Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-06-05

dreadful it might be. I'm awfully
sorry, but I simply can't get interested
at all. I've tried three times and gone
to sleep over 1t. l know it's fine; 1t
must be fine; but can't read 1t" Sad
ly she shook her head.
WELL" l admitted, "Pater is diff
cult, unless you like him lot. How
about the other book?"
Her face frightened.
"Oh! The Mystery of the Yellow
Shutters!" She stopped, confused.
Richard, you'll laugh, and l know
it's shocking in me, but II sat up in
bed till three o'clock reading that
story"
/ did not laugh. In fact, | was a
little annoyed with Marcia. For GER
tain reasons l had done my best to
interest her in a love for letters.
Il just wanted to see how 1t came
out, you know" she explained hum
bly,.
81 understand that" replied.
mo, / don't believe you do" she re-
torted, and with more spirit now that
she saw how displeased | was. "Oh,"
she exclaimed, IF there were only a
little more romance in life nowadays
A blush here brought her to utter con-
fusion. why, then, I've"
why, them" / remarked, you girls
wouldn't need to read mysteries OF yell
low shutters, eh?"
Il don't know" was her answer. Il
never was able to philosophize, never.
Let's talk about something else"
That was a Friday. On Sunday we
went for a walk together. 1t was
warm April Sabbath; maple buds were
Just family showing; fox sparrows
were deceiving us with the notion that
thrushes had come again, and last
years grasses were tremulous with va
riable winds and musical with wings
and prophecies as we sauntered on,
talking of the fiokle spring. For two
days past l had been musing of what
Marcia said, and wondering If Romance
were really the imprisoned Lady she
seemed to think, and whether the Fair
One might not be rescued, Zenda fash
ion, from her modern dungeon, her oc-
tavo cell. 1t would be, fancied,
noble quest, and | was both young
and old enough to essay it-twenty-
three-if Marcia would but pin her
faith and favor on knighthood SO I'M
tried, but hopeful and ardent and rev.
erent as mine If you had known Mar
cia-as knew her, IL you had seen her
that April Sunday in her new spring
gown with the berries on her hat,
and had been, as | was, so near to
her that the blessed wind blew little
gold-red strands of her hair against
you, and stirred the warm youth in
her checks, your own would have
flushed, wager. Hang Pater," said
!. / spoke reasonably, it is true, but
to myself, and not what | meant; that
my love for Marcia was not, after all,
a question of literature.
We had stopped. | remember, at
brook, by little sunlit. amber-colored
pool among the roots and stones, paved
with last autumn's OAK leaves.
1t is not astonishing that in that
free, sweet woodland air the plight of
Romance should have strongly touched
me; her inky chamber, her wicked
gaolers-those one-eyed ogres, the
modern Notwithstanding her, beat
ing her horribly to make her think
her new plots for them, and CHI! the
pity Of seeing her fair niece, Marcia,
forced thus to visit her stealthily and
alone, by night-behind yellow shut
tiers! Is 1t not strange, then, that with
each new golden, scented, April mo-
ment there on the rock | was the more
determined to set her free. | don't
mean the niece; mean the aunt.
But it was not so easy as l had
thought.
Marcia" began, and stopped,s
Marcia what?" she inquired after a
moments courtesy.
Marcia" I repeated, but with less
assurance now-and then my courage
utterly forsook me. See how like
wine the water is" said.
Isn't it," she assented; and then we
sat silent, watching the water that
was Ike wine, until it went to my
head.
o Garcia" I began, and more brave
" now, but could get no farther. You
are a bold knight, you are." ! sneered
at myself. 'Fie, Sir Dunderhead!"
Marcia" blurted out, Marcia, l.
vou-are the very best friend I've got
in the world Did you know that?"
: "Ob." she said, pleased and lowering
her eyes, I'm glad if you think so,
really. Rictard,"
: And then Explained to her-it took
me. | suppose, full half an hour-ex-
nounding wherein she was all that |
claimed for her; and how l appreciat-
cd (morn. noon and night what a
friend she had been to me. and wanted
her TO know-it was only lust. de-
clared; and how l would never. never
forget II as long as lived, and how all
other girls were but the merest ac-
ouaintances when measured by this
golden Platonic yardstick OF ours, and
had failed utterly to be $3.50 helpful TO
mv-my character. / reviewed enron
oIoeically. catalogued, indexed, anc
lcross-indexed, the sacred moments
when she Marcia, had saved me nom
heaven knows what-riotous living
suppose / meant; don't remember
In short. l proved to her breathlessly
ali IN a tumble that II, sitting there