The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-12

When he saw the genuine distress
that his reluctance caused he relenter.
sufficiently to observe:
But all the same ] want TO thank
you for what you said last night"
Last night?'' asked Miss Aimee
vaguely. She stood up and went around
the log as If to continue on her way.
But she waited for his explanation.
Last night 1 heard you and father
talking. l was not listening. l just
heard. Father said he would send me
away to school if you liked, and you
said you would never marry him If it
meant driving me from my own home.
So l thank you.''
Strive as he might, he could not keep
out of his ringing little voice his scorn-
full anger at this pretty state of things
when a comparatively strange young
woman dared abrogate TO herself the
power of deciding whether he should
stay insor keep out of his home, his, the
gift of the dear dead mother.
This same young woman showed good
sense again.
"Why, Dam" she cried. appeaiingly.
don't be stupid, dear. You have moth
ing to thank me for. 1t is your home.
l know it. and YOU know it. I. though,
would have everything to thank you for
if you could bid me honest welcome
when / cross its threshold"
Dan reached across the log and
gripped her hand again, and again a
wavering in his mind caused him to
drop it. M
Let's talk this over some other
time" he suggested stiffly. Then he
turned with a sudden, new torture; the
flame of jealousy scared his soul and he
cried out passionately:
Not that I can help myself by any
amount of talkins.. L don't count any
more. You are first with my father
now. You are -fsrst!'
A second time she started and flushed,
as if he had hurt her. She looked at
him in a strangely pathetic way, but he
knew she was not thinking of him at
all, that she was thinking of something
else, something which seemed to sadden
her to tears, for her eyes were full of
them as she raised them to the radiant
rift in the sky and murmured-but to
the other Dan:
Not first: oh, no, not first, never,
never can be first-as you are with me,
Dan, my dearest. There has never been
any one before you; there never can
be any one in your place. But 1 come
second"
She turned and walked quickly away,
Little Dan kicked thoughtfuiiy at some
leaves. What was up? He wished wo-
mankind was not so leaky. They seemed
to hunt for trouble just for the fun
OF It,
Now men-and he was one-did not
have to hunt. Trouble came to them
unSought. 1t was a hard world. and d
cherries one, in spite of the fact that
the sun was bright, the air soft. the
woods odorous-and thai the awaited
step was sounding on the path. Big
Dan was coming.
The sight Of his fathers splendid
strength and beauty set Little Dams
heart leaping exulringly, Yet caused
him pain and wistfulncss, too, ike
many other things that were grand and
thoroughly compreheasiofe-mo airs
and thJpderstOrms and sailing vessels
and great music.
He could not guess that his owr
young eomelineSS stirred Big Dan In
much the same manner, that the man.
heart yearned passionateiy back to the
grace of boyhood, which had been his
but which was now grown away from
and forever lost.
The two met very coolly. however
One would have thought they did moi
see each other at first. Little DaT
stared studiously at the moss on tbs
log and Big Dan stepped over. strollins
a few inches onward before he stopped
and remarked surorisedly:
why, hullo, Dan, is that vou?'
why, hullo, father" replied Dan
Quite a pause ensued, during which
the moss was well studied by the boy
and some birds were fatteringly scruti
nized by the man. Then the moss wa:
unfortunately prodded off and the bird:
a.
| Doing anything very particular
DAM"
''Nc. sir. nothing much" He wa.
| disconnected TO surprise a sleam of sol
I id amusement in his fathers ewes.
well, pardner, suppose we stroll OF
7 together and hunt for those birds ",
heard the other day"
| For one brief moment friendly as
sent sparkled in Little Dams glance
then il fiickered gloomily out He knew
of one bird too many in that wood
They would be sure to overtake her, il
spite of everything. for the path iet
nowhere very much: then he wouls
have to dawdle along behind them. 81
lent. forgotten. He'd look for no birds
SO he said, politely:
Thank yous but I think I'll sta.
here; Pn-er-er-kind IF tired
Il am very tired" sail Big Dan ex
plosively; then he Gained down, seate,
himself overwhelmingly upon the log ep
posite to Dams end. and suggested
Suppose we talk over the late unpleas
antness in the-the seat OF war: Oh
/ son ?"
'You mean, why-er-what happene'
this morning, just li.tle while agos
! inquired son. also delicate of men
tioning The matter mora BADLY.
! ssyfThx of aotrrSa 1shalsu what
| growing within you. isn't III
"All right" said Little Dan weakly
Where sverytilfHS was -a-Grown on
topic was as good as another.
Cheer up and look me- in the eys
then. Wen talk as man to man.
Little Dan took heart. This is VIVA
he wanted. Yet it was rather awesomt