Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-08-08
What is death
DENNY'S LUCK.
BY WILLIAM G. PATTEN.

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 eXertcd 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 hi, luck. Denny was dream
or. 1t was his delight to wander away
through the woods or fields, and to lay
all alone amid the sweet-sCented grass
and watch tho clouds as they sailed
along above, or to follow the swift
fight of the swallows as they circlcd
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 II poets soul, but lacked n poets
power of expression.
Denny and INA Porter grew up to-
gcthcr. They were playmatcs while
| children, and their friendship seemed
to grow stronger as they became older.
| Denny was SO kind and gentle that he
seemed much like Il girl himself INA
was little dark eyed, rcd-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 IL
part of his life, aud 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
shiftlcss, dreaming, unluclty fellow.
One night they wandered away
across the folds to an old mOss-covCr-
ed wall, whore they stopped to watch
the sunset INA sat down upon n 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
molten gold. A rich purple haze
stretched down over tho 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 a lamb. A slow
Iy circling crow shouted hOarsely from
away in distant wood.
"FOr several moments they sat there
enrapturcd at the beautiful scene.
Finally INA spoke,
"Isn't it beautiful, Denny" she
breathcd.
He drew long breath as though s
sweet spell mad been broken, and his
eyes sought hers.
"Beautiful" he whispered, in a
sOul-thrilling way. yet the wore
does not express it. Painter or poe
cannot reproduce the beauty, the
peace, the love of God there is in sucl
a scene"
Denny said INA, in sudden con-
viction, you should have been poet;
you have poets soul.
II know it" he replied. with touch
of bitterness in his voice; ''but | can.
not put my thoughts on paper. have
tried, lnza, but | cannot express ;
hundredth part of what there is within
me. 1t is my luck TO be thus unfortu
nate.
For long time after this they die
not speak, but Toasted their eyes or
the scene before them. Finally Denny
took inza's hand, and gazing into he
dark eyes, said earnestly:
'Inza, love you. You know thi
already. We have grown up together
and our affection for each other has
been no secret yet now wish TO tel
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 /
have" she confessed falteringly-'.
have not allowed myself to think o
such things, for it seemed that whel
you spoke such words you would tea
us asunder forever"
"Why?' he asked, hoarsely. WIN
tear US asunder? If you become IN,
wife that will simply bind US closcl
together"
Denny" she spoke softly. "can yor
support wife? We have been to
gether from childhood and acknowl
edge that love you, yet would | no
be a burden on your hands? You have
nothing with which TO begin life, anC
you say luck has always been agains
i you. Would not your situation be still
? worse were you marricd?'
For few moments his head fell up
7 on his breast. They sat there il
l silence. From pasture far ava,
came the mellow sound of COW
bell and the crow that was still
= Circling over the woods uttered few
harsh cries.
9 Suddenly Denny started to his fee
+ and stretched his hands toward the sun
painted west.
$ There is gold therem he cried
Gold in the western land! You ca
: sec it reflected against the sky! Inza
] am going there to make my fortune
From this hour | am going to be
man and, Dennis Lowry's luck shal
change. ! will come back rich to CLAIM
you, INA. Yon will wait for me
darling?'
Words were not needed for tn
answer; one look into her dark eye
was enough. He clasped her in hi
arms, and for the first tina their lip:
met in "a kiss of true love-
A week later Denny started on hi
journey.
Soon she received letters froi
! Dcnny-hOpeful, encouraging letter,
She answered them ali trying to chez
him who was working for fortune
= and her. He was in the mines, toiline
Z sweating, hoping. Others were mai
ing big strikes and securing fortune.
a it wanld be his turn soon. But SLOW
4 ly a GEAR dragged by and still Denn
: was as far from fortune as ever. Hi
old luck hung by him like n spectr,
i Finally he ceased to write. In2
was tortured by hope and fear. Ha
he made a fortunate strike and WI
coming home or was he sick, perhap
dead? She could not tell.
Another year wore away and the
n INA was married. 1t was Il match
her parents making. and she conseu
ted, TO please them. Her husbar
WAS n well-to-do young farmer, an
} was really fond OF her, INA -four