The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-06-05


wrapping the damp paper sgatd atout
the ~displeasinG leather case she be-
slowed It with a shrug OF dislike. In
the disfigufed bag once and
;tartcd forth In search OF water to
wash of the stains Of the night.
Her hands were badly scratched and
one had been bleeding. She remem-
bered tho glass and wondered Q
how she had escaped with as few
scratches as she had i.
But water she could not find within
sight Of the fire, and she dared not 90
further lest she got lost. She found.
however. a dense growth OF bushes
bearing great luscious berries, and
though they were not exactly like any
berries with which she was familiar,
she decided that they were probably
edible, and gathered her hands full.
Then, coming softly back near the fire,
she looked around Tor a suitable place
Or the breakfast table. The sleeper
had not awakened. She went about
cautiously and found q great fat rock
quite heal where he lay that would do
beautifully. Here she laid her berries
on a dish Of green leaves, with their
points all radiating from the center
and two large leaves, ON each side,
for plates. @5 u.s.
Then remembering something, she
opened her handbag again..
The day before, when her cousins
had been taking her sightseeing, they
had treated her to ice cream soda,
with which had been served a tiny en-
velope Of wax paper containing three
small wafer crackers. She had put
hers in the bag, laughingly declaring
that she would eat them on the train
when she was hungry, and n cousin
had added her enevolpe as well. She
had not thought Of them when she
opened it before, but now she hurried
to bring them forth. OF course they
would be spoiled! But no--the enyeli
opes were still abont item, and though
somewhat damp they had retained
their shape and looked exceedingly
good to a hungry mortal.
Eagerly she set them forth, three
on each leaf-plate, and hurried back to
the bush to get more berries.
Either the soft stepping feet as they
went lightly through the grass. or the
falling of a stick into the ashes OF the
fire, disturbed the sleeper, for he
awoke suddenly and looked about him.
The girl was gone! That was his
first thought.
The look of boyishness fell away
from him in a fash, and he rose to his
feet and gazed about him a~nxiously,
alertly, as il he feared danger near.
Then his eyes fell on the fiat rock with
it's mimic banquet spread forth! A
food of wonder and delight swept into
his face and a great tenderness, such
as no one of his friends or foes ever
dreamed would be hid away anywhere
in his nature. He had new played
dolls on a rock with some little girl,
and moss and acorns for carpets and
dishes, but the playhouse" spirit was
there in his heart and leaped at once
into consciousness. A table for two!
The woman had provided a meal even
in the wilderness!
He had been turning about In his
mind how he was to get something to
eat with neither powder nor hook, and
here she had been quicker than he
and breakfast was all prepared!
Something stirred in Jasper Hollis
heart that he had not known was
there, a longing for companionship In
his life and home; the table set for
two and someone to care! >HeN had
never felt its need before and he did
not call it by that name now-he
merely experienced a strangely beau
tiful thrill at the new possibilities that
life suddenly revealed to him; some
thing higher and better and infinitely
sweeter than any Of the ambitions and
ideals he had hitherto entertained.
He was still standing. gazing in won
der at the table, when the quick crack
ling of a twig made known her re-
turn.
ruA DTEp Iu