Evening star., 1937-10-17

-ASL halted the tired oxen under the shade
of vast tree. Then she lifted the old
woman out of the cart and propped her
against the wide comfortable trunk. She
put the water cooler in the sun and laid out the
provisions : dark peasant bread. square OF
goats cheese, basket of Strawberries.
The frail old woman heaved gusty sigh of
content. The ground felt good to her tired bones
and the shade was deep and cool. She watched
Tasl lovingly as the girl filled pail at the irr
cation runnel to water the oxen. The child was
grace itself, she thought Grace and strength
apd youth. At last Tasl threw herself on the
ground.
Grandmother, how hot it isl" she exclaimed.
She took off her black hood before she began
to eat
Outside the pool of darkness, cast by the roof
of the tree, the blazing MONDAY lay all about
them. Out of its brassy glare two horsemen
rode towards the promise of shade and rest. A
cloud of butterflies followed them like floating
flowers = crawling over their hands and set
Ting on the harness.
As they drew near the watchers saw that they
we're an elderly man and a very young man,
both handsome, black-eyed and debonair. the
younger almost a boy.
''How funny they look covered with the but
terflies." giggled Tasl When Yomi reined in his
little white Hungarian horse and brushed the
insistent insects from his person, she looked up
and laughed aloud at him.
Both men dismounted, and the elder in
quired courteously if the old one would permit
them to halt for siesta and refreshment as there
was no other such shelter from the heat for
miles around. Janna nodded with i'll grace. She
saw the boy looking with admiring surprise at
Tasl and she did not want them.
Tasl's broad high-cheek-boned face was
sweetly honey -colored with sun and wind, and
the braidsof her shining hair were honey-colored
Also The heavy black lashes and sleepy black
eyes now alight with laughter we're brilliant in
their golden setting. The grandmother guessed
what the men were thinking when they ex-
changed quick significant looks. They had prob
ably argued about it riding through the fields
before sun-up watching the women at work.
There were too few beautiful Bulgarian women.
You certainly did not see them tending the
roses nor hoeing the tobacco fields. All the
travellers who stopped in Kiron we're overcome
when tney saw dSl.
What is your business?" inquired Janna
tartly.
But Tasl was smiling at the boy in her gentle,
friendly way, and he was smiling back. his
broad teeth as white as hers in his dark lively
face She moved little to make room for him
against the hospitable trunk and patted the
ground at her side, a gay young innocence in
her welcome.
The men sat down. The elder said they were
Yomi and Tomaso Davidovitch from over the
mountains. They were going into Kiron to bar
gain for the oil from the rose crop.
Tasl felt the warning pressure of her grand
mothers hand on her arm, and said they were
homeward bound from the market She gave
them water from her water cooler. No, she did
not work in the fields. More than that she
would not say.
After the four had slept through the MONDAY
heat, Tasl rose and prepared the oxcart for her
grandmother. 'She cannot walk, 3" she explained
to the travellers as she stopped to raise Janna.
Yomi leaped to his feet LET me" he said,
and lifted the light little body to the dusty
cushions. Tasl smiled her thanks, fixed up the
big yellow umbrella and climbed onto the cart.