Washington State journal. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1907-1911, 1907-12-04
CHAPTER l,

deliciously dappled with leafy shadows.
A loosely clad man, bearded and specta-
cled, and little on the right side of
forty, sat on a camp stool before small
field easel, and libeled the landscape ut
his ease, pausing at his work now and
then and drawing back his head to survey
1t with an air Of charmed appreciation.
Near him, on the gnarled trunk of tree
and in che shadow of a moss-grown rock.
sat lady some ten or a dozen years
younger, leisurely torturing thread into
lace with hooked needle.
A little way down the dell q boy was
clambering among the rocks, shriekins
every now and then with ecstatic news Of
a beetle or butterfly. He was sturdy.
blue-eyed, golden-haired little fellow Of
five, the picture of health, and he was
risking his limbs and chattering to all ami
mate and inanimate nature--a delightful
boy, and all alive from his golden head
to his restless feet and tips of his brown
little fingers. The mother snatched him
to her arms and covered him with kisses.
Suddenly she looked up, flushed, half pite-
Gus, with a fash of tears in her eyes.
"Austin, feel afraid. Have l a right
to be so happy? Has any one right to
be SO happy? Will it last?"
"Who knows" he answered. "Human
Affairs run in averages, but then the Az
erages are not individual. We have had
almost trouble enough in our time to have
paid for little joy. Let u take it crate
fully"
to fall upon it all-the shadow of fear"
1.-The shadow of the past-experience.
The burned child breads the fire. We are
burned children, both Of US. Five years
illness and poverty out Of seven years Of
married life is a large allowance. And,
=. after all, our present happiness isn't phe-
y nomenal, my dear, though it looks so. We
have health, and we value it because we
have each missed it in turn. We have =
little money, and we think it great deal
because we have been so deadly poor.
And then," he laughed and half blushed,
I'VE have little fame, and that is all
the pleasanter because We were 90 long
neglected. Sweet is pleasure after pain"
II am dangerously happy" she answer
ed.
Come. let US unpack the luncheon bas-
ket. Cold chicken. Salad. Bread.
Cheese. Milk. There We are. Fall to-.
Sit down by your mother, Cupid. Take
a pull at the milk, old man, and then
you'll have an appetite. What a sudden
sbadow,"
4 c,ord had ac.+.d h.tv..r +h.rs.,v.,
and ths ann snd . .t,.n.. nr;.t b.d a H..
en- With tho ,b.aov IN tSs Iood.
"Aust;,, tha lie. -h;.n.,sS ..+h.-. 4.
that draodfui man .,o;n T. ...u. a. 70
h. ~ hroraht -. dsrIn. -;th H..
hnowr sion;n. n.th onn.-.d .+m
nth tha a. ro.d,.. 80 !, ~. sor.~o;n.
sutumn hroko RI. w.lI ~ .r..n rh;cS
Rounded tha d., .rS dovn th,s eoot,..x
hstwson tho s;,var s.sns ~ ~ h;-oh.s ~
~. roda;sh .torn. ~ ~. a.. E.,,..d :.
hoardos unan S;+h ~. 80 $500
sorw. I'd ond hi. hond. ~. 800 h"h,nS ~"
". 1911 ,a;.... - I"ss ~. -. H..
want hv n. - un,on.c;ou. A. .h.;. 80 -
.nna ond =, i;tt,. Iii. -. 80 - =.
h;nd ~. +h;o,.. .no,4S - -. -
went ont ~ ,;oht ~. arm No.. .hror.h
tha c,o~a +ha Isa -. ;.unss - ..;.h
Hfe aosin and +hs MIA. -en.~sd 49,.
.on. ~ N ~ ''~ ''"'N 'A''-
Hook. sne whispered; tine shadow
follows n'm
What IN ooa mooo tnis ID To-Day
saio ner nusDAno' smiling &c ner. Ana
why u tne poor o'd gentleman ~ dread
ruiz
But Austin, 40 you Know! Iou can't
have heard. He u known to have hatch
ed plots against the Gar"
well, yes. 1t u known also that he
has been wifeless and childless this TWEEN
ty years. His wife and his two sons
died In Siberia. They went there without
trial, and people who know him say that
the loss Of them In that horrible way
turned his brain. Suppose anybody STEELE
you and little Austin? Suppose be drove
you on foot through hundreds Of miles Of
Ice and snow? Suppose that he made you
herd with the human on-scourings Of the
world. and that you died after three q
four long-drawn, hideous years? 1t might
be wicked, but surely it would not be
quite without provocation II 1 blew tina,
man sky-high. l don't say that rexicide
IL thing to be commended. I don't de.
fend the poor old Kentleman's political
opinions. But l do say that human m
ture is human nature"
Luncheon over, he returned to hi,
painting. to find the lights all CHANGED
He worked away, however. with rrea,
contentment for an hour or two. willis tn,
wife and the boy wandered beyond tn,
limits of the dell. When they came bach
they found that he had packed up nj,
traps and was lying at length on tn,