Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-09-19
CHAPTER III.
A Loss and a Find.

AT this moment" replied MI sam
uel Hill, my soul is the exact hue
of tea with lemon in it, shading off
to the color of a jam sandwich"
With a petulant little gesture, Iris
turned from the window out of which
she had been gazing at the slowly
darkening city
you always spoil my best fdeas!"
she said. "Why can't you reply sym
pathetically? But you shall have tea,
of course"
As she crossed over to seat herself
beside him, he noted the shade that
clouded her eyes She settled her
self in her corner of the sofa and he
leaned over. taking both her hands
In his.
"You mustn't be cross" he said, ten
Derby
II think you owe it to me to be
little more-more romantic! No!
That is a poor word to express my
meaning A little more poetic! Why,
you don't even look like an artist any
morei"
Don't I?' said he, slowly rising and
regarding himself in a mirror opposite
Iris" said he after a moment of ST
lent inspection, must fellow really
nave long HdIT III OTQSE D0 d SOOQ
painter. do you think?"
Don't be absurd!" she answered;
st isn't that. of course! But it is
something deeper. something more i'm
portant, far. Why, If 1 did not see
the lovely things you do with your
brush. 1 could not believe you were
an artist. You never give out your
temperament in any other way. and 1
am hungry for it."
For what?" he asked. "A lot of
silly talk about the color of your soul?
Lord. grille, can't you learn to live
those things instead of talking about
them? Can't you see that they lose
In value If expressed in any but the
highest way? One has to keep ones
mouth shut in order that all the
strength be left for ones hand"
And apply none of it to daily life ?"
she cried.
Live it; don't apply it," he an
swered dryly
One grows by expressioni" she de-
elared; "by expression of every sort.
My fathers friends, lots of the people
who come here, are living splendidly
saside themselves, and they give it
out. and consequently they are inter
esting. When / became engaged to
you l thought l was going to find the
same sort of intercourse only intensi-
fed. But you are not what I thought
you were, and my soul is unsatisfied."
Look here, dearest" said he lightly,
don't go for me the first day you
get home. It's a long while-two en-
tire weeks-since we have been to-
sether. and here we go, off the handle,
first thing. Let's cut it out, and be
sweet to each other instead Tell me
about the last couple of weeks You're
not a very satisfactory correspondent,
you know What did you do at the
FARM"
81 walked, and rode horseback, as
usual" she replied. There was time
for once for me to learn to know my
self: to commune with my inner con-
9ciousness. 1 read Swinburne Do
you know, think his aura must have
been blue. like mine?"
Sam Hill helped himself to a fifth
jam sandwich before replying
THAT must have been great; espe-
-cialiy the riding" he exclaimed And
that reminds me, Iris, there is a WON
-derful horse at the Winter garden.
9'h take seats for tomorrow, if you
say So You1llike 1t. I'm sure. There
are some bully acrobats, too
With the air of a tragedy queen
Miss Vanderpool arose and swept to
abe center of the room, her gray gown
-coiiing about her feet like clouds of
smoke. Very young she looked, and
tQuite like a child dressed up and act
hng play. But, to her own mind, she
Was a woman hurt in her sensitive
soul. Withal, she had a certain dig
nifty despite her youth, consequent
perhaps. on the position which had
been hers since the death of the
mother she could scarcely remember.
why, what on earth is the matter?''
cried Hill, admiring her immensely,
unspeakably.
Natter" she cried tragically; you
ask me that? / tell you that my soul
is nungry-starved. and you retort
with an Invitation to a music-hall,
1t Is unthinkablel How can you? You
have no sympathy, no understanding
j hate you. -Therei"
She turned from him abruptly
"1risi" he cried. springing to her
side and putting his arm about her
.You must not say such things, you
silly child When leave my work
want to p,ay-just to play Ikea child
and trained horse amuses ne;
frankly and truly. I do like it You
hardly ever laugh for sheer merri
Tnent It's most neurotic. I'm. darnec
liz 1t isn't."
..Fm not q silly child" cried Iri.
hotly, disengaging herself from hi.
embrace I'm not neurotic! Nj,