The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-24

W ii
did when annoyed.
The chestnut, oak, and dappled
beech-woOds were giving place to pines
and hemlocks as we wheeled from the
Gilded Dome trail into the narrower
trail that leads over the long divide
to the Black Water. Along the rush
ing stream alder and hazel waved. sill
yer birches cleaned deep-set in tan
gled depths. and poplars rose along the
waters edge. quivering as the breezes
freshened, every glistening leaf a.
tremble.
Under foot, brown pine needles
spread a polished mating over the for
est mold, for we had entered the nine
belt and the long trail had Just begun.
The breeze IN the pinesl it will al
ways make me think of Ysonde. Wild
W1nd-swept harmonies swelling from
the windy ridge, the whisper and sigh
and rush of water, the gray hedges. the
deep sweep of precipices, where lonely
rivers glimmer, lost in the sea. of trees
these l remember as / think of
Ysonde, these and more too-tbe dome
OF green, the fragments of sky between
mixed branches. the silence, broken by
a single bird note.
x x X
The trail crossed a sunny glade,
messy and moist. bogdered by black
olrch thickets and carpeted with win
tergreen. Gsonde leaned upon her
steei-shod staff and looked at her own
reflection in the placid spring pool
shining among the ferns.
am very much tanned" she said.
Are you thirsty?'' I asked.
There is little freckle beside my
nose, observed Ysonde.
II is becoming" 1 said, truthfully.
I
what do you know about freckIes?"
1 handed her a cup of water; she
drank little, looked over the rim of
the cup reflectively, drank a little
more, sighed and poured what was left
OF the water upon the moss.
Ibation to the gods.' she ex-
planned.
ITO which ?" l asked.
An, she said; 1 had not thought of
that. Well, then, Toto"
looked at her and she tossed the
cup 10 me- saying, Il shall not tell Won.
am getting into the habit of telling
you everything"
urged.
mo, no. Goodness! may | not have
a secret, all my own?"
Very well,' said /. you Dour out
llDatlOns TO q gentleman god and
snail even up matters. Here's to the
lady '''0
Minerva, of course. You are so
wise" suggested Ysonde.
It's neither to Minerva nor to the
own, said 1, its to the Lady Aphro-
dite' pm
'Poohy' said Ysonde. you are not
clever: Hermes might
Might WHAT"
Re careful POhbr ,-o,,x
getting wet
Might what?"
Now how should / know" excIaim-
ed 1sonde. Mercy. I'm not little
Greek maidenp'
L strapped the cup to my belt. tight
ened the buckle Of my rod-case. lighted
my pipe and sat down on a log.
Well. Master Bobby" said Ysonde
IN that bantering voice which she used
when perfectly happy.
We'll, Mistress Ysonde," said /.
Are you going to lose the 9th ?''
l pointed to the foot of the long stope.
Wnere' among the tree trunks, some
thing blue futtered.
IT'S Lyndas VEIL" said Ysonde "and
there is Mr.. Blylock, also; they are sit
ting down.
True" sad I, "let us rest also. We
nave been hours on the trail Here
Is dry spot on this log"
sonde sat down. Now whenever
Ysonde seated herself there was some
thing in the pose of her figure that
MADE me think of courts and kings and
coronations. The little ceremony of
seating herself ended, / resumed NV
seat also. feeling it a privilege accord
ed only to thesvery great I told her
thls and she pretended to agree with
me.
You must be something at court,
she said, you cannot be an earl. for
earls are blond and slender: you can
not De a count. for counts are dark
ana dapper; nor duke, for dukes are
pig and always red in the face: YOU
might be a baron-no, they are fierce
and merciless-"
80 am l."
mo you're not You can't be A mar
quis either. for they are plausible and
-reacherous-'
Then I'll be a Master of 'Ounds." I
insisted, let the title go by the board.
She agreed, and l was installed Mas
Ter or Staghounds to her petite ma jesty
this position permitting me to sit oc-
easionally in her presence.
i am thirsty again." said Ysonde.
L brought her a cup of ice-cold water
INTO which 1 dropped a dozen wild
strawberries. She touched berry with
The tip of her pink tongue. which was
bad manners, and / told her so.
What do you know about Queens
,tiquette?" she said disdainfully, and.
hiding the berries ripe, she ate three
md smiled at me-
A thrush came fearlessly to her very
eet and drank from the spring: a mot |
led wood-toad made futile efforts to |
Chamber up the log into her lap. and
wo red lizards peeped at her from a |
left in the boulder beside us.
It's queer" said /, watching the
crambling toad, how you seem to |
ascinate all wild creatures. Shall I /
'oke the toad away?"
mo, am not afraid; I am very glad |
hey all come to me-
You were possibly a dryad once" 1 |
laZarded.
Possibly. And you?" .,
Probably the oak tree that sheltered |
'ou.'
sheltered me?"
There is something in the note of a /
cry young bird that / have noticed /
n YsOnde's voice. but now. as she |
such soft, sweet laughter
seemed to me as though the bird had /
-rown, and it's note trembled with pur-
T, truer melody.
sheltered me, l imagine it," she /
aid, with a wonderful Sweetness in her
yes. "Harki Mr.. Blylock is calling!"
She rose with capricious grace as / |
Blylock in view-halloo
L hich fha oohonc oraAnor