The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-08-18

mon To children. Sometimes she would
ST or trot along beside him with her
hand in his for an hour i,hout speak
ing. and then suddenly begin asking
questions thar Roger would have needed
10 be wise, indeed, to answer.
Sometime. they lay in the grass on the
river bank and counted the cloud-boats
as they sailed across a sea OF blue, and
when there were no clouds in the sky,
rs happened often in that perfect weather,
they watched countless yellhw terfiies
or closed their eyes and tried to name
the bird-calls.
For the most part they ME, few people
in their walks. and had their favorite
spot by the river 10 themselves; when
they did chance to hear voices in the
vicinity they escaped down some leafy
way as noiselessly as paachers.
On the first day it rainsd a very dis
consolste and woe-begone little girl
looked out the farmhouse kitchen win
dow, but when Roger appeared in the
doorway aud asked permission to take
Winiired to the barn, smiles chased away
the tears.
Roger narrowed blanket, and when
he had made throne of hay he spread
the blanket upon it Winifred settled
back with a sigh OF content Amt this
awful nice;' she whispered happily.
At first they were content to listen in
silence 10 the patter OF the rain. but soon
Roger began to repeat all the Mother
Goose rhymes he knew, feeling ashamed
because he could not remember more,
He wove Winifred crown of straw
flowers, and when they lay back and
looked at the firmament in the rafters,
where a window was the moon and
each tiny hole that let in the light shin
ing star.
"Seems as if we were away off from
the people in the house, don't it
breathe the child.
yes" answered Roger, with sigh.
Once, upon a day while Roger and
Winlfred rested by the river after long
walk, there came across the field behind
them footsteps that made no sound in the
stubby grass, and so it happened that
they were surprised in their retreat BY
young lady with a book in her hand
who started at sight OF them and would
have slipped away again had not the child
seen her aL1 run to her side.
"Please stay, Miss Hartly" she begged
.Reger's going to tell me a story"
Roger had risen 10 his feet "pes,
please stay, Miss Hartly," he said eour-
teously.
The young woman hesitated, and fin
ally seated herself on the grass with her
hack against tree and one arm around
Winifred, who nestled close to the slen
der figure
She was very beautiful (Roser told
himself this every time he saw her), with
a fresh, healthy beauty and seemed Of
piece with the greenland gold world
about them.
Nov you begin the story" COM
manded Winifred, with what was for her
unusual boldness. please tell the one
about the Princess Evelyn"
Roger stirred impatiently. Miss
Hartly may not care to hear story,
our guest, we must please her, Winifred
and ! are king and queen, and this is
our castle" he explained to the new
conner.
Miss Hartly smiled, "The Princess
EvelynW she repeated; ''it is a pretty
title for story. I should like to hear
about the Princess Evelyn"
'It is not pretty story said Roger;
1T ends badly. No child but. Winifred
would care for its
Nevertheless, ! should like to hear it,"
insisted Miss Hartly.
A short silence followed, during which
Winifred looked from one to the other
of the pair in a puzzled way; there was
something Of constraint in the situation
and the child felt it,
II know the story she ventured, hesi-
tatingly.
Miss Hartly drew the little girl closer
Tell il to me, dear" she said.
Once upon time" began Winifred,
there was princess whose name was
Evelyn. She was the most beautiful
princess in the whole world and many
men loved her"
Winifred's hands were folded in her
lap and her eyes looked at the shining
water of the river She had heard the
story so often that unconsciously she
fell into Rogers way of telling it,
Now. there was a shepherd who loved
the princess, and he was sad at heart be-
cause he knew he could never marry her.
Once the queen went to the country, TAX
ing the court with her, and the shepherd
said to himself Now my princess will
walk in the fields near the palace, and
maybe she will speak to me. know that
! can never marry her because she is so
far above me-the world is full of shep-
herds. but where is there another woman
like the Princess Evelyn?-but perhaps
we shall be friends CT know this part
by heart" interpolated Winifred)
But princesses don't care to walk in
the fields" continued the child; they
like to be gay and have the gentlemen of
the court hate each other because they
love them. So the princess hardly no.
tieed the shepherd who lived and died
lonely man, and never stopped loving the
princess or wishing they could have been