The Lambertville record., 1905-09-06
IN Ell DORADO
COUNTY
by Ina eOriebt Hanson
Copyright, 1906, by Ina Wright Hanson

There was once Il man." | answer
| ed, "who stood at the fork of n sandy,
stony country road, not knowing
whether he should turn TO the left or
so straight ahead. As he hestitated, Il
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. then?' And the farmer answer
ed. No matter, whichever one you
take. you will wish you hnd taken the
other F"
Il suppose you mean that If we
We're in lei Dorado county | should
| think ii would be better fishing here
In Placer county," ventured Her
mione
POSSIBLY do" | said, continuing
my scrlbbllnG, though doggedly. for l
was not In story writing mood Pres
emily | chanced TO look down Just as
Hermione looked up. Something there
was In her limpid eyes, her rose flut-
| cd mouth, even the dash of color in
her smooth cheek. which made me
shove my notebook hastily into my
pocket. | told myself II was her re
scmblance to her sister May
May WIS in Paris, selecting her
trousseau. When she returned at
some Indefinite time she really seem
cd TO be In no more haste to get back
than | WAS 10 have her come-we were
| to be married We were not senti-
mcntalsts, but were looking forward
TO n successful comradeshp undisturb-
cd by disquletlng elements OF love. \
| working union In which she would IL
lustrate what her husband wrote We
had been engaged for three years with
out quarrel. This, we argued. bodied
well for pleasant future Still there
WAS no hurry.
But lately something had entered in
to my placid life which was setting me
all uwry The mischief of II was, too,
that the disturbance was not tangible
| IL It had been Il debt, could have paid
| II; If II tale rejected, could have re
vlsed 1t or laid 1t upon the flames; IL
poor health had been the dlsquieting
cause | could have sought remedy
| but 1t was none of these. 1t was an
omnlpresent ghost which walked with
me. unseen, unheard had II faint
idea of Its birth. On the day of Mays
departure for Europe we had been dis
cusslng Hermlone
"She must live with u.s." | said.
"Oh, yes" answered May, until she
is married. l fancy she will marry
young She is going to make n very
attractive woman"
Before that day l had been II con-
tented man; since that day l lived In IL
misty world except when | resolutely
forgot my absurd, unreasonable feel
Ing.
IIefmlone, well go into El Dorado
county"
over the rocks we clambcred, laugh
! ing II Is so easy for child to be
happy and for grownup child to catch
the spirit If he will over the rocks,
across the suspension bridge spanning
the American river. and we had gone
! from Placer county Into El 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 handsomcr
than her sister. though May was con
! sidered II beauty IIcrmione was
changed lately, somehow. All, 1t must
be her hnir, which used to hang down
her back In frowzy braid Today
why-a golden coronal, cleft here and
there with a turquoise blue studded
comb and topped OH with n black bow.
| Why
What are you staring at me 10 forf''
she asked, putting on her hat and
blushing.
Fancy IIermione blushing.
There was once Il man," answered
! hypocritlcally, who was a-a-well.
Cicero, for example, who was at work
on Il difficult mental problem, and ut
the time he was gazing hard ut the
the family eat, for example, but he
had no conception of the cat"
Hermione poutcd. IF you call your
self Cicero, you might be a little more
complimentary to me"
| laughed. Hcrmione always laugh
ed If she had the falntest reason, so In
u moment her dimples were In sight
again. Strange | had never before
noticed what Il wealth OF them there
was
"IIow old are you, ehlldT' | asked
suddenly.
"Eightccn," she answered, pulling
her fish hook gently away from snag
l mused over her answer, the tangle
In my head trying hard to straighten
itself. May was thirty -one-my own
age though she didn't look It, Eight
cen ah
IF the trouble Is In your story" sug
gested Hcrmione, maybe can help
you" Her hazel eyes looked innocent
ly into mine. Mays eyes were blue.
'If only you might" l groaned, but
| wasn't thinking of the half finished
tale In my notebook. Suddenly all
things had become plain to me. The
! ghost was laid. but whit profit was 1t
to me to gain understanding when 1t
came three years too late2
well, who are the charactersT she
asked precisely.
"A queen Of beauty and wisdom and
one little maid. 1t has three chapters.
! The first deals with a colossal mistake,
the second with FOOLS lethargy and
the third with an awakening which
came too late"
"Oh, not too later protested Her
nlone. You really must change that.
1t ought 10 end well"
"Some stories can't end well, little
GIRL" l answered with conviction.
"We'll make 1t end WELL" she eontin-
ued decidedly "And the kingf'
THE kingi
"Yes; If story has queen, doesn't
1t have to have a king too?"
This story hasn't. There's no king
only the kings fool answered bit
terly.