The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1922-01-05
YOUTHFUL DREAM
BY MILDRED WHITE.

athlete, and fond OF the great out Of
doors. Resting beneath spreading
tree, with arms clasped idly above his
head, he had dreamed dreams Of an
adventurous future with some con-
genial "nut-brown maid by his side,
instead. Barrie had fallen carry in
love. and sacrificed his dream to ne
cesslty.
II was his adverse fortune, to love,
and marry white flower Of a girl,
who, unlike the hardy brown-tanned
maid Of fancy, exacted tender care
and the support due the cllnging vine.
Barrie tried not to love Lillian; stub
bornly he had fought against her
charms, all to surrender the more
eagerly at last. And Lillian proved
a good wife, faithful to the details
of his home keeping, sweet natured
always. and lenient to his wbims.
When Barrie, irrltably insistant,
grulnbled at the confines Of city life,
Lillian, unmoved, packed his bag and
cheerfnlly bade him good-by, as he
hurried woodward on some lonely va
cation. Sometimes 1t seemed he was
really hurrying away from Lillian.
Her dainty projections wearied him.
But after logged days of freedom,
tramping unfamiliar country or fish,
ing in wild and isolated places, Barrie
was sure to come, shamefacedly and
humbly, back to Lillian's welcoming
hospitality. Her smile would be as
sweet when he returned as 1t had
been on bis departure. And this salts
fed approximation Of hers brought to
him merely impotence. Mallory came
back to the Office one day with en-
thusiastic tales Of month spent out
West.
Give me your route, Mallory" he
said brusquely, and the next day
found Barrie on his way to the lonely
places.
The Office could manage well at this
time, he said. without him. When
be was on his way, Lillian called NAL
Tory to ascertain any posi- Atty Of
danger in Barrie's outing. T. her
Mallory enthused on life in Tie open.
as he had to her husband. When
Lillian turned from the telephone the
wondering light In her eyes gave place
to understanding. Barre's first weeks
on the ranch found him jOyously con-
tent
This IL something like It." he told
Dan of the ranch. "this mornings ride
was like tonic"
Big Dan smiled.
'You take it alone tomorrow" he
said. I'm going over early to Has
tings At Hastings" Dams smile
changed to conscious laugh there's
new girl. Not any like her in this
part, so we all go over to see her.
"She makes the kind of flap-jacks
for the boys your mother used TO
make-and she lets US crowd into her
cabin and eat 'em. Somebody's named
her Prairie Flower out of a book
he'd read but say that girl can ride !
Goes flying on her white horse like
a streak She's as brown and red
tanned as an autumn leaf and she
wears a red cap on her head-haiI
that's crInkly and brown, too, like a
leaf, and when Prairie Flower laughs
say, it's like lot of birds singing
In the morning.
Barrie grinned.
"Danl" he exclaimed, you are in
love-"
I'VE all are" Dan answered.
DAN" Barrie exclaimed, decidedly
81 am going with you tomorrow morn
ing to Hastings. Not that I've any
foolish notion concerning this ranch
girl, but do want-to taste some old
homework flap Jacks"
Barrie scarcely knew, himself, what
impulse moved him, but he was
guiltily aware as the two rode out in
the morning light together of a long
ing memory persistently buried, of the
nut-brown maid Of youthful dreams.
1t was perhaps. by contrast that
Lillian seemed almost wearis0me in
her perfect sameness. The boys were
evidently stopping for their morning
call at the picturesque cabin.
"She's got up early, guess" dis
appointed caller explained. ito ride
over TO Blue Ridge. She does that
sometimes. with her big bulldog. Moth
ing can't hurt her with that beast
around"
Satisfaction was in the gruff tone.
Barrie realized now how protectingly
the Prairie Flower was regarded by
her rough companions Determinedly
Barrie cantered toward Blue Ridge.
IF she don't want anyone along,
why do you 20 and disturb herr Dan
complained.
But something hanging In the cabin
had caught Barrie's eye. An amaz-
mgly familiar something's blue and
gold embroidered apron that Lillian.
across their own living room table,
had spent many evenings working
upon. Surely there could be no other
apron 80 ingeniously original, for he
4