Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-13

ton Of that stupendous bit Of engl
peering have been to the workmen
who hewed the road out OF the rock,
suspended over the abyss! Their
dangling black figures seem to sway
still as one swings around the curve.
Our travellers sat in silence. until
the Cape" was passed and again they
could see their roadbed on the side.
Then Mrs Melville made polite ex-
cuse for departure; she had promised
"Daughter" whom she had met at
various 'biennials" that she would
have a little talk with her. Thus she
escaped. They did not miss her.
Hardly speaking, the four sat in the
dimly lighted, tiny room. while noun
tains and fields and star-sown skies
drifted by. Unconsciously. Archie
drew closer to his uncle, and the older
man threw an arm about the young
shoulders. He looked up to meet
Janet's eyes shining and sweet in the
flash of passing station light. Mrs.
Winter smiled, her wise old smile.
With the next morning came an
other shift of scene; they we're In the
fertile valleys Of California. At every
turn the landscape became more soft
ly tinted, more gracious. Aunt Re-
becca was in the best Of humor and
announced herself as having the jour
ney Of her life The golden green OF
the grain fields. the towering palms.
the pepper trees with their fascinating
grace, the round tops Of tho live-oaks.
the gloss Of the orange groves, the
Gala lily hedges and the heliotrope
and geranium trees which climbed
to the second story Of the stucco
houses, filled her with the enthusiasm
of a child. She drank In tho cries OF
the enterprising young liar who cried
Fresh figs" months out OF season,
and she ate fruit, withered In cold
storage, with a trustful zest No less
than three hooks about the dora OF
California came out of her bag. A
certain vine called the Bougainvtllea,
she was trying to ind. II only the
cars would not 90 30 fast; as for poiu'
settias, she certainly should raise her
own for Christmas She was learned
In gardens and she discoursed With
Miss Smith on the different kinds OF
trumpetvine, and whether the white
jasmine trailing among tho gaudy
clusters was Of the same family ~
that jasmine which they knew In the
pine forests But she disparagsd the
roses: they looked shop-worn. The
colonel watched her in amazement-
BERTHE, l make you think Of that
little dwarf Of Dickens, don't II" she
cried. Miss Mufins. Muggins? what
was her name? You are expecting
me to exclaim. AIM volatile ?
/ Thank Heaven, I am. could always
take an interest In tribes. It has
been my salvation to cultivate an in
terest in trifes, BERTHE: there are a
great many more tribes than crises
in life. Where has Janet gone? oh.
to give the porter the collodion for
his cut thumb. People with troubles,
big or little. are always making
straight for Janet. Berthe, have YOU
made. up your mind about herr
"Only that she 10 charming" 70
piled the colonel. He did not change
! color, but he was uneasily conscious
that he WINGED, and that the shrswd
old critic OF life and manners Per
ceived 1t. But she was merctfully
blind to all appearances; she went on
with the little frown Of the solver Of
a psychological enigma. Yes. Janet
is charming; and why? She IL the
stillest creature. Have you noticed
Yet you never have the sense that she
hasn't answered you. She's the best
listener in the world; and there's one
thing about her unusual in most Lis
teners-her eyes never grow vacant
i Rupert had noticed; he called him
self a doddering old donkey silently
because he had assumed that there
was anything personal in the interest
of those eyes when he had spoken. o.
course not; 1t was her way with every
one. even Millicent, no doubt. Hit
aunt's next words were lost, but . sen
tence caught his ear directly: "Fol
all she's gentle, she mas pienV
spirit. BERTHE, did ever tell you abou
Z the time our precious cousin threw oul
great-great-grandfather's gold snuff
box 1T her? No? 1t vas funny. sht
dew into one of her towering RACES
and shrieking: Take that hurled
the snuff-box 1t Janet. Janet WASH
used to having things thrown at her
She caught the box, then she RANT
the bell. Thank you very much, say
Janet; and when old Aunt Phrosi'
came, she handed the snun- box to he
as a present. But she sent 1t tina
same day to one Of the sisters. There
was never anything else thrown q
her, can tell you"
/ They found q wonderful sunset 81
the bay when San Francisco VA
reached. Still in her golden humor
as they ratified over the cobblestone'
Of the picturesque streets to the Pal
ace hotel, Mrs. Winter told anecdotes
of Robert Louis Stevenson. obtained
from q friend who had known hi