The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-26
THE EVENING STORY
The Mountain Princess.
(By Jerome Sprague.)


nized a song that he had taught her.
She was still singing as she danced
down the broad aisles of the forest to-
ward a little stream where he was fish,
ing.
"in that gray-green gown, but dryads
don't sing songs from the latest musl-
cal comedy"
IT'S a pretty song" she said gravely.
land should like to see the comedy.
IF you will let me take you TO town
YOU can see everything" he informed
her.
She laughed. That's the seventh
time in seven days that you have ask
ed me to marry you. And L always ten
you that 1 am welded to the noun
tain"
think that you can be happy all your
life living UP here. But you can't
you think 1 should be happier With
your
II know It," he said eagerly.
She shook her head.
..f3,t 7 shouldn't be free. Here 1 am
mistress of my own domain. Ihere 10
no one but old Aunt Dolly anu Cnoiv
Fred to consider. and as long as my
have a comfortable nresioe anu 49,,
magazines and novels tina l oroer lao,i
town thev are content. And my serv-
ants are the mountain people. FOR lns
rest. I have the birds and the pees anu
the butterflies" ..s how
long have you liVed aiohe wan
birds and butterflies
"Since May" she told MIN:
And now it is October. What OF the
winter days that are coming wneh az
birds fly south and the pu.terhiS as,i,n
and the bees lie close in the nolio"
'' @Then there will be the beauty OF the
aa.d forests and the snow on the
mountain side. and the winter sAie'
and the freedom" ., u,ao,s so
He smiled at her. ihal iHe"
much to you-freedom."
Sha nodded. eff you had known my
life as A child. Mother was SO unn "a ny.
she was always afraid that my la .le.,
would take me away from ner-' 20
were separated, you know. an sh,,t in
And after she died. was sent 10 "a
scI,ooi in big city. and lived all u
INV eirlhood behind high Wansi
when became my own mis.ls p.
bought my bungalow gu. he ,,nder strict
ruies I said that 1 would i've Wilho t1.e
aurs3tbat would not even enter lne
bondage of matrimony, anu anu, uii'A'
came was as free as p lru. :. mt
"And now you are not Aiee
the question eagerly. -. ..a.di,v
N Ier grave eyes met his steaolly,
..Io she said, 'you-you have mao mao
NC question. 1 am very naPPy 49,
+ am with you, fishing or learning son n6
or hearing. you ten Oh ~ 9ou me that is the
sometimes 1t seems ~ ~
sefs,,+ when am alone 1 think OF the
citv where you would take ne an,
that Won would have a rlsh' " S1s
whether I should go or CONF. on" hteb
feel as If were asai"
walls" ,,,,,h a oueer kind
of terror - ,,-au said Leslie,
tenderly. "they kept you caeeo
He made her sit down beside MN
while he led the conversation cneeTiu.-
" into other channels. ana are. tha,r
he taught her more songs anu I'm .,It
Voices rang out melodiously In the SUI. SUI
oc,oher air. And all about them was
the glory of autumnal coloring, the reo
and gold and green of the mountain
side, with sapphire sky above.
And when their song was nnisneo
Leslie said. Tomorrow l am soins
home" .r.
She caught her breath quickly To
yes. At half-past ten at night. Will
you wave me farewenT
You go by the river roadF
IT will be on my porch" she promis-
ed. You can see me in the moon
| light"
ment stood looking down at her. Then
he said, softly. 81 shall not try to tell
you how hard it is for me to go with
| out some hope. Perhaps some day
you will feel differently?"
Again the frightened look came into
her eyes. Mono. If you knew how
unhappy my mother was-my father
was cruel-'
He dropped her hands. And you
| - ;-l.+ lrz
"Oh. no. no. she protested. But
| you would have the right to say what
I should do. You would be--my mas
| ter"
Little child" he commanded. look
| at me-
And when her eyes met his won
deringIy. he said, slowly, Love like
mine asks nothing but your happi-
ness. AS my wife you would be free,
| for after all, that woman is the freest
| who lives within the circle of her hus-
bands love-
But she shook her head. 81 can't
feel that way" she murmured. II
wish 1 could"
The next night as Leslie's horse
picked its way carefully down the
| winding road it reared little when a
white figure came out of the bushes.
so far away" the girl faltered, as he
dismounted and stood beside her. Her
| face was very pale in the moonlight
| and her hair shone like gold. And
then, there is something that I want
to say"
| A light came into his eyes as he
bent over her. Tell me- he whis-
pered.
at love you" she said, simply. but
shook her head at his eager exclama-
ton. But I can not marry you-not
| now 1t would not be right-not while
have this fear of the city. But
want to ask if-if-some day 1 feel
4
| would you Gomez
| From the ends of the EARTH" he
declared. "But if 1t could only be now,
dear heart"
The tears were on her cheeks. Il
can't PROMISE" she sobbed. 'some-
| thing seems to hold me back. But