Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-01-27

Tnoro are low mOuntefn passes
more famous than that known to the
world a. Cape Morn. The approach
to II 10 picturesque, the north fork Of
the American river raging and foam
Ing In its rocky bed. 1900 feet below
and parallel with the track
do you mind. Mildred. II We look
instead OF listenT Aunt Rebecca In
terrupted. and Mrs. Melville lapsed
into an injured muteness.
Truly. Cape Horn has . poignant
grandeur that strikes speech from sns
lips. One cannot look down that sheer
height to the luminous ghost OF q
river below. without thrill. II to
pass along the cliff Is a shivering ex.
perience, what must the actual execu.
ton Of that stupendous bit OF engi.
neering have been to the workmen
who hewed the road out Of the rock,
suspended over the abyss! Their
dangling black figures seem to swsy
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 a polite ex-
cuse for departure; she had promised
a Daughter" whom she had met at
various 'biennials" that she would
have 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
fash Of passing station light. Mrs.
Winter smiled. her wise old smile.
With the next morning came an
other shift Of scene; they were 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 the 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 child. She drank in the cries OF
the enterprising young liar who cried
Fresh figs," months out OF season.
and she ate fruit, withered In cold
storage, with trustful zest. No less
than three books about the fora OF
California came out Of her bag. A
certain vine called the Bougainvillea,
she was trying to find. II only the
cars would not 60 so fast; as for pcin-
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
and whether the white
jasmine trailing among the gaudy
clusters was of the same family as
that jasmine which they knew in the
pine forests. But she disparaged the
roses; they looked shop-worn The
colonel watched her in amazement.
"Bertie, make you think of that
little dwarf Of Dickens, don't II" she
cried. Miss Muflns, Muggins? what
was her name? You are expecting
me to exclaim. Amt volatiler
Thank Heaven, am. could always
take an interest in trifies. 1t has
been my salvation to cultivate an in
terest in trifles, BERTHE; there are
great many more trifles than crises
in life. Where has Janet gone? Oh.
% give the porter the collodion for
his cut thumb. People with. troubles,
zig or little, are always maxim I;
straight for Janet. Berthe, have you
made up your mind about her?'
"Only that she is charming" re-
,lied the colonel. He did not change
,olor, but he was uneasily conscious
hat he WINGED, and that the shrewd
I'D critic of life and manners per-
:eived It, But she was mercifully
hind to all appearance; she went on
With the little frown Of the solver OF
psychological enigma. Yes, Janet
5 charming; and why? She Is the
tillest creature. Have you noticed?
Yet you never have the sense that she
lasn't answered you. She's the best
listener in the world; and there's one
hing about her unusual In most lis
eners-her eyes never grow vacant"
Rupert had noticed; he called him
elf a doddering old donkey silently,
'ecause he had assumed thaa there
vas anything personal In the interest
4 those eyes when he had spoken. OF
curse not; It was her way with every
ne, even Millicent, no doubt. His
UNITS next words we're lost, but SEN
ence caught his ear directly: For
II she's gentle, she has plenty OF
pirlt BERTHE. did ever tell you about
he time our precious cousin threw our
reat-great-grandfather's gold snuff
OK at her? No? 1t was funny. She
ew into one of her towering RACES,
nd shrieking: Take that hurled
he snuff-box at Janet. Janet wasn't
sed to having things thrown at her.
The caught the box, then she rang
he bell. Thank you very much, says
anet; and when old Aunt Phrosie
anne, she handed the snuff-box to her
n.