The Cairo bulletin., 1908-03-14
FELICIA
BY Lulu Loretta Baker

a voice at the open window And, be
ing riddle she didn't scream, though
no door about the house was closed
and II was dusk.
I'm alone Her voice was steady
though her blood was pounding hei
veins. There isn't even a dog here;
so if you wish To come In you will
have no trouble" She was even sar,
castle
She filled a tumbler with milk from
a pitcher at her right, while he came
around to the door
You're brave" he said She did
not look up
I'm very hospitable as we'll Don't
hesitate a moment"
lie sat opposite her, eyeing with
real hunger the steaming mush pushed
over to him.
He bent his head. as If ashamed,
and ate eagerly.
She looked at him steadily for the
first time.
An awful fear. greater but different
from any fear of molestation. clutched
at her. Unconsciously she moved for
ward, her gaze so piercing that inyol-
| unfairly the mans intellectual eyes
fastened upon her as II hypnotzed
They stared at each other silently
for several seconds, the selfpossessed
slender girl and the wide-eyed man.
| DO you think such method as this
Of obtaining data is entirely laudabe?
| Some people are easily frightened
Her eyes still on his, and coldy.
He jumped from his chair. over
throwing his glass. searching her face.
Who are you?"
Felicia Thrawley"
You are not" rudely "Felicias
hair was brown; yours is almost white.
and it is only six years. You can't
be"
Indeed was her only reioinder
The mans fingers trembled He
tried to say something, but could not,
and shame overwhelmed him at
thought of the great work he had neg.
lected, becoming in the last two years
next to vagrant in reality, instead of
of his country. And Felicia Felicia,
the clever, the girl whom he used to
imagine loved him at times: then as
he sought her out. eluded him. seemed
to hate him.
How did you come here?" he |
managed to say finally.
Il live here. I'm living the simple
life" she laughed a little, hunting |
eggs, wading In the creek, cooking |
when | like, and incidentally filling a
small post as critic" She named a
well-known publication.
He interrupted her with a cry of
gladness for her strong, ambitious
womanhood. And seized by impulse
he did not try to fathom, he con-
fessed his neglect of the universities
expectations Of him, him whose chair
there was as yet filled only temporarily
while he, the master at economics and
sociology, was tramping the world for
actual knowledge of its conditions.
And he had come to love the life so
that he had deceived the trustees, his
friends and newspaperdom, reveling
In the gypsy's love of woods and hills
and lowertangled paths, though they
thought him still dillgent in the work
he set out to do.
Wasn't 1t, isn't it gl0rious?"
Felicia was radiant, the overwhelming
Felicia.
"What?" he said. duly, as a child
who expects to be scolded.
why, to be half a pagan, forget
ting universities, dusty books and
|
You don't hate me for stopping"
ITO live awhie?" she finished |
scornfully mo, I've done as near the S
same as | could, being a woman.
Chloe and Sambo are here with me, 1
delayed in the fields tonight. Father !
s dead, you know" she added with
Ter face paling. And | couldn't bear Y
o stay In the town any longer" r
You are alone" I
Except Reindeer; he is in the S
table" She smiled, though her eyes
we're downcast, her mouth sad. !.
May | stay, then? Felicia, love. /
on know | would never have STAYED U
way so long If your caprice had not "
cen so puzzling. l was afraid of you. i
'elicia!' He had come around to her II
hair and was bending his luxuriant s.
covered head against the silyered "
attn of her hair which fell like a
alo around her young face. U
She trembled; she who was sarcas- II
&c, self-possessed, radiant, and said I
! quick succession:
This is grand old place; all the y :,
Ills and trees and tangled woods such y
ypsies as you and | shall need And y
lie university, which awaits you, is
OF far away" She pushed back his -
lreless hair and hid her face against y
Is throat After a time they rose ~
nd went down the road. in the moon "
sht, to meet their darkies. a,