
complimentary to me-"
/ laughed. Hermione always laugh
ed If she had the faintest reason, so In
moment her dimples were In sight
again. Strange l had never before
| noticed what wealth Of them there
was.
"How old are you, child?" 1 asked
suddenly.
Eighteen" she answered, pulling
| her fish hook gently away from snag.
1 mused over her answer, the tangle
In my head trying hard to straighten
| itself. May was thirty own
| age-though she didn't look 1t. Eight
een-ah!
"If the trouble Is in your story" sug-
gested Hermione, ''maybe ! can help
| YOU" Her hazel eyes looked innocent
| ly into mine. Mays eyes were blue.
"If only you mightw I groaned, but
/ wasn't thinking OF the half finished
Vic III my nOtcDOOh. OuuuculJ uli
things had become plain to me. The
| ghost was laid, but what profit was II
to me to gain understanding when 1t
came three years too later
"Wei, who are the charactersT she
| asked precisely.
"a queen OF beauty and wisdom and
one little maid. 1t has three chapters.
Tho first deals with a colossal mistake,
the second with FOOLS lethargy and
the third with an awakening which
| came too late"
| "Oh, not 100 later protested Her
| mione. "You really must change that.
1t ought to end WELL"
"Some stories can't end well, little
| girl" / answered with conviction.
"We'll make 1t end we'll" she contin'
ued decidedly, "And the klng?"
"lhe kingi"
| eyes; If story has queen, doesn't
1t have to have king tooT
This story hasn't. There's no king
| only the kings fool" 1 answered bit
| terly.
'Is the kings fool in love with the
| queenY" Hermiones eyes followed the
| gentle eddylng Of her fish line.
"He-that's the approved predlca-
| tnnpf \