Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-08-20
THE MIRAGE OF THE PLAINS

gers dusty, the hallboy brought card.
There was some self -distrust in her
frown; but she told the boy to bring up
the caller, and went on packing.
Henri Duruy sat down unlimited "Are
you moying?" he asked.
Yes she answered. with a sort of
uncertain challenge in her voice; ives,
I'm moving"
Il thought you liked these rooms. .
He had an insistent way of making an
Indifferent remark. At the moment his
eye swept the view from the window.
She followed his glance with hers. but
made no explation.
If you will glance over the contract
and sign it," he said looking at her.
The places and dates are here. You
are to open in the north this season"
| The pallor that came to her cheek was
noticeable, and she put her hands on the
arms of her chair for a moment. then
| leaned forward. look of exultation
shining in her black eyes. Henri she
said, Il am not going to sign any con
tract this year,
! He was used to hesitation. swell.
why not ~
Il am not going to sing any more in
in public" she said, slowly.
| He started back aghast for moment.
| Then a humorous look stole into the
keen black eyes.
"Who is he?" he asked.
| She parried, because he was cold and
not frantic at is all so artificial. this
life-striving for new phases of appre-
citation, for fresh honors. | want the
real life"
"Ah!" there was contempt, a volume
of it, in her tone; realities attract
your"
Yes" she said sharply, because of
| his sarcasm; II leave tomorrow for a
real world, a place where love is, and
home and freedom
"For YOU" he answered. that can be
only mirage. Your realities lie in your
voice in your power, in your surround
ings. Keep the other for vision, my
lady"
She did not seem to hear him. and
spoke quickly. You see, / must sur
render all that is mine to 90 into the
other world. He must live on the plains,
going where his work takes him | cap
not even take these books and pictures
But / am glad to go-I cannot wait to
start! Today | am putting these things
OF the old world into their coffins.o She
/ pointed to the open boxes and laughed.
| His face narrowed in its intensity
You are vida mystic with dfeam ~
Il am a primeval woman she said
II will not stay here longer! / love
hint"
Your logic is perfect, but know that
you will come back to your world. These
things are part of you," he looked
about the room "the noises in the
street, the applause at night, the smell
of wet pavements-" He rose and Of
fered her his hand. Il do not envy him
If you love him, let him come into your
world: enjoy your primeval visions
| where you can awake from them" His
| eyes lost their look of amusement, and
he measured his prophecy against her
faith you will not stay away many
months. And | am always your friend
though l may have to fill your engage
ment for this year with someone else"
When he had gone she went back to
the books and packed them as though
they Were hot things that scorched her
I fingers
BY sea, and racing across the eastern
states, watching the prairies roll away
from the window, she recalled the
prophecy, She drew a long breath of re-
lief that she was free from the world of
the prophet and out in the world of
real things. She exulted in her freedom.
Had she not surrendered all her things,
all her friends and associates. her sue
! cesses, with joyous content in her
strength? Was she not stronger than
most women, and was she not approach
inu Iowa with tr,,,nnb 6 gp,,lq
She was vibrant as she sat there and
remembered how the struggle had first
begun; on board ship, when he had
| touched her hand as it lay on the rail-
when they had looked into the darkness
of the night over the darkness of the
sea. She had swayed toward him and
kissed him. and then caught snatches
of his ineoherent love words. She was
singer that had won, a woman whose
name was before the people of two con-
tinents. He knew that, and had asked
nothing of her beyond the moment 1t
would not be right to ask her love, he
had said
And the letters he had written from
his field of duty asked nothing of her,
though they were full OF his loneliness.
He wrote of the plains, of the silence
pttl iHtIe. ot ms Willingness TO i've alone
if she would only let him hear from her
now and then, In words he had never
asked her to come to him; but she was
sure of his desire.
Mountains and valleys and prairies.
she had seen before; the plains she aa4
never seen. She waited for them inn
patiently. and in the morning. when
she saw them luminous in the dawn.
full of mystery. stretching away as lar
as a sea stretches, she lay guiet ii her
berth and watched the colors spread
toward her from the horizon An llv
she watched the colors-they made a
song for her; they were fun of motion.
She saw herself riding horseback
through the heliotrope haze toward the
distant, dim lined mountains. She saw
purple smoke rising from her own tent
that lay shining in the midst of the
color.
At sunset her breath came faster. she
sang to herself in the rhythm of the
wheels that rushed on to the destination.