The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-02-12
From the Argosy
WILDING'S SUMMONS.
CJnciWied Hcrt Wc,k.l !

tue Dl"SlnHS Heii uOn KNOW that
l remember any stories, and If l did,
they'd be rather rough ones'
'Oh never mind their being rough, Ber-
tie; it would make them sound all the
better
Would it, indeed, Miss Kate. rccol-
lect something that happened to mc-or at
least, under my own cyes-beforc got as
far as the Disgings. You might like that,
particularly if you have belief 10 the super
natural. 1t is undcniably true, and it is
quite appropriate to the day this day, /
mean, when we arc now sitting together
oh, tell it; do tell it, Berthe
1t was New Years day. Kate and l,
brother and sister, aud fixtures in the old
home, had welcomed the wandcrer, Robert;
only two days before, after his long rovngs.
1t seemed that VIC could not make enough
of him, or that Kate would never cease
plying him with questions. We two
brothers were older by several years than
she was. All the uuces. and the
cousins aud the aunts were coming
t. dinner in the evening but this was
only afternoon, and We had gathered round
the blazing fire i'll the dark January day,
after the luncheou-tray had been removed
'Pleasc tell it, BERTHE. What are you
waiting for ?
So BERTHE began his tale:
Il was for some time in the pine forests
Of Maine, If you remember, sharing the
pleasures and pains, the good and bad luck
Of clearing surveyors camp. Que after
noon-it was'the last day of the year
when the labor Of the day was over, dark
ness came swiftly down upon US, surroun-
ded as we were with towering mountains
and mighty trees The fires we're lighted,
and We sat beneath the overhangng roof of
the rude hut which formed the nucleus Of
the camp. In front Of US the great fire of
hemlock logs and branches, roared, and
blazed and cracked, as its huge tongues of
fame leaped upward toward tho leaden sky, =,
and made the darkness of the forest seem
yet mere awful and impenetrable. The
ruddy light that shone upon our faces, as
we sat mo,ionless, illuminated another and
more active group close at hand-three or
four who were preparing the game which
had been shot for supper. In front--'
"a dull, dark afternoon, just such an
other at this one: and you were sitting
round the fire as We arc" " interrupted Kate
who could never be silent very long.
oh, very much like this, answered Ber-
tic, with a queer smile. After which he
went on with his narrative. In front of,
and below us, lay the river, its swift cur
rent chained by the ice, and its white sur.
face stretching far out, until it was lost in
the gloom beyond. No sound came to
break the stiffness of that vast solitude,
save our own voices, the signing of the
wind overhead among the pine cones, which
announced that 4 storm was getting up,
the intermittent howl of tho wolf, and
now and then the shril cry of some distant
Loom
Wolves" " cried Kate, in d whisper. Il
should not have liked that. Why do you
stop, Bertie ?
My chief friend in the camp, nay, my
only one, was James Wilding. lie had
come from the old country, no mistakinc
that, or that he was an educated man and
gentleman. Often I wondered what
brought him out in place so little suited
to his refinement, and did not like to ask
questions. Another EngIishman there
was called Gregory the rest were of vari-
Gus breeds; chiefly Yankees. That Greg.
ory had been servant to Wilding, and in
deed, was so still, in degree, we knew ;
but in the camp all ranked pretty well as
equals. Gregory was hearty, honest
man, much attached to his mrster.'
Was he very good lookiug?' demanded
Kate.
Who 2 asked BERTHE, when he and I
b ad had our laugh out. Gregory
No; James Widing'
Very good looking indeed, sister mine.
Fit for hero of romance. Now am to
80 on 2
why, you know you are