Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-05-01

II tllt air an! core GA III an tIcIil'tii-
tine gailop. Ni:'l - h.lui that sounded
to Red milh.Hy Iilr jcrision.
burned if she amt laughing ut me-,
he cried I;dt rs matter of fact II
was a hornet and its unInistakab.e
sting that injected this activity into
her system.
1t was all very pleasant to Miss Mat
tie. as ones first picnic in many years
should be. She enjoyed the crisp green
sod. the great trees standing around.
parklike. with the sunlight falling be-
tween their shade like brilliant tat
ters of cloth OF gold. while from the
near distance came the tiny shouting
OF cool waters. They had camp fire
at night, making the moonlight still
more mysterious and remote by con
trast The quartet of strings played
for the ears of those who cared to
listen and for the legs Of those who
chose to take chances on tripping their
light fantastic toes over tree roots In
the grass.
Red loved music, and he loved the
night. The poetic side Of his memo
ties Of watching the Dipper swing
around polaris while he sung the cows
to sleep came back to him. In his
mind he saw the vast prairie roll on to
infinity, saw the mountains stand out
q world of white peaks, rising from
sea of darkness. Again he heard the
plaintive shriling Of an Indian whistle
g y.,I NJ
made tuncful by the charm Of dis
lance.
Having a good time, Natter he
asked, with q smile.
1.-THE best I ever had. WILL" she an
swered, smiling back unsteadily.
Poor ladyl The size Of an occasion =
90 many standards, whether the stand.
ard be inches or feet or miles. Miss
Mattie's events had been measured in
hundredths of an inch, and it took q
good many Of them to cover SO small
al action as a successful picnic on a
beautiful night. Her eyes We're hu-
mid; her mouth smiled and dropped at
the corners alternately. Red felt her
, happiness with keen sympathy. and.
as he looked at her, suddenly she
changed in his eyes. Just what the
| difference YVES he could not have told,
nor whether 1t was In her or In him.
A sudden access Of feeling, undefin-
I able. unplaceable, but strong. pos
sessed him. There Is a critical tenn
| perature In the life of man, when
no amount Of pressure can ever make
the more expansive emotions assume
the calmer form Of friendship. There
was something IN Miss Matties eye
which had warmed Red to that de-
| gree. but he didn't know it. He only
knew that he wanted to sit rather I'M
/ necessarily close beside her, and that
he would be sorry when 1t came time
to 60 home And he was very silent
During the drive back to the house
he spoke in monOsyllables: he went
straight to the barn with Lettis after
ward, and made no attempt to take
the usual frank and hearty good night
| kiss.
you're rs glum US an oysterv' said
| Lettis, when they reached their quar-
tiers. whats the matter. old manT'
Il don't know. Let; l feel kind Of
| quiet, somehow"
'Sick? Or something 60 wrongY'
mo; nothing Of the kind. It's just
sort Of an attack Of stiffness. but l
feel durn good"
| Lettis laughed. III 1t wasn't you,
Red. I'd say you were In love-" he
said.
1t was well the barn was dark, or he
would have seen a change wonderful
to behold come over the ex-punchers
face. 1.-THE lad has hit it." he said
to himself In establishment: aloud he
grunted "hunh" scornfully, and
aroused himself for an unnecessary
joke or two.
Miss Matte had noticed the attack
Of Stiffness and Immediately tried to
fasten the blame upon herself. What
had she done? She couldn't recall
anything. She remembered she had
said something about the way his hair
looked with the moon shining ON 1t.
Perhaps he had taken offense at that
The remark was entirely compliment.
ary. but sometimes people are touchy
about such things. Still, that was not
the least like Cousin WILL She must
have said or done something, though
What could 1t be? Oh, what q pitiful
memory that could not recollect an in
jury done to ones best friend! She
tossed and wondered over it Tor q
long time before Mt length she fell
asleep.
Red also looked up at the roof and
took account Of stock. His face was
radiant in the dark. IF l could only
pull that Off" he thought. Il must
seem an awful rough cuss to her.
though. All right for a cousin. but
It's different when you come to the
other proposition. My Jimmy! I'll
take a chance in the morning and find
out, anyhow" said he. and, eased in
mind by the decision Of action, he too
shook hands with Morpheus and was
presently dreaming.
1t had never occurred to Red Saun-
ders that he was afraid of anybody.
He even chuckled when he got Lettis
out of the way with q plausible ex-
cuse the next morning. Then he
strobe briskly into the house, his ques
ton on his lips in a plump out and out
form.
Miss Matte looked ut him with her
slow smile. What is it," she asked.
Red swallowed his question whole.
IL wanted little hot water to
shave WITH" said he Then q fury
took hold Of him. What the devil
am lying like this for?" he thought.
He exhorted himself to so on and say
what he had to say like a man, but
the other Red Saunders refused to do
anything of the sort He took the cup
of hot water most abjectly and fed
from the house. He had to shave
then. and In his hurry and indignation
he turned the operation into a clinic
"Oh, Jimmy. look at thatv' he cried as
the razor opened up another part of
the subject. There's a slit an inch
long. If l keep on ut this gait