Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-04-09

very sweetness OF the thought of her
doing II made him gasp there in the
darknens. How sitting the cir was!
He hfted his hat II was hard to
breathe. II was like the still oppres,
sivcness preceding an electrical storm,
His mare, ungulded, had naturally
chosen the ain.traveled trail and
kept 1t. She followed the mood Of her
master and walked leisurely along
while the man wrestled with himself.
II he really possessed the hardihood
70 ask Louise to do this for him she
would laugh at him. Stsyl That was
q lie--a black lie. She would not
laugh--not Louise. She was not Of
that sort. Rather would she grieve
over the inevitable sadness of It, II
she laughed, he could bear it better
he had good, stubborn, self-respectlng
blood In him-but she would not laugh
And all the rest of his long life must
be spent in wishing wishing-if 1t
could have been! But he would never
ask her to do 1t. Not even ii the i'm
possible came to pass. It was hard
country on women, a hard treeless,
sun-seared, unkindly country Men
could stand flight for it's future;
but not women like Louise. 1t made
mon as well as unmade them. And
after all 1t did not prove to be the
undoing Of men so much as It devel-
I oped IN them the perhaps hitherto hid
den fact that they were already want
ing. These latent. constitutional
weaknesses thus laid bare, the bad
must for a while prevail-bad Ia so
much noiser than good. But this big,
new country with it's infinite possibli-
| ties--give II time--t would form men
out OF raw material and make over
men mistakenly made when that was
possible or else show the dividing line
80 clearly that the goats might not
herd with the sheep. Some day, it
would be fit for women--like Louise.
Not now. Much labor and sorrow
must be lived through: there must be
much sacrifice and much refining and
many mUat fall and lose in the race
before It's big destiny be worked out
and it be At for women--likc Louise.
Down in the southern part Of the
state, and belonging to it, a certain
bisAbarred building sheltered many
women, whom the sun Of the treeless
prairies and the gazing into the lone
some distances surrounding their
! homesteads seeped into their brains
and stayed there so that they knew
not what they did There were trees
there and fountains and restful bite
fiowers-but these came too late for
most of the women.
If it had been Langford, now, who
was guilty Of go ridiculous senti-
mentaliSm--the bold impetuous,
young ranchman--he smiled at him
self whlmsically. Then he pulled him
self together. He did not think the
Jury could believe the story Jesse
Black would trump up, no matter how
plausible It was made to sound. He
felt more like himself---in better con-
dition to meet those few but stanch
friends OF his from whom he had so
summary run away--stronger to
meet-Louise. Man-like, now that he
was himself again. he must know the
why. Lena, old girl. we've been
taking our time, haven't we? They
are likely through supper but maybe
/ can wheedle a doughnut out of the
cook"
The match burned out. Not until
he had tossed It away did it come to
him that they were no longer on the
main trial.
Now, that's funny. old girl" he
scolded. What made you be so I'M.
reasonable? Well, we started with
our noses westward so you must
have wandered into the old Lazy s
branch trail Though. to be sure, it
has been such deuce Of a while since
we travelled it that l wonder at you,
What's the matter now, silly"
His mare had SHE'D. He turned her
nose resolutely, domineeringly back
toward the spot objected to.
Il can't see what you're scared at.
but we'll just Investigate and show
you how foolish a thing is feminine
sQueam shness"
A shadowy form arose out OF the
darkness. II approached.
rs that you, Dick?"
Gordon was not a superstitious man,
yet he felt suddenly cold to the crown
Of his head. 1t was not so dark as 1t
might have been. There would have
been moon had it not been cloudy.
Dimly, he realized that the man had
arisen from the ruins of what must
have been the old Williston home
stead. The outlines Of the stone stoop
were vaguely visible in the half!lght.
The solitary figure had been crouched
there. brooding.
I'm flesh and Hood. Dick, never
fear" said the man il mounful
voice. I'm hungry enough to vouch
for that. You needn't be afraid. I'm
anything but a spirit"
"Williston!" The astonishod word
burst from Gordon's lips, "Wlliston!
Is it really you?'
None other my dear Gordon! Sor-
ry l startled you. | saw your light
and heard your voice speaking to your
horse, and as YOU We're the very man
| was on the point of seeking, | just
naturally came forward, forgetting
that my friends would very likely
look upon me In the light of ghost"
"Willistop My dear fellow" re-