La Junta tribune., 1907-07-27

tuUAeNI IotWdtu 10 tDtN'tUuK Win
unqucstioning giadness. II wns not 70
much her youth returning MS II was
the great success Of her planning com
Ing back for approval aud commenda.
tion. Their youth was very near and
dear, but II was something that was
past and laid away In the lavender
and rose leaves OF her memory.
She had always remembered him as
the young man who had gone away
from hcr-sfronR. erect and with black.
curling hair thrust careIeSsIy back from
his forehead. Now. looking clearly in
TO the past through the revelation
which had just come TO her and with
out the glamour Of her own love to
idealize him. she had tried to imagine
how this man who had been hers. but
was now another's. might appear. He
WAS older than her by two years. Tint
meant he was forty-one. Here she
broke resolutely from her reirospec-
fion. Why was she 80 fooiisht Forty
one was young for man. even as
thirty nine WAS old for woman. OF
course he was Just the right age for
pretty. simple minded Susie and would
have the clear Judgment and expert
ence which she lacked. and of course
n strong. beauty loving man who had
been SO long away from the world
would prefer pretty young girl to
faded old maid. But as she walked
rcsoiuteiy to the house. forgetting alike
the roses md the perfect June day.
there was for the frs, time a hard.
bitter pain nj her heart She could
spare him 10 greater usefulness. to a
noble ambition, hut this oh. this was
different.
And yet when she came from her
room an hour later there was no sign
OF dIsnuiet IN her brown eyes or trace
OF agitation ON the delicate flush Of her
cheeks The rest Of the unruiy arms
OF the Seven Sisters werc cut away or
trained toward usefulness and she
was standing with her head tipped
slightly to one side In contemplation of
her work when again came the famII.
lar tap. tap. tap down the sidewalk.
ending with the sharp click OF her gate
latch
Here nm again. Miss Dunnin'." n
biiihc voice called. .'bcgglu' for roses
this time. The cows have eaten ours
on clean. an we must have n good
spread for our company. ! don't know
wha, the place would do without your
rose garden sn lilies an strawberry
bed-or we girls. for that matter. with
out you.'' catching n hand and raising
II to her lips with pretty. graceful
caress that caused the older woman to
throw an arm across the young girls
..t,x i,,
"Oh. forgot TO tell you. Miss Dun
min" Susie cried roguishly. Hes
come"
Miss Dunnings hand closed n little
more closely upon the pruning shears.
but her face was calm. even smiling.
II thought he was not expected until
next week" she observed. AT least
that Is what the paper said"
'Oh. don't know" d"ubtfully. We
don't have the paper. hu, think
Charlie was expecting him before mex:
week. Charles my brother-in law. you
know. an owns that pretty house near
the river Mr. Gray's coin' to stav
with him. They used to know each
other. But. there, III better get the
roses and bc goIn' They're all comm
lUlN tftElh Nlitf Sst4i iht Iit w
hurry back an get through with my
fixing an fussin'. An. say. Miss Dun
MIN, II you don't mind, I'd like to bring
him 10 see you fore he goes looking
up with roguish pleading expression
on her pretty, baby face.
',of course" the strained lips forced
themselves to say. You must bring
him by all means
But afier the girls departure Miss
pnuning left the roses and hurried
away to the seclusiou OF her room.
Bring him TO her. this young girl who
had been but n baby when the two had
been SO much TO each other, What
did 1t mcant And he had not even
written TO her or in any way announe-
ed his coming.
The next day was spent on the front
veranda. reading or playing with her
squirrels and dog or idly touching the
strings Of the guitar, which WAS an
| other of her pastimeS. But through II
aii her mind WAS elsewhere. listening
for long absent but familiar footsteps,
recalling incidents which she had stor-
ed away among the treasures OF her
memory and sending swift. eager
sianccs to that point Of the road at
which Susie first appeared. She was
getting old she told herself weakly.
/ This lack Of self control was proof Of
II. But still she sat there and listened
and thought and watched.
But the day wore away. and he did
not come and then the next and the
next Through all these years her
eyes had retained their brightness and
buoyaney. and her cheeks had lost but
/ iittl. of the delicate bloom Of their
youth. But now her face grew strain
Ell and piteous. and dark circles began
I TO inclose her eyes. II only he had
gone by once and lifted his hat or had
given some sign of remembrance or