Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-24

The little town lay quiet In the early
sprina, twilight. The mist that rose from the
river said that the ice was gone. The smell
OF burning leaves in the air told that kItch-
en- gardens and posy beds were being made
ready for their summer haryests. BY the
little chill Of lingering frost, the elusive
smell Of the maple trees. the sapwet trunks
OF the maple trees the goodnight cheep
OF the first robin. by all the signs that liv-
Ing things could show winter was gone.
Eispeth. opened the gate and walked up
the path to the door Of the cottage. She
carried the heavy market basket easily,
and. without setting it down, stood for a
moment ON the little porch looking off to
the west. where there still glowed a hint Of
crimson.
Spring again." she murmured. "Tomor-
row / am going down to the river. Grand
father win make the usual fuss, I suppose"
With a little sigh she entered the house.
Tho cheerful glow from a little old cook
stove greeted her first, then came the voice
of an old man.
Took We a long time Elspeth."
Il know it, grandfather. But so many
people were cut in their gardens and Gvery
one had a word to say. Its the irst real
spring day grandfather. Two more such
days of sun and the frost will be cut of the
garden and we can put in the lettuce, and
the hyacinths are up
As she talked Elspeth was lighting the
lamp and pulling out the supper table from
lis place against the wall. The lamp lighted
room that was hOmcly, coy, poor. artistic
all in one. The rag carpet was faded to q
mellow gray and red. The walls We're a
still more faded red. The Old-time furnI-
ture had been upholstered by clever hands
with gay chiutz rutttes and cushions. The
little old cook stove was a marvel of shin
ing hlackucss and with its queer old
spndliHg legs, and its high shouldered fiat
chested dignity. it was not without a GER
tain harmony with its owner, who sat be
side It.
Grandfather RosIin, little old white
bearded and scrupulously neat. sat listening
eagerly 10 Elspeth. EIspeth! That the old
man could look at her without quickening
of the pulse and the half sad yearning in
lis faded eyes that the sight Of young beau
~ can bring to the old. showed that Grand
father ROslin was very, very old.
F,lspeth was tall and slender. Her eyes
We're brown, with always a shadow across
their light. Her hair was brown; q rich.
trembling, shimmering brown, that lay in
a silken mass upon her dainty head Her
skin was creamy white, deepening into old
rose in her cheeks and a still deeper rose
In her lips Her face was oval with dell
cate hol0ws in the cheek lines and rounded
curves In the chin. And the head sat very
nohly upon the slender neck. And the slen-
der neck grew proudly upon the fine
straight shoulders.
And the snow is all gone from the north
sign Elspeth saying. as she tied
huge apron over her gray calico gown. IF
tomorrow is like today, you must take your
cane and walk around the garden at moan.
You have been house-ridden so many
months, poor grandfather. but spring is
coming, and the rheumatism must go"
The old man nodded to himself Yes.
I guess spring has got here, sure enough.
Amt had hardly a twinge in my legs all
day. Tomorrow We'll start in on the gar
den You can rake and Ill putter little
with the old weeds"
The shadow in Elspeth's eyes deepened.
"Oh, no. grandfather" she said. There is
plenty of time before the ground IS dry
enough for planting You are not strong
enough yet to pull weed stalks. and. grand
father" the tones were very wistful. u
want 10 go down 10 the river to work to-
morrow"
Grandfather RosIin paused on his way to
the supper table and his old face took on
a rinched, irritated look.
For heavens sake, Elspeth." he said,
can't you drop that fooltshness of yOurn?
Where l made my mistake not putting