The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1911-08-05

49, - III A0IH1G4 -IAl-I u MEILEAa
no more matrimonial ventures for
me" he'd say to himself, with a laugh.
although be had reason 10 believe that
he could lay successful siege % several
feminine hearts; that be was SIN quite
capable Of victory.
he had been spending August alone
up In the mountains. and be had en-
yoyed q month Of fishing. tramping and
dreaming to his hearts content. On
his way home he'd stop for q week or
two at q certain little hotel reported 70
have good cuisine and rest q strained
wrist before going back to business
CHANGING casually over the hotel reg
lister, he saw the name Of Mrs. John
Burgess. There arose In the mans
breast q curious sensation, but he pull
ed himself together.
How absurdg' he upbraided himself
as he walked away from the desk. "As
II there were not hundreds OF John
Burgesses Why, might even have
coaxed myself into believing that re-
membered her handwriting"
An hour or so later, however, he
met her on. the lawn. Their eyes IN
expectedly encountered one another.
''Can it beY" cried he, with boyish
incredibly. She extended her hand
Il think IT can" she answered. with
that little half smile on the corner Of
her pure lip which he remembered 90
wen. st..-4
Mrs. Burgess had escaped the half
kittenish challenge Of the middle aged
woman who viii 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. so many years ago.
That night time and again Mr.. Walsh
drove away the memory OF the wOm-
ans fieeting half smile. vet It returned
TO haunt him with all It's old sweet
aIIurement. Finally he fell asleep and
dreamed Of her.
The next morning at breakfast be
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 50 many
ngureheads. What II he had not real
" seen her yesterday? What II Il had
an just been In the dream last nighti
But at last she came, and the beauty
Of no radiant goddess could have
pierced 50 straight into his breast Is
did this woman's tired LONELINESS. In
her simple white morning gown she
seemed to him the soul Of sensitive del
icacy and serenity.
He recalled how, being essentially
feminine. she always pitied suffering,
90 now he made his strained wrist
pretext for being near her. She her
self ministered to him, binding II firm
" and gently. Her breath. sweet as
an Infants. touched his brow. They
Iunched en- tete-a-tete and that after
noon took a drive together In a hired
trap.
Mr.. walsh's intended week was pro-
Ionged to fortnight. During that time
bis 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-
Ious in the situation. Of the gossip and
espionage OF the guests. Once or twice
she had heard a few scomngs. with a
note Of mirth. at the devotion Of Mr..
Walsh. and IT had made her super
sensitive.
But all Of these trivial objections
vanished like mist before the sun on
the day when be laid his heart bare
before her. when be showed her that
beneath his apparent prosperity he
was hungry-he bad always been hun
Ey-for companionship and sympathy.
"And you could make me 50 happy,
oh, so happy. dear. II you would marry
me-" he vas aging as they walked
slowly along the road the day before
hts departure Her arm hay lightly
L
upon his, ne, eyes were shining. and
there was warm giriish tint In her
pale cheeks. "a
won't YOU l need you so!" he
pleaded. Just then they were passing
q huge willow tree
Now, yelled and Swallowed from the
world by the willows dropping green,
sitting on the lush grass were two
young people to whom love had Just
sung It's 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 Mrs.. Burgess
was sweet looking. Billy" said Miss
Tyson. absently pressing a cool, bend
ing branch Of willow across Der hot
cheek, sbut Just then she locked posi-
lively beautiful"
YES, sweetheart" acquiesced the
wise Billy. why shouldn't shel She's
having her St Martins sumner, you