Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-08-29

neadlong down into the water. Scarce two
feet below the surface a treacherous lily root
caught and held her fast; a few bubbles
floating up we're the only intimations Of the
mute, agonized struggle with death, and
when tho water grew clear again the yellow
hair was wound about the serpentine root,
and the childish face, bearing an awful,
still look, and with wide open, staring eyes,
was upturned TO the serene moon.
And Dan did not come.
Every ripple on the Lake o. the Pines was
q CLEAN Of gold, transparent, sparkling,
ever shifting into new and more dazzling
forms OF translucent beauty under the
broad shafts of molten splendor which the
rising sun was throwing forward between
the long needle-points Of the fringe Of pines
along the Eastern shore. When Sanborn
alighted from the early morning tram, the
whole lake was sobbing softly TO itself out
Of JOY at the tender, carressing touch that
the sun had laid upon II, and something
very like the sound Of one Of its sobs came
up I'm his throat and deepened the tender
Light in his eyes as he sent his boat through
the water with quick, impatient strokes.
Over there where the waters always MUIR
INJURED more softly and sweetly than any
where else, Fannie was waiting for him.
Probably the little witch was standing on
the old dock then, dancing up and down in
her eagerness for recognition, and with her
fluffy hair all blown softly about her face;
but he-he would not turn his face until the
very wharf was reached, and then he would
spring out and catch her up like a whirl-
wind, 10 be rewarded with the music Of her
laughter.
But when the boat touched the planks and
CO. ,.1 Il, 81
the child was not there. His wife was hur-
rying across the road, with head I'M
covered and hands clasping and unclasping
TREMENDOUSLY.
"Dy We s'pose any the boarders have took
Fannie out in boat so earlyl" she asked,
in an agony Of eagerness. "Thcy
wouldn't take 'er in Ter night clothes, would
theyi Hev We seen 'er, Danl She's gone"
"Gonep Sanborn repeated duly. A slow,
ashy pallor showed through the sunburn on
his face.
Mechanically he threw the looped chain
of the boat over the nearest post AS be
did so his eyes fell full upon the little
white, set face tossed 10 and fro beneath
the water at his very feet by the careless
surges.
AGO back ter tn house, mother" he said,
gently enough, but laboriously. "They
hev'-taken Fannie, as yer say. think
seen FER. She he'd somethin' around 'er.
Go in. I'll wait-till she comes back"
Drowned FANNIE drowned No, no;
what he saw and could not take his eyes
from was an illusion. Some freak played
upon his vision because the child was in his
mind so much. But II il were a trick, a
sorry jest Of the imagination, why had the
gentle lap Of tho water among the lily
fur- Oh 20, cd
in his ear like a dirgel Not until the wom-
An was indoors did Sanborn stretch him
self out on the wharf, and extending his
arm down into the water, half gropingly,
as though his fingers fully realized the
prank his eyes were playing HIM, gently
disentangled the yellow hair, while the
grayish pallor on his face deepened. Yes,
Il was a dirge after all With such q
tenderness as even he had never shown be-
fore. he pressed the inanimate form rev.
orently against his breast, drew the out
stretched hand against his neck, and with
the fair, dank hair lying upon his shoulder
he carried Fannie down the sagging planks
for tho last time. His step across the road
was slow, apathetic, lifeless. The milestone
Of inertia had fallen about Sanborn's neck
once more.
1t never lifted again.
Long hlltTWdTuS nc SUI Out ulHuL INC
familiar, lstless attitude on the bench
where he and the child had listened hour
after hour TO the splash Of the fish out in
the lake and tho drone of the frogs along
the sedges, and as the full moon came up
Zannie's pathway glistened across the
water. Farther and farther across the
breast Of the lake it crept until its silvery
Tight touched the old wharf, and then the
passive watcher saw the figure Of little
child standing on the planks below him-a
child with sunny hair and light of mex
pressible welcome on its face revealed by
the glory Of the radiance in which it stood.
Sanborn leaned forward, his arms out
stretched.
"Zannie, FANNIE" he called softly, I'M
steadily. ats time to come in, dear "
The old tender smil0 lowered about his
mouth as he sank abruptly back on the
bench, and when the moon stole around the
trees an hour later and cast it's beams upon
the insenate form lying there, the face had
grown strangely cold and quiet. but the smile
q -. AL