The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-12-09
at Joe through his bedroom
window. And then Joe, who dawdled

mockingly at Joe through his bedroom
window. And then Joe, who dawdled
SO over the asking for sweetheart,
made up his mind quickley enough to
more rueful work for that very night
when he went down to supper, and
never ate a mouthful, he declared to
the good TALKS assembled there that he
intended to 60 out west to settle-he
was sick of the land hereabouts.
"What the plaques the matter with
the land ?" said his father. cts the
same as twas yesterday, and then you
talked Of ploughin' up the meadow
next spring, and drainin' the gully,
and the Lord knows what and ALL
What's come to you now, Joe %
The weary days went on, each of
them heavier and more desolate. In
fair weather or foul, Joe walked and
wandered, aimless, istless and forlorn,
choosing the most desolote place shun-
ming and forbidding all companionship
of man and beast
1t was well on in November, and the
landscape was somewhat sere and worn.
The day was waning, and it seemed to
Mr.. Morton as they drove along that
the warmth had all fled from the scene
around them and nestled in Kitty's
hair There was subdued and timid
expression in her face that lent it an
unusual charm. The curves about her
mouth dropped like those of an ag-
grieved child, and she had not spoken
q word for the last mile or two. Mr..
Morton could hesitate no longer. 1t
would be an easy thing, he thought, to
wear away the usual eXuberant gayety
that detracted from Kitty's present
charm of manner. With just one little
sigh for poor Madeline Van Vleet, he
shifted the reins to one hand, and with
the other took from his vest pocket a
ring. A yellow beam of setting sun
caught the gem, and it suddenly shot
like a star. Kitty's eyes began to glis-
ten in unison, but she drew back as he
caught her hand.
Nay, darling" he said tenderly, edo
not tremble, it is yours. You know
that love you; you will be my little
wife,
But in the meanwhile the long -limbed
animal, which had been somewhat rest
i've, and required the two hands Of his
driver, took advantage of this little by
play and accelerated his speed. Mr.
Morton had not time to put the ring
upon Kitty's resisting finger, when he
found his horse pulling heavily upon
the rcins. He determined to sell this
needless brute Of his. The thought
lay heavily upon his now ardent sensi-
bilities that this sweet girl by his side
he had never held to his heart, nor had
her sweet lips been given to his own,
and now the moment was gone, and
the joy was still denied him, for the
horse went plunging on. A curve of
the road brought the cottage in sight
Black Sam was still whitewashing
great Heaven, not the big bowlder?
Yes, nothing less; he had some white
wash to spare, and he was lathering it
thick upon this rock in the road,
making it look as big as a mountain.
Mr.. Morton's face grew pale, and not
too soon-the evil was upon him in the
instant he had feared it; tie horse
plunged back upon his launches, his
fine ears stood erect, his clean-cut
limbs trembled; then with one bound
he sped along, grazing the white phan-
tom in the road, and disappearing in u
cloud of dust. Mr.. Morton chung to
the reins and Kitty chung to Mr. Nor
| ton.
Alas what, indeed, had come to poor
Joe? He never made the least effort
to regain his footing with Kitty. He
gave up all hopes of the sweet future
that had seemed to him his birthright.
TO marry Kitty Benson and settle down
| on the old homestead as his father and
grandfather had done before him,
seemed as natural to Joe as seed time
and harvest He never had the slight
| est desire to swerve from the somewhat
tame and monotonous life these people
led from year to year. Even now his
soul was yearning for it, and when it
was full Of rebellion and riot, and bent
upon tearing down every barrier that
lazy between the big tumultuous waves
within him and those Of the unknown
world beyond.
Mr.. Morton knew now that nothing
could save them. A few minutes
four at the turthest-and all would be
over. The gully just below the Com
stock farm was bleak and ireary
place, we'll fitted for the tragedy. He
remembered chestnut tree that hung
desolate and bare over it's brink, and
broken rocks and black pools of stag
nant water lay below. In these few
seconds, that seemed a parenthesis be-
tween time and eternity, a whole life
time passed in regret and retrospection.
10 get rid of the reproachful eyes of
Madeline, Mr.. Morton shut his own;
but Kitty's whole heart went out in a
prayer to Joe-which was answered
right on the brink of the gully by the
melancholy shadow of Joe himself,
that clutched at the head Of the horse,
was dragged onward a step or two, then
pulled aside, and finally was left victor,
the beast, quite subdued now and
trembling, in lather of foam. Mr..
Morton was trembling as we'll rs his
beast, and it was difficult for him to
quite understand the tenor of the scene
before him. Kitty lay white and limp
in Joe Comstock's arms; her hands
were clasped about his neck; her hat
was gone long ago, and her curly hair
was all tumbled about her face, which
was still as white as the accursed bowl
der before her mothers door; and once
in a while she sobbed out: "Joe! dear
joel" and Joe soothed her, and held
her closer, and murmurcd: "Kitty!
dear Kitty!' and the yellow light of the
waning November day catching the
diamond again, it cleaned upon
Kitty's finger, that lay caressingly
upon the sturdy neck Of: Joe
Comstock; and presently the little hand
shifted about and Kitty saw the gem
too, and slipping down from the arms
of Joe, and slipping too, the ring from
her finger, she held it out to Mr.. Nor
ton with that same shy, sad subdued
and altogether irreproachable express
sion that he had admired few mis-
cradle moments since.
keep it Kitty" said Mr. Morton;
"keep it in any case. You'll allow her
to accept this little present, won't you
Joe?"
IF it's all the same, I'd as lieve she
didn't" said Joe, with honest simplicity.