The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-01-31
The -Anti-AGonopo1ist
meets MANY pretty faces.

meets many pretty faces.
| Bertrode's cheek grew thin and white.
Her mother saw that she struggled to re-
press growing irritableness. But she
worked on increasingly at her new en-
ployment of teaching the dristict school
of Growers Tract. She devoted herself to
the children. Their parents said they
had never before learned so fast. Ber-
trode smiled only family at their praise.
One day, coming home from school
through the woods, she flung herself down
among the ferns and dry grasses.
at is dust and ashes ~ she cried.
The sky cleaned blue through green
boughs overhead and bird sang cheer
lily in a 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, immovable. yet full of horror,
she stood and watched the creature. For
a moment it glided steadily 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 reptiles aim; it was
making directly for shady spot, where
a man lay asleep beneath the trees. One
moment more would be too late to pre-
vent the threatened attack. Starting from
her passivity, she siezed stone at her feet
and hurled it full at the creature He
had just paused and raised his crest to
view his position, when the stone struck
him upon the back of the head. and with
vengefull 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 OF the dead snake,
her mind in sort of wonder that anything
could beso loathshme, when she heard
her name spoken. She raised her eyes
and saw Fennel Gould standing before
her. The young man looked at
the snake with a sort of shudder, and
then said:
''Bertrode, you must have saved my
life.'
II suppose I did" she answered ''The
creature was coming directly toward you.
Did you ever see anything so horrible,
Fennel?"
He took her hands; she hardly glanced
at him.
"Darling," he said.
She snatched her hands away in sud-
den impotence.
DON'T" Hhe said. Il wish you
wouldn't, Fennel."
but love you"
81 cannot help it,
He regarded her sorrowfully. She
took her shawl from the grass and put it
on.
1T is chilly here, and late, l am going
home," she said.
He walked silently at her side out of
the woods and across the wide fields of
Growers Tract Never was there a more
hopeless lover than Fennel Gould. At
the farmhouse door he said, Goodnight,
Bertrode" She bowed, and he went on
over the hill in the warm gray twilight,
cursing his cruel fate as lovers have
cursed their fates before.
Through a succession of hot days the
month went out Before it had passed.
Bcrtrode was taken sick-miserably ill
of fever. She suffered wearisomely, but
little could be done for her 1t was a
slow fever which must burn out its course.
She was thirsty continually, and suddenly
in the midst of her suffering, the spring
which had supplied her with cool water
grew dry, and all other water tasted
warm and brackish to her fevered lips.
If only had some ice, mother" she
moaned.
Il know, dear, but there is no ice in
less than twenty miles
Too i'll to express her misery, the poor,
fevered girl fell asleep, to dream of the
old yellow Grover Tract stage straining
its way over the heavy sandy roads 10
Northboro'. the only place where there
was an ice-house-there to procure for
her great green block of the refreshing
ice she coveted.
ut will he so nice," she murmured in
her sleep. my throat is parched and it
will cool my drink so deliciously."'
\ cricket sang in the heated wall and
woke her. She heard the stage trundling
over the hill.
Has it come, mother." she asked.
What, dearl you are dreaming. Wake
up. and drink some of this nice iced lem
onade."
lice, mother. Where did you get it''
"Fenpel has been to Northboro, for 1t.
He's very kind to you, Berthe, dear"
Its refreshing. How long have been
asleep, motherl
All the afternoon. and | really think
you look better, Berthe"
Berirode turned on her pillow and fell
asleep again. In the morning she was
better bur not we'll. The pale lips were
still parched-the mouth so long fevcred.
tastelesS She relished only the drinks,
iced and cool. which her mother prepared
One day she said:
How is it that that ice lasts sol-
why Fennel goes to Northboro' for
fresh piece every other day. The
weather is so warm that it melts very
fast"
But its haying time. How can he be
sparedr'
He goes at night after eight o'clock.
don't see how he can do it when be
works in the field until he is ready to
drop"
Then why do you ask him, mother"
Goodness, child. / never asked him !:
I guess didn't, Its his own service.
never dreamed of asking him"
Bertrode, bolstered up in bed sat silent
awhile.
Fennel's very Kind" she said at last;
hr1< dom. ike tn ray rp.oDle 60 Moth