Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1878-08-01
A LIFE EG& A LIFE.

stirring from one arid noon unit
the next, and the insects Missed ma
liciously all day long in the parched
grasses. Perhaps that was the rea
son the Bel trode was blue.
Perhaps it WAS that as she walked
Growers Tract day By day, and saw
the summers limited complet ior
in the red apples burning among the
gray-green boughS, the hay-tields at
aftermath, the purple taSsled corn,
and yellow wheat, that She felt hel
life to be aimless. She had let the
summer come and wane ACROSS her
passive existence. The previous
winter she said !: 81 feel ice bound
now. ,tVhen summer comes [ will
shake off this inertia and redeem to
day."
let the summer was rapidly pass
ing and she was still in dream.
The hour never seemed to come
which called her to exertion. Well,
Loves young dream " comes but
once it was all well, perhaps.
Growers Tract aud her farm
house life was not as dull rs she had
expected it would be when she re-
turned from her mountain tour a
year before !; only at times the out
door sounds and the leisurly growing
works Of nature oppressed her. In
the winter she had been gra look
ing at the sunset across the snow,
watching the chick-a dee, and search
ing the woods for purple mereriOn.
In the spring the long walks to the
post-office had been full of joyful
fancies and golden realities she
loved the sweet country sights and
scenes more than ever before in her
life.
But in August something seemed
to oppress her. The sky burned too
blue, the woods were too calmly CO.
tent in, their greepress, the days
closed the beautifully in their ripe
splendor, as she walked the Tract at
sunset, coming from the post-otlice
coming always empty handed.
Yes, something was wrong, and
when she realized it fully, she said
81 am idle-I am stepped in idle
ness. l have been doing nothing
for year. Now 1 will have some
work, and Dick may 60 to the post
Office. I care too much for those
letters.''
Whatever those letters might he,
there came no more of them. 4
certain gay tourist drifting about
the world, forgot to write them at
last perhaps B.rtrode was pretty,
but one travelling everywhere meets
many pretty faces.
Bertrode's cheek grew thin and
white. Her mother saw that she
struggled to repress growing irri-
tableness, But she worked on un-
ceasingly at her ne v employment of
teaching the district school of Grov-
er's Tract. she devoted herself to
the children. Their parents said
they had never before learned SO fast
Bertrode smiled family at their
praise. Oae day, coming home
from school through the woods, she
flung herself down among the ferns
and dry grasses.
sit is dust and ashes !" she
cried.
The sky cleaned blue through
green boughs overhead, and bird
sang cheerily IN neighboring bush.
She lay there until she felt the dew
falling. AS she rose up something
rustled at her side. She looked
down a great rattlesnake was
slipping through the grass, going
from her, apparently unaware Of her
presence. Fascinated imn0vable
yet full Of horror, she stood and
watched the creature. For a mo-
ment it glided speedily on, its course
so direct, its appearance so subtle
and deadly, that she felt spell-bound
as she regarded it. Suddenly, with
thrill of horror she saw the rep
tiles aim it was making directly
for shady spot, where man lay
asleep beneath the trees. One mo-
ment more would De too late to pre-
vent the threatened attack. Start
ing from her passivity, she seized a
stone and hurled it full at the crea-
ture. He had just paused and rest
ed his crest to view his position,
when the stone struck him upon the
back of the head, and with a venge-
full hiss he leaped into the air, then
fell at full length upon the ground
and slowly expired.
Bertrode stood looking at the
dusky length and bloody head cf the
snake, her mind in sort of wonder
that anything could baso loathscme,
when sue heard her name spoken.
She raised her eyes and saw Fennel
Gould standing before her. The
young mau looked at the snake with
sort of shudder, and then said