Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-08-09

All Joined in save Miss Ellen and me.
for we strolled back somewhat slower
than the others.
what did you wish" I asked. but
she only shook her head and said she
could not tell.
IT wished that YOU I got no fur
Their, for she gave startled cry that
checked me before could finish the
sentence.
'Don't-oh, don'tw she said. "You
have already said too much. ought
to have told you not to tell your wish.
for If you do the fates become perverse
and mock you. If you even hint OF
what you have asked in secret some
thing will happen to mar its complete
fulfllment. am sorry you spoke
about it at ALL" and l thought her face
grew little paler.
I dared not speak again. and we
walked on>in silence and Joined the
others In the old oaken dining room.
Mr.. Lamb asked the blessing, and the
girls sat down. while the men waited
on them and brought them supper.
After a merry hour we danced again,
and the incident Of the wishing stone
was soon forgotten in the frolic OF the
old Virginia reel. Miss Ellen led this
old fashioned dance with me. and
many a pretty ankle was displayed
that night as toes were pointed and
courtesies made, and many a little
love scene, too. went on that night.
but was too busy with my own af-
fairs to watch what others did.
When the candles had burnt down
to their sockets and Mr.. Lamb said
the band had struck, then began tho
good nights, which lasted for another
half an hour. The wagons were
brought round and the horses saddled,
and soon the whole gay company start
ed like cavalcade. Long after they
had left we could hear them singing
through the pines.
Bud saddled his horse and rode out
into the night to think of some young
girl, 1 thought, but Miss Ellen said no;
that sometimes when he became rest
less he would ride for hours and re-
turn always with brighter heart
and more cheerfully take up the bur
den Of his life again. When babe
Miss Ellen good night on the landing
held the tips Of her fingers for q mo-
ment.
"You are my queen tonightw l cried
earnestly.
She let me raise her fingers to my
lips and looked down at me in sad.
sweet way. Then, laughing softly and
somehow. l felt, little bitterly. she
said:
''Your-queen of tonight will be your
cook again tomorrow"
Before could reach her side, for my
impulse was to throw myself at her
feet and pour out my love to her, she
glided swiftly up the stairs.
Within the next week l received q
copy Of the paper with my letter in 1t.
prominently placed on the first page,
and a note In the same mail from the
editor congratulating me Oh the excel
lence Of 1t. He told me to send one or
two more from Georgia and then to
push on and write up the bayou coun-
ties In Louisiana. He liked the din
logues and suggested that give more
interviews with the farmers. l read
my letter In print. and 1t again struck
me that I had not made it clear to my
conservative readers that 1t was to the
sons Of the antebellum. slaveh0lding
families that the south had to look for
Its regeneration and renewed prosper
ity; that it was this element which
was rebuilding the fortunes in that
section and not the few men from the
north who had gone there to invest
money. If dared to draw a picture
Of the Buds and the Ellens Of the
south how the people of the old COM
monwealth would read the future Of
this sunny land and appreciate the
struggle Of its younger generation to
overcome the obstacles which they had
inherited in consequence Of war!
A fine sense of honor had kept me
from making use Of the life at the
Pines as a basis for a letter, but
longed to handle the subject as saw
it and to make others see It through
my eyes and appreciate its beauty.
Shut in my room away from the influ-
ence Of Miss Ellen, of Bud and even
Of the colonel, argued that such a
letter could do no harm and might In
duce to much good. l do not hide from
myself even now that there was with
me certain satisfaction In pleasing
those in the home Office, nor did con-
ceal from myself then the additional
prestige such letter might give me
with my critics. The editor had COM
plimented me on the first letter. What
would he not do when he received one
written with pen guided by love and
every word Of 1t poured from the
heart? II Miss Ellen loved me. I ar
gued. she would only rejoice with me
over my success. And then. too. she
might not see II. This last thought
brought a blush to my cheek, and I
started up. determined to show her
my letter and tell her what I contem-
plated doing.
What evil genius led me to change
my mind do not know. It might
have been the fates Of the wishing
stone whom had angered by partial.
ly revealing the secret had conflded
to them. But ut the time was pleased
to think 1t was a confidence had no
right to give her until I had told her