The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-30
A HALLOWEEN STORY,

HAE% Rocky Mountains Is small hamlet
ESIls called Eagleswing. Great snow
crowned peaks rise above it. Eagles build
their nests in tile solitary lightning-defying
pine trees, standing like sentineS guarding
the gold and silver hidden in the heart OF
the mountains.
Lonely canyons lead up mountain passes
from this little cup-shaped town. Weird
winds sweep down them. Panthers, noun
tain lions and sometimes bears come to drink
from the stream that glides over the rocks
from the eternal snow.
This small creek has but one outlet to the
plains "a sinuous pathway narrow,
gauge railroad follows this pathway until
leaving tile foothills it goes as straight as
any bird would fly, to the metropolis OF the
State-DenVer.
There are great Quarries at Eagleswing,
and at nigh. weird fires from lime kllnS
glow and turn the cold gray locks To sunset
hues.
Upon a high ledge, above the railroad,
the quarries and the homes of the quarry
men, is a picturesque hotel. much patron
led BY tourists, a schoOl-houSe, church
and rectory. The rectory-a stone cottage
is the home of Robert NesSelrode and his
daughter Edith.
Twenty years before this story was writ
ten Rev. Robert Nesselrode brought his
young wife, con sumptiye, to the dry at
nOSpnprC OIL Inc hOCkE MOUNTAINS
She fingered ouly until Edith was years
of age. 4 fter her death Rose, a cOlored
woman, who had come with young Mrs Mes
seIrode from her Southern home, cared for
the ministers house and little Edith.
In this mountain town Edith lad passed
the eighteen years of her life. She could
climb Mount Jasper as sure-foOted as the
wild goats, and knew where TO find the first
flowers of spring on the canyons.
One May morning, when the wild plum
trees in the Beaver Creek Canyon were
holding pink-whte cups up to the sky,
Edith, attended by her faithful maStiff,
DRUID. was enjoying ramble up the can
yon. Her long golden hair was floating
about her and her cheeks were rosy with
exercise. Her arms were filled with wild
plum blossoms
Only the roaring and tumblIng of the
creek over the rocks broke the silence, eX-
cept when a huge cone fell from a tail tree
or bird uttered a cry. Suddenly strange
sound, like the wailing of a Child in dis
tress, startled Edith.
High up in a tree, with cleaning, Caring
eyes, crouching, was panther just ready 10
spring upon her. The faithful dog saw the
animal at the same lime that Edith did, and,
as if to protect her and direct the panther'S
attention from her, he harked at terrible
rate. The panther made ready TO spring to-
ward the masiff.
For an instant the wild animal held back.
What picture.
The gray rocks that had stood for centur-
les, the narrow canyons between these walls.
the sky, a blue canopy above, the agOniZed
face Of Edith NesSelode, the wiId-eyed
panther ready to spring upon the faithful
dog.
Henry West saw this picture, appreciated
the danger, raised his rifle and with uner-
ring aim fired, aud the panther rolled over
dead. There IN that grand canyon Edith
Nesselrode ard Henry West met Tor the first
time.
The summer passed and the autumn hung
out its banner Of scarlet and gold. One alter
noon late in October Edith was reading in
her fathers study.
Ali the summer long she had dreamed
beautiful dreams, in which the gray eyes
ana thoughtful face of Henry West
shone out like a star. Listlessy she took
from the shelf a book. The quaint
ness of It's style attracted her. Its
title was. ''Ye True Arte to Reade Ye Flu
ture," and she read: IF maid would know
ye name of ye man she is to marry, let her
on All HallOw even steal QUIT to a lime kiln
and throw therein clue of the yarn, still
holding t. the other end, presently We end
in the kiln will be sharply pulled. Then We
maid must say Who hudsY Whereupon
the voice of her future husband will pro-
nOunce his name, both ye christian and ye
surname"
Should she try the spell? Sometimes she
had hoped, sometimes almost believed,
sOmetin es felt sure that Henry West cared
for her, then again she had doubted. There
was not little superstition in Edlth'S ma
ture, fosterrd by her surroundings and the
tales told her by Rosa.
Should she try the spell? Tomorrow
would be Halloween. Not far away was
an abandoned lime kiln. Would the spell
be broken if she took Rosa aud her dog with
her2
The light step of Henry West aroused her
from her thnuphtS She laid tbp aOcinnf
book open upon the study table as she went
10 meet him. Asking him to enter the
study, she stopped TO speak with man
from the quarries who had a message to
leave for her father.
Henry West, seated by the table, read
the old folks lore"
Halloween! The great round moon
peeped out from behind pine tree as
Edith, followed by her faithful dog,
CT ssed the bridge that Spanned the
creek. Down the canyon came a gentle
breeze, as if good fairies, not witches, were
abroad. On they went. Over Edith's arm
was thrown a skein of soft blue yarn. Paus-
ing before the deserted lime kiln, she, half
afraid, half smiling, tossed one end of the
blue skein into the lime kiln as directed.
Still holding one end of the yarn, she felt
pull, ana she uttered the mystic words.
who hulds?"
Was it the wind? No, it was voice that
said Henry West"
Surely that was true book, for before
Halloween Came again Edith NeSselr0de
and Henry West ere married.
GRACE HIBBARD.