Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1888-05-12
from boyhood up, had apparently relinquished the

prize.
Those who knew Edith best could not believe
she would turn lightly away from or readily forget
for this polished stranger, such man as Henry
Minturn, cen though he was only farmer lad.
But as the summer days slipped one by one
away, and the young man gradually withdrew him
self more and more from the social gatherings, at
which his more fortunate rival always managed to
appropriate Miss Edith to himself they grew very
doubtful as to the result.
AS for Edith, she began to question whether she
might not have been mistaken in attributing to
holier, grander passion than he had ever felt for
her, the many little acts of kindness and gallanry
shown her by him, and yet the remembrance of
them brought such pleasure to her always. Like
the sweet cadence of a song, which fingers long
after the singer has ceased to sing, would come
flood tide of happy memories, the recollection of
thoughts half expressed, the full meaning of which
would steal into her heart long after they were
spoken.
1t led her to examine more closely the proffered
attentions of her new suitor for in that relation he
stood to her on that memorable afternoon, and
vanly she sought to fathom the inmost recesses of
her own heart, for she was true to her woman's
nature and wished to give all or none.
Young Minturn had not formed one of the
party pleading as his excuse for absenting him
self from this merry group the necessity of attend
ing to the telling of some timber. He had left in
the early morning, not knowing that the pleasure
party would spread their evening repast in the
glade near that very timber land.
The afternoon sped merrily away and most of
the happy group, warned by the deepening
shadows, had gathered up their baskets and
started homeward, when those who were still
lingering were startled by sharp, quick bark, fol-
lowed by the sudden appearance of large dog on
the other side of the glade,
One glance suficed to show the dog was rabid,
and in less time than it takes to relate it all except
Edith we're fleeing. She had not heard the sounds
of warning nor learned the cause of alarm and
danger until she found herself standing alone I'M
der the widespreadng branches of the beech tree
that had screened them but short time before
from the rays of the setting sun.
Almost petrifed with fright, she saw the dog, a
large, ferocious looking creature, rushing towards
her. and realized in an instant that flight was i'm
possible Fortunately the low spreading boughs
of the beech afforded timely ad and being natur-
ally quick and active, she grasped them firmly and
swung herself up among its friendly branches.
Not moment too soon, for an instant later the
savage brute was swapping the air viciously be-
meath the tree.
Unconsciously the party had uttered cries of
alarm at the appearance of danger. These cries
had reached the ear of young Minturn, who had
lotered purposely in the timber to avoid meeting
them, having learned some time before of their
proximity through the merry peals of laughter and
CAV snatches of song borne to him on the passing
breeze. Instantly dvining some imminent peril,
he had seized an AK and started for the clearing,
reaching it just in time to see Edith swing herself
out of harms way.
1t was but the work of q moment to clear the
distance them, and the next saw the flashing steel
as it fell crashing through the skull of the savage
animal.
Carefully he assisted Edith to dismount from
her lofty perch, and asked if she was hurt She
assured him that she was only frightened, and
.lzI hpr fhnnIy FIN InnG