The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1911-04-15

7
mo more matrimonial ventures for
ma he'd say to himself. with q laugh,
although be had reason % believe that
hs could lay successful Eieee 10 several
feminine hearts; that be Was SIN quite
capable Of victory.
he had been spending August alone
up IN the mountains. and he had en-
joyed q month Of 6shing. tramping and
dreaming to his hearts content On
his way home he'd stop for a week or
two at q certain little hotel reported to
have coed cuisine ana rest q strained
wrist before going back to business.
Glancing casually over the hotel reg
ister. be saw the name OF Mrs. John
Burgess There arose IN the mans
breast q curious sensation, but be pull
! ed himself together.
How absurd!' be upbraided himself
as be walked away from the desk. As
II there were not hundreds Of John
Burgesses Why, l might even have
coaxed myself into believing that re-
membered her handwriting"
An hour or 90 later, however, he
met her on the lawn. Their eyes I'M
expectedly encountered one another.
Can It beY' cried he. with boyish
incredulity. She extended her hand
II think II can" she answered, with
that little half smile on the corner Of
her pure lip which he remembered 30
well, ...f f
Mrs.. Burgess had escaped the half
kittenish challenge OF the middle aged
woman who win not abjure conquest
She did not move to the shade OF the
tree nor even open her parasol. She
stayed precisely where she was. with
a streak Of harshly revealing sunlight
playing havoc with such loveliness as
time had left to her. After awhile
the warmth Of the sun or some other
warmth she knew not OF brought into
her pale cheeks that glow which
James Walsh's first roses had brought,
oh. 30 many years ago.
That night time and again Mr.. Walsh
drove away the memory Of the wom-
ans neeting half smile, yet II returned
70 haunt him with all its old sweet
aIlurement Finally he fell asleep and
dreamed Of her.
The next morning at breakfast he
found himself unaccountably agitated
She was not In the room when he ar
rived. and all the other boarders, even
the pretty young girl with the quiet
gray eyes. seemed to him like 80 many
agureheads What II he had not real
y seen her yesterday? What II It had
all Just been In the dream last night?
But at last she came, and the beauty
Of no radiant goddess could have
pierced 80 straight into his breast as
did this woman's tired loneliness. In
her simple white morning gown she
icacy and serenity.
He recalled how, being essentially
feminine, she always pitied suffering,
% now be made his strained wrist q
pretext for being near her. She her
self ministered to him. binding II firm
IL and gently. Her breath. sweet as
an infants. touched his brow. They
lunched en- tete-a-tete and that after
noon took q drive together IN a hired
trap.
Mr.. walsh's intended week was pro-
longed to q fortnight During that time
his eyes followed Mrs. Burgess, and.
indeed, his feet did also. very much
more frequently than she herself ap-
proved. She thought Of her position.
her children. Of what might be ridicu-
lous In the situation, Of the gossip and
espionage Of the guests Once or twice
she had heard a few scofnngs. with a
note Of mirth. at the devotion Of Ar.
Walsh. and IL had made her super
sensitive.
But all of these trivial objections
vanished like mist before the sun on
the day when be laid bis heart bare
before her, when he showed her that
beneath his apparent prosperity be
was hungry-he had always been hun
Qy-for companionship and sympathy.
"And you could make me 50 happy.
oh, 30 happy. dear II you would marry
me-" be vas laying as they walked
slowly along tie road the day before
his departure Her arm lay lightly
upon his. he eyes were shining. and
there was . warm girlish tint in her
pale cheeks.
Wont you need you sol" he
pleaded. Just then they were passing
q huge willow tree.
Now. yelled and Swallowed from the
world by the willows dropping green.
sitting en- the lush grass were two
young people to whom love had Just
sung its first sweet song. Naturally
they'd started a bit when they heard
approaching footsteps. but they might
have spared the start Neither Of them
was observed.
Il always did think Ars- Burgess
was sweet looking. Billy" said Mis-
Tyson. absently pressing q cool. bend
ing branch Of willow across her hot
ehesk hut Just then she looked posi-
lively beautiful"
"Yes, sweetheart" aequieSeed the
wise Billy. why shouldn't shel She's
having her st. Martins summer, you