Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-09-29
CHAPTER ~.
In Which The "klng" Dreams Dream
and Tells Us About Il.

In Which the "klng" Dreams Dream
and Tells Us About II.
The afternoon. under the spell Of Its
various magic, had been passing all too
swiftly. and at length grew reluctant
ly aware that 1t was time for me to 90.
King Alcinous raised his hand with
gesture that could not well be denied.
That led me-his invitation being &C
cepted without further parley-to
, mention the idea had conceived as
came along, Of exploring those curious
ord ruined buildings.
Tomorrow" he announced, "tomor-
row we shall begin-there is not mo-
ment to lose. We will send Samson
with a message to your captain-there
Is no need for you to go yourself; time
is too preciOus-and in week, who
knows but that Monte Cristo shall
seem like a pauper and penny gan
in comparison with the fantasies OF
our fearful wealth.
So, for that evening" all was laugh
ingly decided. In weeks time. 1t
was agreed, we should have difficulty
in recognizing each other. We should
be so disguised in cloth Of gold, and so
binding to look upon with rings and
ropes Of pearls.
When we met at breakfast next
morning, glad to see one another again
as few people are at breakfast 1t was
evident that, as far as tho liking" was
concerned, our dream had lost nothing
in the night watches On the contrary,
its wings had grown to an amazing
span and iridescence.
Calypso, it transpired, had certain
household matters-of which the
liking" of course was ever divinely OBJ
livious-that would take her on an
errand into the town. Those disposed
of, we two eternal children were at
liberty to be as foolish as we pleased.
The "king" bowed his uncrowned
head, as kings, from time immemorial
have bowed their diadems before the
quiet command of the domesticities;
and 1t was arranged that should be
Calypso's escort on her errand.
So we set forth in the freshness OF
the morning, and the woods that had
been so black and bewildering at my
coming opened before us In easy
paths, and all that tropical AsluAlor
that had been foul with sweat and IN
sects seemed strangely vernal to me,
so that I could hardly believe that l
had trodden that way before. And for
our companion all the way along
at least for my other companion-was
the Wonder Of the World, the beauti-
full strangeness Of living. and that mar
vel of mans days upon the earth
which lies in not knowing what q day
shall bring forth, If only we have q
little patience with Time-Time, with
those gold keys at his girdle, ready, at
any turn of the ways, to unlock the
hidden treasure that is to be the mean
ing Of our lives. =
How should try to express what 1t
was to walk by her side, knowing all
that we both Notwithstanding, or gid
Oily believing that I knew, how her
heart, with every breath she took, VI
brated like living flower, with waves
of color, changing from moment to
moment like happy, trembling dawn.
To know-yet not to sayl Yes! we were
both at that divine moment which
hangs like a dewdrop in the morning
sun-ah! all too ready to fall. Oh!
keep it poised, in that miraculous bal
ance, 'twixt time and eternity-for
this crystal made Of light and dew is
the meaning Of the life Of man and
woman upon the earth.
As we came to the borders of the
wood near the edge Of the little town
we called counsel of two. AS the out
come Of it we concluded that, having
in mind the "king's' ambitious plans
for our cloth-of-gold future, and for
other obvious reasons. it was better
that she went into the town alone
I to await her In the shadow Of the
mahogany tree.
As she turned to leave me she drew
up from her bosom little bag that
hung by a silver chain, and opening It
drew out. with Z laugh--a golden
doublooni
I sprang toward her; but she was
too quick for me. and laughingly van
ished through an opening in the trees.
was not to kiss her that day.
Calypso was so long coming back
that began to grow anxious was, In
deed, on the point Of going down into
the town in search of her, when she
suddenly appeared, rather out Of
breath and evidently little excited
as though, in fact, she had been rum
ming away from something. She
caught me by the arm with laugh.
do you want to see your friend
Tobias7" she said.
.Tobias1 Impossiblel"
Some here" and She led me q yard
or two back the way she had come,
and then looked through the trees.
"Gone !" she said, "but he was there
6 minute or :wc ssc-or 81 least =o,ne-
one that ID his photograph-and Of
course he's there yet, hidden In the
|Sbrush, and probably got his eyes on
us all the time. Did you see that
seven-year apple tree mover"
Ellis favcrite tree I laughed.
Hardly strong enough to hang him
on, though" And realized that she
was King Alcinous' daughter.
We crouched lower for moment or
two but the seven year apple tree
didn't move again, and we agreed
that there was no use In waiting for
NroS,ino ~, shear htu ho ~ M u.