The daily Alaskan., 1908-11-17
Love in a Dictionary
forlE!nall

VI NANAA NAbAASNA A Wo@ PAsANNN@ -@@ ~- 70 of a section of a railrocl running through large tract composing the hacienda of Don Jose Miranda. On the evening of my arrival on the ground received an invitation from him to make his house my headquarters. Had been older might have declined to place myself under obligation, but in youth one Is not so likely to refuse rayors.
 Nor Is one at that age oyerscrupulous in love. Don Jose had a pretty daugh- ter, Dona Ysabel, who was heir to considerable portion of his estate. l, who had nothing but my profession and not much income even in that, should not have listened a moment to the temptation to make love to this heiress. When a youngster wishes to do the right thing in such case he Is apt to beat the devil about the stump by showing his heart to the girl in some covert way. peat the devil around the stump not only as q salve to my conscience, but because l was not afforded an opportunity to make love openly. Besides, had no reason to suppose that the young lady would respond, and to think of receiving a snub from her for pronered love quite took my breath away. Prudence die tated a plan that was noncOmmlttal,
 I never saw Dona YsObel alone, but passed many evenings at the house in company with the family. One even Ing took dictionary from the library on pretense of looking for the Spanish for a word wished to use. Don Jose was In the room with others, and Dona Ysabel was looking over my shoulder.
 There is a story that a courier who aspired to the favor of Queen Eliza beth of England wrote his aspiration and his fears on a window pane with q diamond and received his reply in the same way. The message and re- ply constitute a rhyme and are famil. lar to most people who have received a finished education. Whether Donu Ysabel had ever met with them I did not know. While turning over the leaves Of the dictionary I stopped and held my thumb for awhile on the word "faln." Then carelessly turning over the leaves, suffered 1t to remain on the word would" In this way I Indicated the line:
 Fain would climb. but fear to fall
 I had reached the word "climb" and was looking for "but" when DOna Ysabel walked away from me. I in- ferred that she had not seen through my device, for If she had natural feminine curiosity would have led her % remain where she was till had finished. Replacing the dictionary In the library, l began a conversation with her father about the location of tue railroad through his hacienda, subject in which he was interested.
 The next morning l arose and break lasted. as was my custom, long before the family were downstairs and was going to my work when, passing through the library, was surprised to see the dictionary lying open on table. Going to it. my eye rested on the pages before me, which included words beginning with the letter IT.. Under the word "lf" l noticed a light pencil mark.
 My heart jumped. If" was the be- olnnIng of queen EliZabeth's reply to the aspiring courier. Rapidly turning over the leaves to words beginning with If' looked for you" There was a pencil mark under It. Are was the next word in the queens reply, and this. too, found underscored. l had seen all I required to convince me that not only had a reply to my mes sage, but the reply l desired. It was this:
 If you're afraid, climb not at all. completing the famous rhyme;
 Fain would I climb. but fear to fall.
 If you're afraid. climb not at all.
 It was so well known to Dona Ysabel that she did not need to see 1t com pleted after the word "climb."
 On the surface, from this time till l had finished my work, Dona Ysabel and I were merely acqualntances. We did not even use the dictionary or any other means of communication, but the night before was to take my de parture, again making q pretext of finding q word, l withdrew the volume from the library and began a hunt Ysabel stood over me, and l pointed to the following words:
 The way Is dark The road fall to sec.
 As soon as I had completed my mes sage Ysabel left me and, taking up some embroidery, devoted herself to It. But watched her and saw that she was in deep thought. After awhile she laid aside her work and, turning to the dictionary that lay on the table, began to turn over the leaves. l went and stood over her She pointed out the following reply:
 Make your demand and leave the rest to me.
 After the family had retired for the night and I was having few final words with Don Jose about the section of the railroad I had located l sud