"
"Too old!" The youthful eyes twinkled maliciously. "Now you, my
dear, would be nearer my age. For you have youth within as well as
without. Keep it. It's all there is worth having."
Desire smiled. But the words lingered. She had never valued her
youth. She had been impatient of it. And now to be told that it was
all there was worth having! It was the creed of selfishness. And
yet--had life already given her one of her greatest treasures and
had she come near to missing the meaning of the gift?
At breakfast she observed her husband's chin so narrowly that he
became uneasy, wondering if he had forgotten to shave. She looked at
John's chin, too, with reflective eyes. Undoubtedly it was much
inferior.
The train had conquered the mountains now and was plunging down upon
their farther side. Soon they were in the foot-hills and then
nothing but a flashing streak across an endless, endless tableland
of wheat. Desire, who had never seen the prairie, smiled
whimsically.
"It is like coming from the world's cathedral to the world's
breakfast-table!" said she.
Aunt Caroline snorted. For her part, she said, she found train
breakfasts much the same anywhere except near the Great Lakes, where
one might expect better fish.
It grew very hot. The effortless speed of the train rolled up the
blazing miles and threw them behind, league on league. The sun set
and rose on a level sky. The babies of the rancher's wife grew tired
and sticky.
Pages:
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168