Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-05-23

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Il morning seemed intending tha afta,r...
moon intol cradle. and tea in the homes
i keepers room oppressiyely wearryy.
AS luck would have IL Patty,s yoa1nr
4 MISTRESS went to bed early that night,
The lights ii the lowe: suit Of state
4 rooms were put out at 4 little past ten,
and III o'clock found Patty creeping on
4 tip-toe down the staircase into the
i hall, through whose lattlced win ows
the moon streamed in On to MANY ! t roo,.
! ply Of middle age armor---o d sword
and lance, Puritan leather ierkin, pike
and matchbox and trophies of,dood
and field from the last red deer head
I that graced the chase nigh three hun
dred years ago, to the mask Of the last
gallant fox shat had died before the
hounds in February.
i Nervously she unlocked the door and
stepped out into the intense black shad-
ow of the Great House. Beyond the
terrace the home grass park was 9
blaze Of moonlight up to the Great Oak,
beyond which the broken edges OF
+ e..
tain ash were shadowed in with mighty
blue-black pines. :.
| But there is no time to stay, and keep
ing in the shadow. Patty fits along the
terrace. throuph the arched GALLERY door
under which the grand court ladies' of
former DAYS had slipped their chocolate
with Lady Zouch,' and gossiped while
the men were PLAYING troco on the bowl
ing green outside. Across this to the
little arbor Patty steals like hunted
hare, conscious that there is the only
dangerous spot. A moment more she
has passed the arbor. clambered over
the little stone parapet, and, without
waiting to think of its depth, has jumped
into the moat surrounding the terrace.
! Here she pauses to listen: but no
sound. nor sign. save the bleat of the
sheen and vhinney Of the colts in the
GRASS mark, and. the on;ck nalnitat;ons
Of her own heart.
! Little did; shs susnect that within If
teen feet Of her N the arhor crrmh;no
down his wonder and excitement, SAX
the vonnp so,,ire who to avoid narent.
al objection was ENJOYING his evening
Havana under the moonli9ht: and WHO
had half recognized in the b1aok-cloaked
fie,,re fitting nast the arbor Patty Hol-
den. the, o;rl Of all others he most
wished to have q word With.
| Where could she be going? To see
whom were the questions that puzzled
him To see soma relation or sicl;
friend sba would have onan1v asked for
Ieave ~ for an escorf NJ mis-
nointod to soma c]andnst;ne maotinry
tba with ha would +ake a+e,>s 70 soe
and hv tox;no har xv;tb II t1rn Il tn his
own 1rof;+
A Pattv,s football, died awav IN tho
soft tnrf tha vonno ,Snn;ra sl;,ned ont
If tha arhor and vanIt;no oyer the
railing dronned into the shadow to fol-
low her footstens 50 soon as she shonld
he fairly hidden in tho Lime avenue.
The lime avenuet How somlre il
seemed to poor PATTY. needless Of the
scent Of tha last few blossoms diving mn.
ON The n1ght--of the Great moths that
swooned and Auttered in and out. She
saw onlv 8 roof Of foliape archinp in a
great shadow. the gray and erisly Stems,
and tho o1ara ut tho n,oonl;oht outs;da
into = h;eh sha 1onrad hut dared not to
sten Anv one from the horse or some
If The men coming home might see her
thera. While in tbe gloom she WAS safe
from all save tho broad of nameless
asomath;ngn stenniner ont and confront-
ino her from behind every tree-trunk.
The end Of the Lime avenue is reached
and the Winchfield road crossing her
path ut right angles CLEANS white in
=
| nv four oiant silver mines from whose
lordlv toms a. s;np1e iackdaw begins TO
chatter as he sees her. and a. the whole
roost take mn the cry. ahe shrinks back
in terror AGAINST the stem of the last
lindan
Rnt il il too late TO 60 back now.
WHY'S life-her own-depends on the
snccess of her ventura The long crass
moon1;t ride, frinped with heather and
marked With scatterin . frs. would soon
give place to the darker forest. in which
there would be more safety; and after a
moments hurried PRAYER, she sped
wildly no the ride amid a chattering
volley from the jaokdaws. The great
silver fir-scarred and scored from crest
to boil by LIGHTNING, the wonder of her
childhood-is passed and many another
noble landmark of the chase. till she
stons at last on the edge of the thicker
forest nnder the shade of the we'll
known Defor1ned Scotch Fir. which.
unable through some youthful injury
TO rear a head "a nroudly a. his brothers
m either side. had perversely crown
outward and downward till t has
| formed bower fit for the Fir Maiden
herself.