The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-09-03
A CLOUDY DAWN.

sThere Is the corncrake; it is in the
home meadow" said /, pausing to lis
ten. as the harsh, grating, but most
summer-like Of sounds came clearly
fhrough the warm, still air this June
evening, mingled with the voices OF
the children playing in the garden.
Mrs. Hartley listened too, and a look
came into her eyes as though she saw
some other scene than the sunny gar
den and fair, green fields beyond, and
the frightening shadows cast by the
elms, their leaves glancing golden in
the setting sun.
i was sitting in the o~ld-fashioned par
lor, with its heavy oak beams across
the ceiling, its dark, polished furniture
and old china bowls full Of dried rose
leaves, and wide-open iatticed windows,
through which fioated the scent of mig
monet and pinks, while Mrs. Hartley
brought out the sweet homemade CAKE
and the frothing new milk in a quaint
mug Of old china.
aye said Mrs. Hartley; 'the corn
crake. So it is, Miss Nelly. so it is"
Something in her voice struck me.
docs it make you sadP" / asked.
Il like to hear the bird, though it does
make such a strange noise, it always re-
minds me Of summer evenings when
the grass is long"
Eyes, that's when it comes, you
never hear it after the grass is cut. It
reminds me o. my young days, Miss
Nelly"
mind well hearing the corn-crake
that summer hat my mother died, and
4 thought the sun would never shine
fair on me again, so full o. trouble and
death was it-many a long year ago
now was it. Mother had been i'll a
long while, and was nigh dying, for
her life seemed to 60 as the grass. grew.
and we knew she would never bide here
till the fall o. the leaf. Father was a
game-keeper. and we lived in that cot
tage by Northover woods. Me and
Tom Marsden-he was the blacksmith
at Northover-had been counting a long
while, with fathers consent for Tom
was well-to-do snd the forge was his
own. i thought a deal of him, for he
was good to look ut, and strong; never
. lad in the village could come nigh
him for looks and strength. And when
\ first knew him he was main steady
and well thought of by all But there
was a bad lot o. fellows in Northover-
poachers and such like-and somehow
Tom got in with 'em. Father had spo-
ken TO Ten about il, for be said; It's
no good thinkin' tina can pla' wi mud
and keep thy own clothes clean; some
on il wiki stick FOR surer'
Tom laughed. and told fatfer he
could take care Of himself, and, as for
catching q stray rabbit or bird, it were
. bit o fun IN q dark night. and no
harm in it either.
Says. father:
Thou'lt not find ii q bit O. fun II I
catch thee at It.
so they parted In anger. and father
came homo saying / must think no
more o. Tom, for he couldna let his
lass wed a poacher.
This evening when the aask was
falling sal by mothers bedside think
Of il All. Father was in the woods and
,mother asleep. so che house was very
still, and AL the windows open, for It
was that time o. year. And / heard the
cornrcrake IN the field nigh the cottage
IS plain as now, sometimes quite near
and sometimes father away. as it ran
about in The long grass. Presently ii
stopped croaking as though something
had STARTLED 1t, and then there was 4
little rattle about The lattice. like bits
o gravel thrown mp. + got up softly
not 10 disturb mother, and looked out,
and there stood Tom against the fence
with . gun Ia bis hand.
4 non2ght 70 have seen thee at
sundown, Eunice, lass. he said, I've
been wasting this hall hour BY the
brook.
couldna leave mother. I says;
'she's worse and weaker than q while
back and father has gone into the
woods He's main angered At thee.
Tom.
&, aye, be says; ITS about The
birds but it's naughk
Il shock my head.
" father says he'll rot have me we'd
thee Y shon dost not mend thy ways
nd leave going with them poaching
fellows Whist dost thou want with
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