Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-04-23

~ gwen III our dtuc, where there
would be room for Is or 20 Of Lisa's
friends to watch It. This was the
man who had come, In that attic will
derness, to set up the fairy fountain
by which the princess should meet the
prince.
At four O'Clock Lisa and her friends
came to rehearse for the fountain play.
l saw them all safely above stairs. and
then I slipped down to the kitchen.
for l had a fancy to send Mary up.
when they were finished, with a tray
OF tea and jam and little cakes and
bon-bons.
1 found that Mary had miraculously
anticipated my wish and had already
spread the sandwiches and opened the
jam.
Mary" 1 said as I arranged the bon
oons. 1T is still showing. Have you
got your wish YETI"
20 ma'am." said Mary. Nom"
She looked up at me suddenly. I
hardly know how 1 knew. but at once
l understood that her sad eyes spoke
but one wish.
Who is it, Mary?'' asked on a sud
den impulse. rs 1t your sweetheart"
Nom" said Mary soberly, its my
husband"
DO you care to tell me, Mary?" l
asked, for one must live to be 20 be-
fore one learns that there is a SYM
pathy which transcends all false reti.
cenee and consists simply in holding
out ones hand and listening to what
some one else is longing to say. And
then she told me OF the trivial dispute
and the parting.
Is he dead, Nary" l asked, laying
the bon-bons on the dish.
20. ma'am." said Mary, Nom. But
l don't know where he Is. And he
won't never forgive me-"
The pretty play was just over. and
the little maid. in her gown of gold
with her gold hair about her shoulders.
had Just shyly answered the prince
and sat with him on the rim Of the
fountain, back In her attiehome. when
l heard Mary coming up stairs with
the tray OF tea and tarts. She looked
very pretty In her print gown. her
sad eyes lighted by the faint excite
ment of the moment. No sooner was
she there than Lisa, who can coax be-
witchingly. begged that We have tea
down in my room. where there are a
half dozen deep window-seats-for the
JOY of dreams and tales
Peleas and l stayed behind-and as
the cloud of Lisa's friends went in soft
laughter down the attic stairs we
turned, and fancied that the fairy tale
had come true before our eyes.
Between the dormer window and the
ancient chest the fountain was still
sparkling to the sun, as It had spark.
led when the little mock princess had
found her lover by its side. And where
she had stood. Mary stood now: and
she was suddenly and unexplainably
in the arms of that earnest young
giant in blue clothes, whose magic
had struck the fountain upward in the
sun OF our sombre attic.
Mary" said the young giant
brokenly; and then he saw us and
tried to make US know all that the
moment brought yelling to his heart.
And Mary met our eyes, unashamed
that his arms held her, and her hand
was In his hand; and high above their
heads in the late sun OF afternoon
sprang that magic fountain which he
himself had brought from some place
of the winter world
20. ma'am." said Mary, 1T was him
/ told you about. 1t was him I meant
l says to him: 1t was you and he
says to me: 1T was you,'-and they
didn't neither of us have the sense to
see that 1t wasn't neither him nor me
but just the way things naturally
was"
That's right" said the young
giant huskily, that's right. We didn't
see."
To Peleas and me, standing almost
abashed in the presence of this great
actually. 1T seemed as If the voice
OF the whole world were there beside
us, crying passionately to love: I'VE
didn't see"
But yet the moment was so pierre
ingly glad that the gladness, after all.
was its chief significance. / looked
at Mary. her sad eyes SO magicalN
lighted with something that never
could go out; and
Did not say" cried, that spring
Is somewhere about? And that we
shall all have our wishes?''
And did l not say" cried Peleas.
that we'd whole day to teach peo-
pie about spring."
And did l not say" l cried trium-
phantly to that young giant, that
there would be an early spring."
20, ma'am." said Mary "Yes'm."
He smiled, not at me, but at Mary.
Peleas and l. laughing happily, went
down the attic stairs, and left them
by the magic fountain in The sun. And
as we turned away, protest that the
air about us smelled the sweetness of
Inc Towering currants and of Forsy.
'hia. The Little Spring is never far
FAY.