Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-26

And now he has gone-there, there,
my maid" for he saw her chin culver.
nhe will come back. Mayhap there'H
be no battle.n
lhey We're silent a few moments
longer; then he said: (Which way did
your father and brother go, my child?"
~ by the turnpike to the White
"Oh, no! oh, yes, of course, to the
White Plains. There" holding IN the
Protrait, "there, I have foresbortened
lhe nose a little too much. When I
nave liked that it will be DONE"
!hen with a few rapid strokes he fin
lSned the sketch and gave it to the
the child.
"Now, what is your name, that 1
may write it beneath the p~rotrait?n
She told him, and he wrote:
"Ruth Phillips, by Philip"
"Ihere," he said, my first name is
me rie same n as your last one. That is
As she stood gazing at the portrait
the young soldier quickly took a small
map from his portfolio and traced with
his finger a highway until it stopped
at a point marked White Plains, Then
ne studied it a moment, and was about
to turn away when the %clatter of
horses hoofs startled him. The rider.
tby the sound, was pressing his steed to
his best mettle. Almost abruptly the
young soldier seized the child and led
hcr to the seat on the rock. Then,
with such t1uency as caused her to
raise her eyes in some surprise, he
spoke of the picture, and was thus en-
gagged, rs he intended to be, when the
horseman dashed by. The horse was
checked as suddenly as though shot
dead, and the young man %thereupon
lifted his tall figure that had been bend
ing over the child, turned slowly, and
when helooked up the weary careworn
expression was again on his face. 1t was
changed, however, to look of surprise
that was not counterfeited as his eyes
fell on a young woman. Though the
soldier steadily received the look that
the girl gave him from eyes that were
rounded with establishment as they
were luminous and searching, yet be
did not fail to note the exquisite picture
that she made. The high and jauntiiy
poised riding hat that the burning
leaves of a maple almost touched as
with a fiery plume; the thick coil OF
hair, the complexion that was brighter
than that of a leaf that almost rested
on the cheek; the figure seated as
though horse and rider were nodded
together; the coal-black animal gently
paving the earth, all backed by the
brilliancy of the forest, this picture
gladdcned his artistic eye. Yet his ac.
tive mind was busy with queries as to
her identity. But the little girl solved
the question. She said: ooh, Patty,
see the picture of me the man did
draw"
The older sister put out her unoccu.
pied hand and received the portrait, not
yet taking her eyes from the soldier. Al
last she glanced at the portrait, then
scrutinized it more closelytill it seemed
to the young man that many minutes
had passed. At length she turned tc
him, and said: 'You did this!"
The soldier bowed, and the young
woman made mental note of the grace
with which this m soldier made
courtesy.
"What for?:" she asked, though he1
tones were not SO abrupt as the words.
"The little maid pleased me-"
sit is almost perfect"
"I am as well aware as you that it is
not So"
ssWbN ara Won psf
He smiled slightly, for he could not
help it, at the imperious manner of the
girl, but he said, quietly: "a Cont
mental soldier"
''You were i'll, mayhap, and fell be.
hind.
The soldier bowed.
"Don't you know you are on danger.
Gus ground. You are within the Brit.
ish lines"
II hope soon to be safe"
The young woman gathered up her
reins, saying as she did so: 'Ruth,
YOU should not stray so far from
home. Come with me-" Then she
seemed to hesitate, and at length said
to the young soldier, who had not
stirred: elbow long time needed you
to draw this?"
s.But a few minutes"
"They are precious. Dare you draw
mine?"
.'It would be a pleasure"
":Will you?"
..Remain, then, as you" Again
drawing forth his portfolio and fixing
one long, searching glance on the girl,
he began his work. AS he went on she
had both desire and opportunity to OBJ.
serve him. She saw that he was tall,
sinewy, young, and, as he looked up
with the inquiring glance Of the artist,
it was impressed upon her that he was
handsome and strong beyond all men
she had aver seen. She saw the quick,
sometimes strong, sometimes delicate
strokes of the crayon, and saw grace in
both. He venturned not a word. AT
length the girl said: "Who is your
commander?"
He seemed not to hear, and she asked
again. Without pausing in his work he
said: "Colonel Tyler Of the Seventh
Connecticut"
"You are from below?"
II was"
s'That is what 1 mean. You were a
portrait sketcherp"
eyes, in New York, before the war"
Suddenly she said: s.DO YOU know