Evening star., 1923-12-16

grow cold. He felt the warmth and
fragrance drained out Of the night.
Jules" he breathed, 'T--hayen't-
lost her, have II"
| Then, far ia the silyered nfxbs. no
heard sound-the sound OF fight
feet running. He thought. m he
waited, that those returning feet
were running straight into his heart.
But he did not stir. Even when they
stumbled and came SLOWLY ana
stopped beside him he did no. roo,e
up. Presently the smallest, humblest
voice in the world said to him: "I,ve
come back"
Il knew you would"
| i couldn't do IL. couldn't"
Il knew you couldn't"
| Did you know-all the while?"
| IAN the while"
Then you cared-after aIir'
Peat stood still, his face hidden on
Jules neck. The girl came nearer
He felt her hand on his, a brief
trembling touch. She just whispered:
Then you did care"
| Peat looked UP. A slow awe grew
in her face. a great light born in
| abasement. She said: For me?
| Yes"
There was a silence. Presently she
said meekly: Friend. will you-take
| me-home?"
| Peat turned Jules. He lifted her
and set her on the beasts broad back
| and walked beside her, the reins
| looped over his arm. carrying the
| suit case. All the world about them
was silent, silvered with the moon
and the dew.
| had left the buggy. BY then the
world was swinging for him in
slow, silvered ring; his feet were
lead, he was so tired. For a minute.
| when he stopped the horse. the moon
| and the trees and the road went out
In a spinning shadow The girl
slipped down and ran to him
| Through the shadow he saw her
scared face and tried to smile to her
"Oh. what Is it?"
| II was just wondering" said Peat
vaguely, when I'd get something to
| eat"
you're hungry"
/ Since this morning." he confessed.
But I've buns and eggs In my suit
case" Her face turned darkIy scar
let. II put them In for fear-in
case I changed my mind-and came
back-from the city"
| "oh. heavens," said Peat. Fetch
'em out"
He sat in the dewy grass and she
brought sandwiches and buns and
hard-boiled eggs. He made her eat
| with him. Since they HAD no plates.
| they used the smallest saucepans of
the seven and the moon turned them
into silver rarer than the earth can
show.
i've been thinking" said Peat
suddenly. waving a bun at the moon.
She said. shyiy: "well7''
| I've been thinking" said Peat
that you'd do much better in that
| store II you had a man-a hus-
band, say, TO help you. Jules also
would be very useful We could get
some land and Jules and / couss
work II, and we'd pay off the debt.
I've no money. Nor have you. But
we've better things. And, later, we
could make II a lovely store. Wed
sell nothing but what was beautiful,
We'd sell, Oh. flowers, and toma-
] toes and green corn, and picked
| cabbage-it's the rarest color-and
duckiings. and apples, and eggs,
and aquariums, and Chinese en-
broidery and skyrockets, an-and
/ saucepans. I'd work outside and you
would mind the store"
,THE girl sat perfectly still, her
head bent. In a little she said
slowly: III I hadn't seen your face
when came back to you-I should
think you were-fooling me, because
was the kind of girl that de-
serves no better"
"But--you saw my face"
The dark head bent lower still.
| Dear" said Peat suddenly.
She covered her face with her
! hands. But if--but If you only have
| beautiful things In the store, you
couldn't have me-"
From the first minute 1 saw YOU"
said Peat. you seemed to me the
| most beautiful thing in all the
world"
Free of the soft-ieaved trees, the
moon noated, the moon of summer.
Presently the girl got up and began
to search the grass where they had
fallen out when the wheel came off
| the buggy. In a little while she
found what she sought and held it to
her heart, weeping happy tears as
gentle as the dew.
It was only a blossomed Eastwood
fCopyrisht 1921