Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1909-04-17
CHAPTER /.

OHAPIUR L.
There are conflicts in most lIves-real
hand-to-hand combats, that have to be
fought, not with any 6eshly weapons, but
with the inner forces of the being-bat-
ties wherein the victory is not always to
the strong, where the young and tho
weak and the little ones may be found
abiding nearest to the standards.
Such a conflict had come to Alison
Merle. breaking up the surface of her
smooth outer life, and revealing possible
yhoals and quicksands, in which many of
aer brightest hopes might be wrecked.
at is hard. / do not know that even
If Aunt Di think it right l shall ever
have the heart to do it." murmured Ali
son, talking to herself in her agitation,
after the manner of older folk. II have
just rooted myself in this dear place, and
the soil suits me. / could not flourish
anywhere else; and" finished Alison,
with quaint little smile, "sickly plants
are worth nothing"
To any ordinary spectator the interior
of that little room would have presented
picture Of perfect serenity and abso-
Lutte comfort. Even the young creature
comfortably seated in chair by the win
dow, with an open letter and cluster
OF deep red roses lying among the folds
of her white gown. presented no disturb
Ing image, though the cheek had lost its
wonted fresh color, and the dark, dreamy
eyes had look Of doubt that was al
most pain in them.
Two years ago-she had been sixteen
then, and, oh. how disconnected and III
and unhappy she had been. 1t was not
only the loss of her mother, II was her
own incapacity for responsibility, her
morbid dislike to her surroundings. that
had fretted all her fine color away.
Change OF air would do her good, and
then Aunt Diana had come down upon
them with the freshness Of a moorland
breeze.
You must give your eldest girl 10 me,
Ainslie," she had said to Alison's father /:
-she wants care and cherishng more than
Miss Leigh has time 10 give her" And,
Of course, Aunt Diana had her way.
Instead Of the whir OF machinery-f0r
her fathers sawmills were just behind
their house Alison had now only 10
listen TO the soft flow of the river that
Ellded below the green lawns and shrub
berries Of Moss side Instead of waking
up Ia the morning 10 look across the dusty
shrubs and trees 10 the vast wood piles
and masses OF unsawn timber that seem
cd endlessly between her and the blue
sly, Ailaon's eyes had now the finest
prospect one shaded garden seemed 10
ran into another and when The willows
were thlnned or bare ln winter time. what
> view " che river and green meadosa on
che opposite side
Inc moral surroundings Nere almost Az
nuch changed. Instead OF Miss I.elghs
a. melhod VI instruction, Aunt Diana
bad placed within Aer feaol laany 4
pleasani ahori cui ~ knowledge had aug
gepied eil HQris VI enYiahle accomplish.
lnepis money Vas nol alinied where Ali.
son'f ialeplf could bf turned n account
~ ulle pleasant ppi braelng 0imo6.
ppe'e alison pad ibrYop Rno gronn $40
Nnf eilil p iall, nllm Tlr fQmeslai youih.
fpl ~ loolf bui elib plenty NJ warm liie
$40 enemy about ler a0d though iho
lhlf e}~ hae iilll ihelf old licl M
fieam'nf iNey seemed N dIfau mole
happily Anf ut alNfQH ad nol M AZ
effp ~ tNem pQi ~ l0asl unn M
fune nilnnpQn. nlfn ALISON fal s|slIuf
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