Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-08-22
DENNY'S LUCK.
BY WILLIAM G. PATTEN.

every one who knew him called him
Denny. He was q TALL rather good
looking, yet slouchy- appearing young
fellow of twenty-five or three. He had
always lived in the sleepy little country
village OF Newton, and every one for
miles around knew him. He was
called lazy and shiftless, and it was
true that nc had never exerted himself
a great deal to prove this charge false.
He was inclined to lay his poor circum-
stances to luck. Worse than being
born poor, he had been unlucky. This
was what he told himself, but people
who knew him averred that he had
never made any vigorous attempt to
change his luck. Denny was dream
err 1t was his delight TO wander away
through the woods or fields, and to lay
all alone amid the sweet-scented grass
and watch the clouds as they sailed
along above, or to follow the swift
fight OF the swallows as they circled
and whirled at dizzy heights. He
would lie thus for hours with his mind
filled with wild fancics OF the future
when his luck had changed. Denny
had a poets soul, but lacked a poets
power of expression.
Denny and INA Porter grew UP to-
gether. They were playmates while
children, and their friendship seemed
to grow stronger as they became older.
Denny was SO kind and gentle that he
seemed much like a girl himself. INA
was little dark-eyed, red-lipped witch,
whose very soul seemed always
a-bubble with mirth. She was unlike
Denny in many respects, yet something
seemed to bind them together.
Denny never knew when he began
to love INA. 1t seemed to him that
he loved her always. She seemed
part OF his life, and his dreams by
night and day were colored by her
presence. And so the days become
weeks, and the weeks months, and the
months years, still Denny was the same
shiftless, dreaming, unlucky fellow.
One night they wandered away
across the fields TO an old moss-cover-
ed wall, where they stopped to watch
the sunset. INA sat down upon fiat
stone and Denny flung himself at her
feet. The sun had just sunk behind
the western hills, but the purple and
gray clouds were painted with the var
Gus colors of damask, crimson and
A
hung about the distant hills, and
stretched down over the woodlands,
growing fainter and fainter as the dis
lance became less. A little stream
wound through the hollow at their feet,
from the farther side of which came
the plaintive bleat OF lamb. A slow
ly circling crow shouted hoarsely from
away in a distant wood.
GtEor eauarn1 rY1Ornauts thav tbara
enraptured at the beautiful scene.
Finally INA spoke.
isn't it beautiful, Denny?" she
breathed
He drew a long breath as though q
sweet spell had been broken, and his
eyes sought hers.
"Beautifulr' he whispered, in
soul-thrilling way. "Yet the word
does not express it. Painter or poet
cannot reproduce the beauty, the
peace, the love of God there is in such
scene"
Denny" said INA, in sudden con-
viction, '.you should have been poet;
you have poets soul.
IL know it," he replied. with a touch
of bitterness in his voice; 'but can
not put my thoughts on paper. l have
tried, Inza, but l cannot express q
hundredth part OF what there is within
me. 1t is my luck TO be thus unfortu-
nate"
For a long time after this they did
not speak, but feasted their eyes on
the scene before them. Finally Denny
took Inza's hand, and gazing into her
dark eyes, said earnestly:
"Inza, love you. You know this
already. We have grown up together,
and our affection for each other has
been no secret, yet now wish TO tell
you that it is not merely as friend
that love you, but | want you for my
wife. Will you marry me?"
INA was startled.
Denny" cried she, ''you surprise
me! have not dreamed OF hearing
such words from you, ana yet II
have" she confessed falteringly-"I
have not allowed myself to think of
such things, for it seemed that when
you spoke such words you would tear
us asunder forever"
''Whyp" he asked, hoarsely. "Why
tear us asunderP II you become my
wife that will simply bind US closer
together"
Denny" she spoke softly, ''can you
support wife? We have been to-
gether from childhood and l acknowl-
edge that love you, yet would / not
be burden on your hands? You have
nothing with which TO begin life, and
you say luck has always been against
you Would not your situation be still
worse were you married."
For a few moments his head fell up
on his breast They sat there in
silence. From a pasture far away
came the mellow sound OF cow
bell and the crow that was still
circling over the woods uttered few
harsh cries.
Suddenly Denny started to his feet
and stretched his hands toward the sun
painted west.
There is gold there" he cried.
''Gold in the western land! You can
sec II reflected against the sky! INA,