New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-11-08
Among the
IilaCS
BY Virginia Leila Vents
copyright, 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)


Copyright, 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)
It was n warm spring evening. so
warm that they had ventured to sit
out on the little wooden veranda.
There was n suggestion of approach
ing summer in the breeze and the air
was redolent with lilacs. BY glanc-
Ing toward the right it was not diff
cult to see where the fragrance came
from. On the other side of the hedge,
in the deepening twilight. was a pur-
plc forest of plumes. and beyond that,
white in the gray twilight, rose the Ole
| Howard ~house-the Oldest in the tiny
| village, as well as the largest. Sell
| den Howard was the only living repre-
sentative Of the fnmily.
Presently the group on Mrs. Jones
veranda began to speak of Selden,
leading up to the subject from the fra
GRANGE of the bushes.
"Them lilocks is sicklishly sweet"
observed Mrs. Jones herself.
"Rcally nauseating, acquiesced the
| boardcr. who had been spending the
winter here in this little cottage
among the berkshire hills. by the
way, I saw n strange man at the posi-
Office this morning. and | overheard
some one say he was Mr.. Howard.
Very good-looking man he was. and
seemed to know a thing or two"
That's him." confirmed Mrs. Jones.
'I,ut why shouldn't he know n hin
or two? He don't do nothin' hut trav-
Il and trapse round the country.
Iiardly ever home, and won't have n
thing to do with the people in the vii
lage."
The moon was beginning to show
red and low in the warm dusk, and
the lilacs made superb black shadow
effects on the lawn. The little tired
out city girl who sat on the lowest
step Of the veranda and who had Just
arrived that day had nothing to sry.
She was filling her whole soul with the
beauty of the coming night.
Pretty soon, carrying her lamp, she
went upstairs to her bedroom. she
looked mt the high mound of feather
red, and ut the small window mt the
foot, into which was already flooding
,he spring moonlight. For a moment
she stood lrresolute. Then she low
cred the shade, slipped on q cheese
cloth kimono. drew the pins from her
Lair, letting 1t fall about her shoul-
ders, blew out the lamp and followed
her within to lean from the easement.
II had been n very long while since
Katherine Hope had looked from a
window Ovpr n garden when the o
was shining. True, from the window
" their stuffy city lodgings on Elev-
cnth nvenue-her mothers and hers
she had leaned out at times when her
head was hot and aching with too
much work, rnd caught n breath OF
outside air. But that was so differ-
ent. From that window she could
look only on clotheslines, sheds, the
back windows Of the boarding houses
o,. the next street and there. what
ever restful thoughts might come to
her we're made havoc OF by an accordi'
on, cheap coon songs, or the caterwaul'
,,r of feline creatures on the fences
below
And now-Oh, the feathcry. paie flor
essence Of the lilacs over yonder
katherine drew her breath In with de-
light as their dormant scent came ur
TO her. If only her dear little mother
could be with her to enjoy the beaut!
Of it all. But that had not beer posi-
HE. When the physician had shaker
his head gravely ovcr his young pa
tents worn-out condition, and com
handed an immediate change in thu
country, It had been all that mother
ami daughter could do to scrape to
ccther the meagor savings for kath
crimes rest of q fortnight. And kath
crime was not n tn new ana Whim
per over Representatives,. h was herr
now-and she would make the best q
every moment to grow strong anf
well again. that she might go bach
with new life to her office work an'
the com%panionshlp of her sacrificin:
little mother.
The mild country air and the thou
sand odors of the spring played upoi
her face, and lifted her loosened hail
gilded by the moonlight into the ike
ness of an aureole. Her white HI
mono fell softly around her: from tn
nosition in which she held her arms
hel soft elbows were plainly visible
rnd her exquisite face leaning back
bit against the dark painted frame o
the window stood out like Il cameo.
The girl was littl. conscious OF any
thing except the wonder of the night
nor was she aware of one who watchpt
her a moment from the shadow of tn
liiacs in the garden beyond the hedge
Seldpn Howard was returning from hi
cog kennels, whence he had gone Il
look after II sick collie, when his ev
had CHANGED 70 fail upon the figure il
The easement. and in sheer artistic aT
probation. had rested there.
"She's like some young princess" h
thought to himself, pursuing his wa,
Finicky Elephant.
An elephant. in his native land, ha
n hard job + find what he likes to eai
Contrary to the general bei.af, he vii
not eat anything, but he selects care
fully the best Of roots. herbs, fruit
and various vegetables. When in cap
tivity. he eats about the same kind o
FAtl,. ,,;tb 4, f,,,- avanatinnS tnRIIJl