The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-27
TIE EVENING STORY



silence of the afternoon was unbroken.
Even the snow birds were not to be
neard and there was not breath of
WIND to disturb the white drapery that
covered the pines.
Rose, gliding along on her snow
SHOES seemed part and parcel of the
quiet beauty Of the winter forest Her
slender strength and easy grace seemed
strangely in harmony with the fine
stralghtness OF the pines.
But for the first time il. her life Rose
was only vaguely conscious of the love-
mess OF the woods She sped on
sWlItiy, untiringly, guiding her course
with now and then mechanical glance
ar the axe cuts on the pine tree trunks.
In her mind she was reviewing over
and over the scene of the morning
Again she saw the tense face Of her
husband, with the expressionless faces
or the two guides behind him. The
cause of the quarrel had been trivial
enough. Rose scarcely recalled it now.
me main point was, that her husband,
with his English Instincts, could not
understand that his wife, with her
not driven
The Honorable Hugh Boynton."
Rose had stormed at him across the
camp fire, "can bully-rag his mother
and his sisters. but his wife is just plain
American and she will not be ordered
as If she were one of his pointersl"
The Honorable Hugh had straight
adamantine stiffness.
I thought my request was for your
own good, Rose he had said.
"Requests'' Rose had repeated, in
dignantly. 1T was not request 1t
was an order; would do anything on
earth that you asked me to do, but
won't be ordered to do things for my
best good!' Hugh what do you know
about these Wisconsin pines? I was
born and bred in them.'
Hugh had looked at her in utter be-
Wilderment. The subtle difference be-
tween requesting and ordering the
same thing was quite lost on him. He
knew that he loved the beautiful,
stormy girl before him, but something
IN his English blood made him feel
that if he came to her point of view
he would belittle himself. So he had
merely turned his back on his wife,
saying in his Oxford drawl:
I m sure don't care to discuss the
matter further"
Rose had stared at him in utter
amazement as he made the prepara-
tions for the days hunt. Never in all
her spoiled young life had she been so
outraged and ignored. Without a
word, she pulled her soft cap down
over her ears, turned up the collar of
her great white sweater, slipped her
moccasined feet under the thongs of
her snowshOes and made off to the
south through the clear morning air.
II am going back to Westhaven,' .
she had said to herself. Il can stop at
Levant's lumber camp for supper, and
from there take the main road and |
reach Westhaven by midnight. I've
not been alone in the woods at night /
but I guess 7 won't be afraid
So all the bright winter day she had
kept her course, her anger and resent |
ment increasing as she drew farther
from the hunting lodge.
why did I ever suggest this hunting
trip ?" she thought bitterly. II wish
we were back in Londonl But-this |
was bound to come, anyhow. so per- 1
haps 1t is as we'll to have things end
here as there. For I will not so back
to him and his domineering.'
The stiffness gradually grew oppres-
sive. AS the shadows in the distance
darkened and closed nearer, there stole |
through Roses anger the conscious
ness that she had had no luncheon and
that there was no hope of her reaching |
Levant's before darkness set in. She
half paused.
shall do if it gets dark before reach
Levant's? I had forgotten that posi-
bility. And when get there what ex-
cuse shall I make for being there p
Twilight was deepening; coming
with no gorgeousness of sunset or af-
terglow, for the overhanging boughs,
with their snowy covering were all but
impenetrabI Little by little the tree
trunks turned from green and brown
to black Little by little the snow took
a blush hue that darkened into the
purple of the dropping boughs and the
air grew raw and sharp with a little
night breeze that made Rose shiver as
the glow of heavy exercise departed
with her first WEAKNESS.
Her course was now more difficult.
As darkness seemed assured. she con-
stantly STUN bled, but caught herself
each time. But the straining told on
the thongs of her snowshoes. Sud
denly, she could not tell how, the fast
enings on one shoe gave way and she
was thrown violently forward. Had
the fall taken place in the soft snow,
Rose would have been unframed. But
She had Just arrived at the brow of a
slight slope almost wind swept of snow.
AS the girl scrambled to her feet, her
left arm dangled uSelesSly at her side.
With a little moan, she slipped her
other foot from its snowshoe. then
stood for a moment, pain and terror of
the darkness rendering her weak and
helpless.
Then her courage returned to her.
'sNonsense!" she thought, 1--WE been
in the woods alone before. [ mustn t
get frightened, even If it is dark and I
don't know where 1 am.
She took from the pocket Of her skirt
a tiny oilskin packet. John, the guide,
allowed no one in the lodge to be with
out matches.
'I'H light a fire." she said, land
camp right here for the night
Dizzy with pain and hunger, she
painfully gath cred together some dead
branches, and kindling a cheerful blaze,
sat down before it. The pain in her
arm was very great and she rolled back
her sleeve and piled soft handfuls of
snow on the flesh
The whispering of the night through
the pires seemed very sad and lonely
to Rose It was only by watching the
beauty of the scarlet fire glow on snow
and sweeping branches, and murmur
ing over and over to herself that sh e
was not afraid, that the girl kept her
self from screaming with terror.
Then from out the darkness behind
her came the soft huff-fiuff of hurry
ing snowshoes, and Hugh, hot and
breathless stood before her.
"Rose"i he cried, Rose. I thought
I had lost you"
Rose looked up at him In amaze
ment. How did you find me. Hugh ?"
Find you'll Why, I've been follow
I Ill, Ion lef