Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-02-22

" ooulccs you must nave had
peasant drive this morning?" answered
ne, with some haste.
"Oh, yes, pretty well, assented Mary.
but obviously.
am gong away tomorrow"
she turned her face the other wav. and
diiigentiy. rooted up bit of parsiey-s
very scrubby bit, too, though there were
plenty OF splendid clusters not far or
Then she said frankly, though still with
her face turned away:
" am SO sorry"
. Are you really, dear? Won't Won,
mother be glad, though? She doesn't
like me much"
No. said Mary. candidly.
"Do you? ''
You have no right to ask me that. u
Have not? And why not, Miss
Mary% 4A-'1
"Becanse-because you have not told
me-whether you like me"
- think called you something, Miss
Mary Salway, few moments ago. !"
giancing up ana down the path; they
We're just in the center of the gorge near
the Low Water Tarn, and there was NO
one in sight. Mary did not answer.
You've forgotten, perhaps, what it was.
dear?" "''
She shook her head.
II meant it. You are very dear tn
me-"
you've only known me nine days."
| His arm, which had been assisting her
up the steep path, was now giving her
much slrer support.
| tAlld to know vo,, q doy ror l..1:
is to love you"
And Mary, her arms full of parsley
fern, was kissed before she could es-
cape. Then little reaction of feeling
took place on her part.
~ don't even know your name" she
said, standing still.
"Of course not, Harry. It's rather a
common name, isn't it?'
Harry" murmured the girl. softly:
"and-and what else? p
"Oh, never mind that. You have not
yet answered my question whether You
liked me-"
eyes. like YOU"
"That won't do, Mary. The question
Is now altered to- love me?"
"You have answered it for yourself, 1
think. Do you suppose [ should have
let you do what you have, if had not p"
And they went up on the hill,
When they reached the top it was I'M
occupied; and seldom, indeed, had it
been gained by two more happy people.
sunny, smiling world stretched round
them from sea to sea, the lights and
shadows fitting over the green sides of
the Old Mans brethren; while below.
lake beyond lake reflected the sky, and
round them, peak beyond peak the
mountains stretched as far as the eve
could reach. Only Scawfell's summit
was yelled in mist. They stood by the
earn, and for moment almost forgot
one another in thegrandeur of the sight,
No, not forgot one another: rather il was
the thought OF the others presence
which tinged with a brighter ulster the
brightest sunbeam on the distant lakes.
No wonder that they sat down by the
calrn, taking no vely careful note of the
passage OF the time. and talked more of
those sweet nothings than before, AT
length Harry looked at his watch. and
discovered that they had but an honr in
which to make the descent if they wished
to catch the coach.
"The others must have given it up
and turned back, Mary"
81 suppose 80. We must come I'D
with them, or mamma will be so angry
Poor little Mary r.
Don't sir! How misty it has be-
come T.
"By Jove so it has. ought to have
looked out. Have we not the world to
ourselves? But / wish / we're quite
certain which is the side by which we
came up. We must make start, any.
how"
Have you ever, when at the top of
Westmoreland hill, found yourself silent.
ly, as If by magic, surrounded by mist,
from which London fog would, for
density and a power Of confusing things,
hardly bear off the palm? A moment
ago smiling plain, set with lakes, as il
with jewels and trimmed with purple
hills, was before you; a little puff of thin
mist almost transparent rises from some
neighboring gorge, another, and another,
and 10 your prospect is narrowed to a
few yards, perhaps a few feet, of turf
and shale, a cold CHASTITY caim of stones,
and beyond nothing, nothing but mist. |
surrounding your little island like gray
ocean. While all is clear, it is so hard |
for novice in mountains to realize the
difficulty of finding his way in such
state OF things; but the difficulty is very
real. Our hero, who had experience of |
it, was quite at fault, nevertheless; he |
had been too much occupied with his |
companion to notice the direction of the
wind, or any landmarks which might in |
dictate the side on which they had come
up. Once safely upon the path, the foot |
OF the hill might, by patience and care,
be gained; but the summit was stony, |
and on two sides precipitous. He re-
membered that honeymooning couple |
had only week before been caught |
upon Helvelyn and detained all night by |
the mist. Such an adventure would be
much worse for himself and Mary; the |
latter would certainly suffer, so he made |
resolu'e attempt to descend.
Mary trusted to him implicitly, and |
hand in hand they had successfully de-
scended some distance, although the
steepness Of the hillside and its rocky
nature made him feel pretty sure that
this was not the side by which they had I
gained the top. Slip, stumble, slip, here
a few yards of steep turf aiding them,
there the stones giving way under foot,
and warning him at least that they were
on the border of scree. The ground |
grew more aud more treacherous and |
rocky; after stumble worse than those |
which had preceded it, he stopped to
try if their eyes could distinguish any
thing through the gulf of mist into
which they had nearly plunged head
long. No, the curtain was as thick as
ever, and the rain besides was falling
heavily. Then he started large stone |
in order to judge by its descent what kind
Of ground lay in front OF them; three
yards, and it was hidden from sight;
bound, bound, twice it struck the rocks,
and then an interval Of silence, and then
and then sullen distant splash. He
shuddered, and drew the girl back against
hn he Z