Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-23

side, now half full of sweet-smellfng hay.
clouds, suddenly drawing together flung
down deluge Of big bright drops and
spread till they biotted out the sun. She
nestled snugly In the hay, bidding the
dogs go home. and watched with kindling
eyes the wide silver vistas Of the rain
storm weave back and forth across the
green world.
Presently she slept-to awake by and
by. with the sun struggling through
watery clouds. and the singing Of trick
ling waters all about her Overlooking
the tricklings. there came human speech
of men talking and laughing, less than
twenty feet from her refuge She peered
cautiously out through an opening under
white umbrellas. The voices came from
beneath then1-they were set well apart
hence the voices were high pitched. Hence
also she could not help hearing what they
said nor the laughs, huge and merry,
| which punctuated the sentences.
.Marchand, my son." the deeper voice
| you're not a genius. 1t took genius OF
| the first water to fling in that touch ABOUT
| the widow and orphan. Now-we have
got either to 1--WE pP 70 Also Or Howf HOW
! divide 'em between us. you see-dld you
never guess that in the bitter long gone.
| by the widow and l might nave hao .niie'
! to say to each other?
| don't want to say 'em over now, Irteno
| Burton" Marchand retoreed. Ihere!olII
| L warn YOU mere anu INV
| time love. but she looked the spirit OF Of
! summer, with the wind blowing neI an
about. and the pink OF dawn IN he say we we
| dine at the big house Sunday; ms
| lets see-Friday-and bad-luck eay
but henceforth / shall reckon Il
nate. ltd az her
| ovn-by accounts she is not oVer1oyeu a.
our coming Burton said tn s,ns IaxssIf
| nrettv safe. Phil-but If she bowls me oVei,
| too. YOU mustn't expect more fhan Ia Ia,
| fe,{: and no favor. However, we re Masa thts
an opportunity may , no, ID distances
again this season. Fall to work, my son
Women are. after all. but incidents. "o'A'
satisfying work. is the real thlng. ,.
"Perhaps you may change your mino' M,
1I,Iarv R,Irfon-after q while" Elsa SAID
to herself mentally. as she slla uI aa1,,a
ont Of her refuge and ran away down
hill
Summer. waning, draggled. dusty, lay
upon the land. Or high. or low. there was
the look of spent growth Inc et.s une
corn blades clashed In wind-rufhes IKE
fairy rapers and shrunken waters spun
thin silver threads down the long ROCKY
reaches of the creek In petWeeh tug
reaches there were still shallow lakes' also
shrunken but with mirror-surfaces that re,
peated the banks either side Elsa teamed
above a water-mirror, making faces at het
image in it, which Burton was trying Valhiy
to sketch.
BE still. you infant terrible" he COM
manded at last. Elsa laughed provoking
ly, and made a grimace more distortlng
Nhan all that had gone before. must
Yet you see how very ugly l can be De-
fore we are married" she said with tran
quill malice. Then you cannot charge me
with false pretenses. You know you say
taught you that woman could be trust
worthy"
Also tantalizing. Kiss me-and name
the day. Well never have better time
You know 1 must be getting out of this
pretty shortly. Marchand writes me-where
is his letter? Never mind. though-there's
nothing In it, except that he is sailing the
first of October. Hurry UP things-thats
a darlng-and let's all go together
II won't hurry-and l don't want to go
all together " Elsa said. turning away her
head.
Burton dropped his pencil and came to-
ward 1er. Presently he put his hands
either tide her face, and looked down into
her eyes asking, why won't you let me
kiss you? And why don't you want to go
together? Answer me truly little girl! l
know all about how it was with Phil-he
went away because of you-but he's gotten
bravely over 1t by this time. YOU see he's
awfully run after-women high and low
simply rave over him. That's why it seems
TO me such miracle. that you chose me-
buriy and grizzled, and nothing much any
way-when you might have had an Adonis
Tell me-was there anything back of the
choosing? | know ] ought to be satisfied
you have promised to marry me. But
somehow-at the back of me there's an I'M
easy demon who whispers when we are
apart: She has not said she loved you
not even with her eyes F"
You must not listen to demons-they
are very bad company-I forbid you to keep
such" Elsa said, turning away her face,
and breaking from his hold. IF you will
be good, and not listen to this evil spirit,
I'll promise to set the day-the very last
of October-not minute earlier"
At the last word she swiftly away, |
never stopping until She came to the top
of the Saddle Back. 1t was OF her own
making. Elsa was above everything just
even in judgment OF herself Now that it
was too late she understood how in her heat
of rage against her step-mother, her passion |
for revenge. she had done her best to cap
tiyate Burton as soon she saw that the |
old love was waking in Mrs Cary's heart. |
To balk her. thwart her, make her suffer, |
Elsa had led Burton on and on, until at |
last there was no turning back. Almost |
without knowing 1t, she had found herself |
betrothed to hinn-and madly in love with |
Philip Marchand
Marchand had not spoken out-he had only |
kissed her hand and gone away, when Bur- |
ton had blurted out to everybody the news. |
She hoped never to see him again, and 1t |
would be best for them both. Certainly she |
would not see him as Elsa Cary. Elsa |
Burton would have something more than |
woman's pride to lean on and cling to II |
fate threw them again in each others way. |
She had not thought of breaking her word |
Cary could not do that.
After while, when she could speak rea-
sonably, she would tell Burton the truth |
as his wife she would be calm and rea-
sonable-and she would do her best to |
love him. But she could not help shudder |
Ing at the thought. Elsa Burton would not |
even dare think OF Marchand, nor the long. |
long summer days golden with his love.
She crept to the place where he had sat |
that first memorable afternoon and knet |
TO lay her cheek against messy stone. |
Kneeling, she began to pray, at first word
lessly, after a while in low, broken SEN
fences.
Dear Lord-forgive ne-for-for 1t all.
Bless Phil Keep him-from all-sorrow and |
suffering" she prayed, "and keep him-afar |
off'-this more feryently. Save him from
me-and--me from-myself."
She knelt g. long time. The dusk was
thickening when she went down the slope. |
Burton met her at the west gate and car |
ried her in, taking pains to make it ap-
pear that they had been together all the |
while His eyes were Swallowed, as II he pom
dered deeply something of great moment.
IIa a,o,,ld not sfay for sumner saving with |