Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-09-16
A CLOUDY DAWN.

81.
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.
was sitting in the old-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 latticed windows,
through which fioated the scent of mig
monet and pinks, while Mrs. Hartley
brought out the sweet home made cake,
and the frothing new milk in a quaint
mug of old china.
Aye" said Mrs. Hartley; 1.-The corn
crake. So it is Miss Nelly, so it is"
Something in her voice struck me.
Does it make you sad?" l asked
81 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"
Yes, that's when it comes, you
never hear it after the grass is cut. 1t
reminds me O. my young days, Miss
Nelly"
1 mind well hearing the corn-crake
that summer that my mother died, and
l 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 q
long while, and was nigh dying, for
her life seemed to 90 as the grass grew,
and We knew she would never b.de here
It'll the fall a.the leaf. Father was q
game-kecpcr, and we lived in that cot
- tage by Northoyer woods. Me and
Tom Marsdcn-he was the blacksmith
at Northover-had been counting a long
while, with fathers consent, for Tom
was wcll-to-do and the forge was his
own. thought a deal of him, for he
was good to look at, and strong; never
lad in the village could come nigh
him for looks and strength. And when
l first knew him he was main steady
and well thought of by all. But there
was a bad lot o fellows in Northover-
poachcrs and such Ike-and somehow
Tom got in with 'em. Father had spo-
ken to Tom about it, for he said: It's
no good thinkin' tina can pla' wi mud
and keep thy own clothes clean; some
on it will stick for sure"
Tom laughed, and told father he
could take care of himself, and, as for
catching stray rabbit or bird, it were
bit O fun on a dark night, and no
harm in it either.
Says, father:
"'Thou'h not find it q bit O fun if
catch thee at it
so they parted in anger, and father
came home saying / must think nc
more O Tom, for he couldna let his
lass wed a poacher.
This evening when the dusk wa.
fa.ling,l sat by mothers bedside think,
of it all Father was in the woods ant
mother asleep, so the house was very
still, and all the windows open, for il
was that time O year. And l heard thu
corn-crake in the field nigh the cottage
as plain as now. sometimes quite neal
and sometimes father away as If par
obo,,t IN tbo 1o,,r GROSS proso,,t1,, :
stopped croaking as though something
had startled if, and then there was
little rattle about the lattice, like bit
o gravel thrown up. | got up softly
not to disturb mother, and looked out
and There stood Tom AGAINST the faro,
with a gun in his hand.
..I tboroht 70 bovo soon .h,o
srrdown Ennfoo Iass1 ho said ~
been waiting Il ii, half hour bv tb,
brook
".I conldno Icovc po.bor, e,vs
she's worse and weaker than y Will,
back, and father has gone into tn,
woods. Hes main an~ercd 1T thee
Tom
go, ave he SAYS. .ft,s ahout III,
birds. but it's pauoIt,'
II shook INV bood
.Fo+bo. cave bo,u mt boro NM ,uo,
+boo - t,or 49, 49, n,,,I 49, ,,,aI,
ond 1oo,,o o.,,i,o. ,,;,l, .I...,
follows WIZ dost t,o,, u,dnt ,,,i,i
tbemp Tbon mayor ,,-oJ 70 hood src
ill.,,
:. .,;;ris rorob+ T., fno+ about lac.
they're none so bad as thy fathe
thinks. I'll oct shut on 'em vbe
we re we'd
What art thou doing with gun!
asked him.
Nay lass, thou art getting to
curious. Maybe I'm going shootin
hittermice' he says laughing.
Thoul't break my heart, Tom,'
says-'what with mother nigh to deatl
and father angercd with thee. and tho
ooinp IN this poit'