The Ordway new era., 1909-02-19


him and find out what he was doins
In the Cardinal Woods. II he couid
give no satisfactory account OF MIN
self would march him in to Barris
as gold-making suspect wouia
march him in, anyway, | thought, and
rid the forest of his ugly face. won
dered what It was that David had
heard In the lake. II must have been
n big fish. salmon, | thought; prop
ably David's and Howlett's nerves
were overwrought after theli Celestial
chase.
A whine from the dog broke the
thread of my meditation and ! raised
my head. Then ! stopped short in my
tracks.
The lost glade lay straight be-
fore me-
Already the dog had bounded into
II. across the velvet turf TO the carved
stone where a slim figure sat. saw
my dog lay his silky head lovingly
against her silken kirtle: | saw her
face bend above him, and caught my
breath and slowly entered the sun-lh
glade,
Half tImidly she held out one white
hand
Now that you have come" she
said. Il can show some more of my
work | told you that | could do other
things besides those dragon-ilies and
moths carved here in stone. Why do
you stare at me so? Are you ill?'
"Ysonde." | stammered.
Yes" she said. with faint color
under her eyes.
II never expected to see you
again | hlurted out, "-you-l-l-
thought had dreamed"
Dreamed of me? Perhaps you did.
Is that strange"
Strange? N-no-butTwhere did
YOU go whcn-when We were leaning
over the fountain together? saw your
face-your face reflected beside mine
and then-then suddenly | saw the
blue sky and only a star twinkling."
1T was because you fell asleep" she
said. was IL not?"
"I-asleep?"
You slept thought you were yer,
tired and | went back"
Back where"
Back to my home where | carve my
beautiful images: see. here is one
brought to show you to-day"
took the sculptured creature that
she held toward me. massive lizarc
with frail claw-spread wings of gold
so thin that the sunlight burned
through and fell on the ground In
flaming giided patches.
Good heavens," | exclaimed. this
Is astounding. Where did you learn te
do such work? Ysonde, such n thing
is beyond price,"
oh. hope So" she said. earnestly,
Il cant bear to sell my work. but my
stepfather takes 1t and sends 1t away.
This Is the second thing have done,
and yesterday he said must give II
to him. suppose he is poor"
Il don't see how he can be poor II
he gives you gold to model in" said.
astonished.
Gold" she exclaimed. gold! He
has a room full of gold! He makes It,"
sat down on the turf at her feet
completely unnerved.
Why do you look at me so?" she
asked, little troubled.
Where does your stepfather live?'
said at last.
Here"
Here"
In the woods near the lake. You
could never find our house"
"A house!"
"Of course. Did you think lived in
a tree? How silly. | live with my
stepfather In beautiful house-a
small house. but very beautiful. He
makes his gold there. but the men
who carry II away never come to the
house, for they don't know where 1t
is. and II they did they could not get
in. My stepfather carries the gold in
Jumps to 8 canvas satchel. When
the satchel ie full he takes 1t out into
the woods where the men live. and !
don't know what they do with it. |
wish he could sell the gold and be-
come rich, for then I could go back
to Yian where all the gardens are
sweet and the river flows under the
thousand BRIDGES"