Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-04
A GIRL FROM KENTUCKY.

las other subjects not Immediately in his
province as mine clerk.
Lorena. however, If he managed td
/ catch sight of her. only nodded absently
in passing. He seemed unable to lf'
himself above the threshold of hel
! lethargic consciousness, and the sense OF
futile effort heightened the fever in his
| veins.
One night, as he argued the question
of improved picks with Gilmer, his at
tentive ear caught football on the staiI
leading to the family rooms The door
was open, and in a moment he could see
Lorena coming slowly down. clad in a
dragging white garment, and holding In
weight of the thing made her step eau
| tiously. Luis could see her frail wrists
! trembling with the strain, and he sprane
forward to aid her.
"Senorita! but this ISIS too heavy fol
YOU
She regarded him over the velvety
leaves, and for once her blue eyes seemed
at least aware of him.
"Oh. thank you." she said. In a tone,
les less voice. II was going to set 1t out in
| II will set it out" said Luis. The con-
versation had no effect of being dramatic
and convincing, certainly. but Luis heart
! beat fast: he felt as If relation were
fair, inexplicabie creature. But If
put it here on the porch the goats will
eat it, you know, senorita They eat all
but railroad iron! l will put it safely in
our yard. There ISIS there a fence.
! am your neighbor. The Luceros of next
door,"
ooh. if it isn't too much trouble?"
Trouble! cried Luis, paSsionately.
After all, passion needs no established
! medium of expression. Any word will do
be joy. senorita; we will make this lit
tie tree blossom out all in glory of
| red"
| Lucero.'
white? Better so! Mel love not
red. 1t ISIS The common color. 1t ISIS bold.
l love white the much more For the
white flowers will be like you. senorita,
without mark or stain, as the snow of
| heaven iss."
X X
Gilmers daughter surveyed him with
widening and somewhat bewildered gaze.
Mexicans eyes. He returned her look
| with kind of tranced intensity. And
as the girl regarded his dark face, skilled
In this eloquent ecstasy, a sudden culver
touched her lips. To her cheeks rose
| sweet'y A living color. and in her Z an
abaS d Consciousness shone, W. ie IS il
~ - Zeal IL, the cyeiiuS StoWly iel.. one
appe lred to catch her breath little
sharply; and then she turned and went
with dignified sowness up the bare stairs.
Lucero. holding the flower pot like a
trophy. emerged into the wet gloom Of
the night. pu.sing in dizzy rapture.
Hola! how it was strange! he had thought
of her only with pity, and in moment it
was all changed, and the pity was gone.
This in its place was surely love, though
1t had come SO strangely. Strangely?
Holy saints OF God, who can tell how
love comes? 1t was here in his heart.
That was certain. How sweetly she had
looked at him! How softly blue her eyes
in her cheeks! He did not know exactly
why he should be so glad; why hope
should quicken his bosom SO. There had
been little to engender certainty. But the
spirit of man is primarily aware of the
significance of tokens too slight for his
mind to rest on; and Luis innermost core
of being had read destiny in Lorena Gill
mer's face.
Nevertheless he would have found less
security of comfort in the rainy winds
outside. her dwelling If he could have
foreseen the tragic gloom in store for
him. Succeeding days, as 1t fell out, af-
fOrded him almost no chance of seeing
Lorena. and when he did make out to
intercept her he was aghast at the girl s
demeanor. Blush? Santo Cielo! Had she
ever blushed? Her cheek now turned
upon him the unresponsiyeness of ivory:
And her eyes; truly her eyes were more
remote than on the day when she stepped
first on the soil of Aguilar. She was ice.
She was marble. When he brought back
the geranium and she took IL with q
changeless visage. barely speaking. Lu-