The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-01-31

EeCL searching gaze Oh luOSe adCcuS-s
toned to looking at great distances. In
the days that followed it was Gordon
Keith who monopolized the greater
share Of her time and thoughts. and it
was with him she talked and tramped
and rode. Oh, those rides-with the
j horses feet thudding under her, her
( face glowing with the exhilaratiOn and
her hair loosening and streaming out
like bright pennant!
Its wonderful, isn't It'll" she said
breathlessly, refining In. that she might
fasten her rebellious hairpins. "Noth-
ing between you and the sky, or" with
q wave of. the whip, nothing between
you and the edge Of the world"
Keith turned to her.
"Then you are beginning to feel the
call of it, u he said quietly. 'tas i hoped
you would. And now i can say what
I've been wanting to say ever since I
first met you: VIII you marry me, Dru-
silla?'' 4c
She shook her head. ~
"Tm sorry" she said softly, ''oh, so
sorry! 1T would be venal to tell you
how much your friendship has meant
to me-you must have guessed. that al
ready. But what you ask is impos-
sible.'
''Then you do not-careY'
''Care!" Her voice wavered on the
word. "Ah, you don't know how near
I've come to loving you and how I've
fought 1t down, for knew couldn't
On lI;,,~r "a fropo tho
city I've left-all the cotillons and din
ners and teas Of the life love. And
you once belonged to it too. You've
confessed as much. Why" she made
a little ebeseeching gesture. "why did
you ever give it up?" a
Because I was sick Of being pup
pet in evening clothes. because | was
tired to death Of the shams and the
tinsel and the falseness, and wanted
to get out where could breathe deep
and look up to the stars and feel that
was a man. Drusilla"-
mo. no." she begged. Don't ask
me. for / couldn't, ~Iecouldn't!"
In silence they rode toward the
shack. The long light of the sunset
glow was across the plains. Bright
clouds were piled in the west Against
the molten sky of red and gold a cow
boy rider Hoped In picturesque silhou-
cite.
s.It's big and free and beautiful"
Drusilla murmured to herself. "but It's
not for mey'
A week later she went east, and her
going left a great gap in the lives of
the three men at Ell Paso. Ned per-
haps missed her least of all. for he was
to go home in November. Rogers open
" mourned her departure.
Don't seem natural" he complained,
mot to hear her step about the house
or her songs in the evening"
But Keith. who felt her going most,
kept silent. carrying with him long
ing that would not be satisfied.
Drusilla had given her promise to
write yet she was slow in fulfilling it.
Even Ned grumbled as day after day
went by and no word came from her
save a telegram saying she had ar
i rived safely and few picture postal
cards covered with hasty scribbling.
Rogers made excuses for going to the
mail oftener than was really necessary,
and his persistency was at length re-
warded, for one day he returned with
three letters in Drusilla's handwriting
His was full of amusing Incidents
Ned's of gossip and sisterly affection
but to Keith she wrote:
'You are right after all. | am smoth-
cred with conventionality and weary
of riding my prescribed length in the
park It's all such social circus. And
1t isn't the call of the plains that's
drawing me. It's the call of the heart
Do you hate the metropolis too much
to come here to marry me-"
''Well," observed Rogers. standing
. in the doorway few minutes later
and watching Keith galloping into the
distance. For sheer hustling that
beats all I've ever seen. He sure de
serves to catch that train"