Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-09-26
CONTINUED From Yesterday
CHAPTER II.
The Meadow of Illusion

kIIhT In He
The Meadow of Illusion.
r LAY for a moment half stunned,
nv face buried in the moist depths
\ of the grass. It was as If the earth
had been suddenly engulfed In a van
dsring star, as if all known and ia
mtiar things had come TO an instant
END and | must gather my g soul
to face unimagined eternittes.
Cautiously L raised my head ana
looked about. A meadow stretched
blooming before me To my lett
doomed the absurd bulk of the upturned
trolley. on it's back, with wheels IN
air. looking for all the world a stupid
ms tod puppy. A very much fright
eued conductor stood near by.
"say," he asked hoarsely, lis yous
all right? Kin you look after things
till Joe an me gifts back?'
Look after things?' l repeated
duly.
"sure. the lydies, I mean. Sure you
kin. Wen beat it right off, an hope
TO gosh Joe sobers UT on the way!
SO long"
He was gone before I could gather
my wits for o question, and uncom-
pretending. / watched the two blue
coated hgures s~crambling up the steep.
Scared sides of the viaduct. Ffranti-
cally they scaled the top and made off
down the tracks without so much as
another glance in my direction.
Then of a sudden memory came upon
me-, and my heart contracted with a
greatness of fear that l had never
known.
Fol a moment / could see her no.
where, her as 1 staggered to uncer-
tain feet / found her. h lay be-
hind me, her hand pillowing my cheek
as If she slept. And as | knelt be-
side her to listen ~fearfully at her
heart I laughed with half a sob, for
the beat came surely and with grow
ing strength.
The sudden easing of my fear came
over me drowsily until it seemed as
IL all the world lay in the hollow OF
the meadow about me mi time had
been blotted out In the grass beside
her I sat down to wait.
To my bewildered sense we were two
shadowy people in an impossible
dream. A hayward tendril of dark
hair had fallen across her eyes, l
smoothed 1t softly back and my fn-
gers brushed her hair lightly and
straytngly, as my mothers had mine
in bygone days. tenderly and as II
we shared in the secret of sleep.
I do not know when her eyes opened,
but looking down I found them turned
to mine. She smiled, sighed softly, n
closed them. Then again they opened
ct think that I should like to sit up
she said.
/ helped her carefully. Are you all
right?' I asked.
She smiled uncertainty. II think so.
/ am very dizzy"
NV arm was half bou her. and for
a long her head rested against
me. Then she sat up very straight and
a little apart, busying herself about
her dress. giving a practised touch to
her hair and the laces at her neck. and
smoothing the scarcely ruffied breadths
of her skirt.
0azed out across our meadow to
where three black and white cows stood
sleepily knee-deep in a small pool. A
meadow-lark rose and crossed the field
in erratic, wavering flight. a little
cloud tempered the brightness and
passed.
what happened ?" she asked softly
at last.
| pointed to where the trolley lay
towering behind her.
She lost color a little and sprang to
her feet. Their she turned to me laugh
ing.
II never saw anything look so
ashamed of itself in my life" she said.
Speak to It kindly, Mr.. Crosby; 1t
can't lie there with ITS feet in the air
for ever"
I shook my head ruefully. 81 am