Purple Springs

n Watson's house trees cracked ominously in the frost, and not even a rabbit was stirring. The hens had not come out, though an open door had extended an invitation, and the tamwort

f that it was not a cheerful day. And Pearl had her own reasons for wanting fine weather, for tomorrow was the

ife, a rainbow that glorified every black cloud, and there had been some clouds in her life black enough to bring out the rainbows' colors too; as when her mother's seriou

ncerity, when, three years before, he had said he would wait

l, biting wind, or it may be a glorious day, all sunshine and blue sky-that will all depend on your answer." And she had tol

d. She did not know that there was witchery in her brown eyes and her radiant young beauty that would stir any you

ery cold blast, watered by the rains and bathed in perpetual sunshine, for Pearl's young heart was fed from the hidden springs of love and romance. For her the darkest night was lighted by stars; for her the birds sang of love and hope and happiness; for her the commonest flower was rich in beauty and perfume; and so the end of the three years found her a

ng doctor, who had then just come to Millford, had

him drive by, and, having seen him and perhaps caught a smile or nod, if he noticed her, she would go back to her strenuous task of keeping her young brothers clothed an

if by any chance he hurried by, his mind filled with other things, she suffered for a brief season all the pangs of

te information regarding the state of his affections. If the sunflower brought in an adverse decision, without a moment's hesitation Pearl began upon another, and continue

o explain the sparkle of the sunshine, or the joyousness of the meadowlark's song in the spring, as to try to analyze the luminous wonder that had come into her ow

g a "bad case," and she knew that the one qualification they demanded in matters of the heart was that the young man should have the means and inclination to "show a girl a good time." She could

or them that do. But there's no use in advisin' or warnin'; it's like the pigs and the hot swill-one will stick in his nose and

t the three years were past. He would drive out with his team, for the snow would be too deep for his car, and she would first hear the sleigh-bells, even before old Nap would begi

spent some time deciding whether her red tam or the brown velvet hat was the most becoming, and finally favored the tam, because she had once heard the

self, a doctor's time was so uncertain that he might, remembering this

Klondike heater, and from the kitchen came the cheerful song of a canary. The house was in a state of great tidiness, with its home made lounge in front of the fire, piled high with gaily flowered cushi

a real baking odor of cinnamon and cloves; a roast of pork that had been "doing too fast," was now sitting on the top of the high oven, its angry, sparking, sizzling trailing off

Watson family who were wanted. Pearl's heart thrilled with expectation. Of course he would

ed, almost chokin

Last night's snow was too much for them, and Jim Fidler has just phoned through to warn us. They're comin' on mad for feed, tram

, in a steady voice, "a

ve the unwelcome news to her father and Teddy, who wer

ake a livin' outside any longer. Well, what we have we'll share, anyway. There's no use in contradictin' a bunch of hungry steers. Keep a watch on the phone, Pearlie dear,

t come over the phone for her! Ordinarily the home-coming of the hungry cattle would have been an event of such

in the pie-crust, said: "Pearlie, dear, run in to the phone-that's twic

at once she surmised it might be a message regarding the cattle going to one of the other houses. The firs

he nomination tomorrow-he'll make the

voice, far away

oman who replied-"but I'm not so sure she has any chance, the doctor is a pretty ca

n. "I think he likes that young Watson girl as well as any one,

id, with sudden animation; "why, these people are nobody, the mother used to wash for me a few years ago. They are the very commonest sort-the

her cheeks. When Pearl's soul was burdened she always wanted to get outside, where the sky and the wind and the big blue distance would help her to thin

cold nose into her hand, with a gentle wagging of his tail,

e perilous moment was threatened with tears. But pride, which has so often come to our rescue just in t

er! 'And the mother washed for ye, did she, you dirty trollop? Well, it was a God's mercy that some one washed for you, and it was good clane washin' she did, I'll bet-and blamed little she got for it, too, while you lay in your bed with your dandr

nd had read her essay at the closing exercises, and afterwards had it printed, at the editor's request, i

ing around to glare in stormy wrath at the unoffending te

g face, the rumpled hair she loved so well, and then her voice came back like a perfect phonograph record, that strong, mellow, big voice which had always set

ver her, she threw herself down beside old Nap and kissed the shiny top of his

we have thirty head of cattle and six horses, sound in wind and limb. Some day we'll have a fine new house, and we'll live all over it too. John Watson did work on the section, and they'd be fine and glad to get him back. He owes no man a dollar, and bears no man a grudge. I

ou for your kind words regarding brains and looks. I hope it

rowsy whirr of insects' wings, the benediction of the sunset, the welcoming gladness of a happy family. But these pictures have not been painted by those of us

searched eagerly, nervously all the while, bawling, ill-naturedly pushing and horning, blaming each other in a perfectly human way. Disconsolately they wandered

head to shake the water from her eyes, lifted her voice in one long, angry, rolling bellow that seemed to startle the whole herd. It had in it defiance, and determination. Like the leading spirit amon

. This thought surging through her soul, gave decision to her movements. Whether the other cattle came or not did not matter in the least-she knew what she was going to do. The strong northwest wind which began to whip the fresh snow into loose waves, turned the cattle to face the south east, in which di

playing together sometimes when the sun was bright. That was all forgotten now, for the hunger-rage was on them, and they were brutes, plain brutes, with every kind instinct

although lights blinked out cheerfully from uncurtained windows, and willow plumes of smoke spread t

s was still far away-and the cattle, hungr