The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-06

a single fiery spot deep and red Miss Leadhall sal
looking into It, visions coming and going before her rap
gaze
She had been out all the afternoon battling with the
storm. and had in with flushed cheeks and eye:
shining with a soft glow The old andlady, she saw
her pass through the paror to her commented thai
her walk had done her good But it was not the wall
that had stirred her.
She had climbed up from the beach tired and dis
pirited- Then. she turned into the street
she had passed two people young man and woman
walking. stin and dour opposite sides of the road
She had not noticed them in passing could she have
told how they looked But something had prompted he
to turn and she had surprised glance between them
1t was this that had changed the world for her II
was glow of in the gray day.
She thinking of it dwelling the tender
ness that lit the Scotch features Of the and
the girls trembling lips.
Miss Leadhall had not thought of love for many
months Her friends would have told you she had not
thought of it for years. years ago that
Elliot Harden had placed her finger the ring OF
rubies and pearls-four rubies alternating with pearls
The that she absentiy turned on her finger
miniature shadow of It, 1t held soft still light-where
the other flashed and gowed but 1t very like it. in
a faded. far-of way; and something had moved Miss
Leadhall buy it,
She had not owned to herself that she bought IT
for memory and each step of the north she had
fought back the knowledge, till here at last, IN this
dreary spot 1t had forced itself upon
going back it all her mind while doomed
down below the beach and the rain swirled against
the glass.
1t June day-roses and sunshne-the day she
it back to him. The quarrel nothing. She
could not remember now, through the years. what it
was about She had drawn off the ring in passion of
resentment toward him. and he had taken
it and turned his heel and left her-there in the
garden. Later he had her notethree lines. The
ring would be hers again If she chose ask for
And that the end.
Her pride had risen against her heart. The days
had gone by and she had made sign-ll, last it
too late. In the life they
could not keep apart. So he spoke with her, danced
with he, and came sometimes to the house. Bat he
went into the garden.
They sat opposite sides of the aisle in
church and older together through the years;
she %. sitting alone before the fire. win
ters night in north Scotch town. with the wind howl
ing outside And before her danced the look Scotch
girls she raised them to her lover in the
gray storm.
Miss Leadhalrs eyes were little moist, and she
brushed her hand impatiently before them they
stared intently deep red glow Slowly fiery
spot dwindled. 1t shrank a pin point. a soft
white light glowed about it. and and expanded
and lifted itself and spread in thin mists drew
away slowly from garden--a garden roses Not
her garden 1t was like no garden she had
Tall columns. quaint clipped trees, and long vstas
stretching away and everywhere roses white GRIM
and pink.
In the distance young girl stood picking one
her half lifted, her face turned away; and down
the borGered walk behind her a MISS Lead
hall could the face quite clearly he ap-
preached. 1t was dark and smiling. with something
lurking in it that could He carried him
self with little swagger youth. the velvet
swinging from his shoulders outlined the youthful
of his figure.
If the girl had heard him gave sign. She
stood with her raised, her face a little averted
like statue among the flowers, waiting And when
he had quite to her, he lifted his hand to
hers among the roses and drew it down softly. AS
turned her face slowly he bent and kissed it.
Then they down the walk together his arm
about her and her dress cleaning white against
swinging cloak He leaned toward her. they walked
talking in quick, tones, his hand seeking the
velvet at his side and drawing from it tiny ring
1t flashed red and white in the sunlight. The hand
sought hers and found it, and the ring slipped
place.
Then the girl lifted her face to her lover-ifed it
with look of tremulous worship Miss LeadhaI
in her chair gasping. protesting. The face-her
facet She in the vision-a of it-her
about her-hs breath-and the ring was press
ing to Its place, down. down. And voice
passionaely She filled with shame and sweet
shy of rest-such in dreams. Then a
burning kiss pressed her lips and she wrenched
herself away. dragging the ring from her finger with
quick, shamed cry 1t fell with click
stone. and Miss Leadhal dropped her knees
flushed eyes filled with scorchng tears,
CROPPED in the ashes
The Goals had fallen apart and the flame leaped in a
hundred merry CLEANS. The red glowed softly
her from the edge of ashes She drew the ring
out, brushing the from and replacing slowly
her finger.
Then she crossed the and drew back the
tains opening wide the heavy shutters The
passed. and the moon struggling behind dark clouds.
trimming them with light CHANGING the that
still the motion of the storm.