Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-07-12

| Beautiful birds have pIumage,
Beautiful thoughts fy high;
The poets song cannot slumber long,
Its track is the boundless sky.
| Under the infinite heaven
| Never a wing unfurled
But shah find its way to the verge Of day,
And fash on some wondering world
Laura Bell in American Magazine
| THE M00NSHINERS.
The girl closed the door of the
crumbling spring house. Her express
sion was alert and expectant--her
movements sluggish, almost dilatory;
and yet a chilling wind whistled
down the holes of the rotten roof,
through the gaps and ehinks between
the worm eaten logs; it tossed her
brown hair, crimsoned her pretty
cheek, all UNDECIDED. Miriam Sagsby
| did not feel the northerly
gale Her gaze fastened itself
upon the thickets of laurel, sassafras
and creeping bramble, where a mar
row path, oplya few yards away, alb
ruptly disappeared The spring bulb
bled out from under huge rock, be-
hind which ran deep ravine where
sunlight never penetrated the great
pines, even at midday. The spot
could not have been more wildly
somber; but there was safety in
that black abyss, serviceabIe more
than once within Miriam memory.
Her smile broadened into a pleased
| laugh as the tapping bushes were
| pushed aside, and a man looked
| warily about him before quitting
their shelter--a man in the rough
home-spun of mountaineer, but
bith the handsome face, soft hands
and understandable aspect of one used
| to ease and luxury.
'.It's you, DR.. Heathelp she ex-
claimed in well feigned surprise.
"Who did you think it was, Miriam
inquired DIR, Heatbe, his keen. rapid
glance darling with lightning rapidity
into every dingy nook and remote
shadow. There was something pain
fully apprehensive in the watchful
scrutiny continually in those restless,
suspicious eyes, as well as the tirll,
hall menacing hold upthe rife always
carried or at hand for instant use.
Have you seen any strangers he
questioned.
strangers? How should |? Strang-
ers don't come this away, onliest
they're arfter the moonshiners, she
| laughed
Don { they?" he said, without echo
ing the laugh There are worse
| things than free stills.
Last winter when ] went downthe
| ridge to Odds Corner to school, the
| guy 'ment men were arfter the moon.
sinners, en- they met me one evenin'
whenst Use a-crossin' Diffikil branch,
en- offered me new dress to show the
| way to ole Tim SINNERS"
.'Did you do it," and again that
sharp glance went off on its perpetual
search for secret danger.
"Do it?f she retorted scornfully.
DO You think Ed tell of anybody"
Perhaps yon didn't know"
But did know. she triumphant
~ asserted. Il knew Jest where the
'stilF was, en- | knew they were
a-goin off that night with a load, but
I'd die befo' I'd tel of EN-.
Are you as brave as that, Mir
iam?" The modulated tone became
earnest and anxious; his gaze rested
on her fine, glowing face full minute
before it Travelled away upon its tire
less hunt of something or some one
never absent an instant from his
mind. Gould you, mt the peril of
your life, save men tracked like wild
| beasts?"
IF 'twur father, now, I'd like to
see EN- catch him while I'm about,
onliest father don't have no mo- to
do with the free stills. When he did,
| KEEP him safe, en- give him the sig
nal if ever II stranger prowled the
ridge" returned Miriam; 'but you
| amt no moonshiner?"
| "No, Miriam, not moonshiner;
but would you stand by me in that
way, my girl, and care what became
of n stranger
you have been on the ridge six
months or better--vou are not Il
stranger, she interrupted.
No; not stranger as these peo-
pie see il" was the half ironical re-
ply "But, Miriam, would you care
enough to marry me? | mean to
stay here in the mountains all my
life-spend my days in these pines
where no one will ever see me. Does
it matter to you that / don't want
any one to see or know of me?''
A more vigilant apprehension
gathered under the intensified sus-
pense. She had hesitated and averted
her face. The crystal surface of the
water at her feet reflected the superb
grace and manly beauty ofthis stran-
ger, so unspeakably different from
the rugged sun hardened habitants
of ridge and hollow. The girl turned
slowly toward him.
Il know yot've got sommut to
hide from" she said quietly; "but
for all that, DR.. Heathe, you're bet
ter than ] am-you're quality breed,
and am only the old moonshiner'
daughter
Hush, Marian;l What does it
matter what | VASE he broke in
passionately. You're too good for
me. Only say that you will marry
me and care for me, scoundrel that
am, added the man bitterly.
A dauntless resolution depicted it.
self upon Miriam's count enance, as
she lifted her lustrous eyes and held
his shifting glances by the subtle
force and fire in their depths.
Yes, LII marry You, en- stand by
You, too-stand by you en- help you
true en- faithful, i'll am onliest a
moonshiner's daughter, I'll say it en-
promise it, efso be you're true en-
faithful To me-,
| The harrassed tenison of Heathc S
countenance relaxed
You have bound yourselfto stand
by me and love me. I'll hold you to
| it,
II want youto hold me to it, onliest
| want you to do the same by me, ;"
she replied
Relinquishing his gun for a mo-
ment, he drew her into his arms and
kissed her tenderly, then, with aguilty
start and involuntary glance around
him, released the girl and lookup his
weapon.
I'm scoundreI toask it, !" he said
with a forced, angry laugh, ignoring
the amending request.
tMirry! Mirry! called shrill voice
| from the house