Show e S R KNIGHT 9 1103 by tt autton tre man stooped down and lifted the vines his gi eat resolve was then and there registered with god a resolve as as ever chivalric quest by any knight of old only a plain call fornia rancher with the beday of auth and its romance apparently agne forever only joel brown the man that worked hard harder than most of his neighbors to make his blackberries pa two women were engaged in bar vesting the glorious abundance A girl was picking alone at the end of the patch joel on his knees raising the lower branches was hidden from the women what do think she will do nowa nay do not ask me you cannot get anything out of her I 1 herd she as going to the city what will she do there I 1 d like to know get lost like the rest of them I 1 suppose said the woman in answer with a little sigh but there she might get her chance among the crowd what could she do with her babyc oh in the city there s ways of leav ing it in asylums whilst she goes to work the girl at the end ot the patch stood up she looked at the cloudless cloud fess blue a dome of unfathomable azure its immensity awed her she had found her earth so small no escape in it anywhere and here it seemed so vast she felt the presence of the sky for the first time in her life joel brown 1 nelt in the vines alone with his resolve the girl went by her face turned to the sky its look of appeal was pa in its childishness he let her pass and turned his face upward also mechanically he went on ing the resolve had claimed him he was out of himself bathed in a strange glory that swept the rest of the world away from him As it it had happened in a long past he heard the women say ing what will she do in the get lost like the rest of them I 1 suppose fhe crimson mellowed into glowing amber in the hush came the sound of the distant chimes from the mis sion of santa barbara he stood up and bared his head this man accounted a pagan by his neighbors somehow the girl s face and pic tures of the great mother were trans fused in him he ed his sleeve across his eyes as it clearing his vision tired mr browna so be we S it s quit for to night then without ing he took out his leather purse and counting theia work paid them shall you want tomorrows 9 asked the girl in a low oice speed was an effort no ills voice sounded strangely harsh it startled and frightened him it was so at variance with his resolve put your boxes in the crates he said pointing to a few scattered empty ones at the end of the patch she looked at the cloudless blue a dome of unfathomable azure where she had been picking and aured away oh I 1 wish I 1 was dead I 1 wish I 1 we dead indeed I 1 do such childish gesture for such pitiful words joel brown heard ani saw both it all seewood so out of place in the midst of the calm and peace of the mellow light she was but a shred of a girl seventeen at abst ruth why did his vo ce sound so harsh when he meant it all other wised ruth listen to me do you know why I 1 dian didn t want you to pick blackberries tomorrows 9 then I 1 will tell you ruth want soi to be my wit I 1 want to crarry 5 u gill I 1 have got an idea that I 1 can make ou happ t hae a ilea that in this house in get to feel t stronger 1 ke aw ay from folk t talk ani worn and I 1 have an af too hi vo ce sani lov pr but rf w stronger yes ruth I 1 have an idea too that if boll give me that child well call it ourn do you see kuth listened to him if she were dreaming joel saw that she was but halt comprehending hia voice ancon became sterner I 1 want ou for my wife aluth all it meant came on her as a flood oh I 1 cannot I 1 cannot people will say as I 1 was allus bad it I 1 let you go and marry me and she burst into tears suddenly and pass she ex claimed I 1 never meant to be I 1 wanted allus to be a good girl I 1 ruth listen to me I 1 think you have got to have me I 1 think before god you have got to be my wife you have got to come to me and be sate and once my wife damn the soul of I 1 want you for my wife ruth an one that sas a word agin you or the oung one if I 1 am he saw a passion of 1 ope creep in her face very tenderly now he spoke the harshness had all flown trust me ruth I 1 will treat ou awful gentle I 1 have an idea you will get happiness of course you 11 be wanting the place furnished there s plenty in the bank to do that and mabbe you 11 ant a litchen built on to the side and when the blackberry season Is over we will buy a new dress or two and go up to san fran cisco and make believe we never had a sorrow and debbe we 11 say nothing to nobody and his last was the ut most he could advance as a vision to dazzle we 11 go to the the a ter one afternoon she looked again to the sl joel no dear I 1 don t think I 1 want ou to read to me not now lift me up a bit there that s easier she took the book aiom him it was days 0 there s something I 1 want to say to ou joel good I 1 Is arms were supporting her she put hers round his neck a it s not about little susie you can t do wrong to her you 11 do more tor her than I 1 could ever think of ah I 1 can see the women picking tie blackberries all the way from here 0 o dear what I 1 ant to say Is when I 1 am gone and you 1 now I 1 am going soon don t you deara I 1 want you to know when you 1001 at the books that I 1 understand that in all of them there had been no 1 nights no not that carried a lance that did more asplen in any tournament than you who fought for me I 1 hope god will let me go while I 1 am asleep one time after I 1 have kissed you and said thank you sir knight one evening as the mission bells gently chimed in the distance and the sun was setting resplendent in amber and gold joel bent down to bear a taint whisper thank you sir knight |