Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-04-07

large swollen root which resembled an i'm
mehae huwan toe And straightway al
OK, becoming suddenly enraged, rttshef
upon his t0rcflther, who had to climb tn,
tree IN all haste to escape destruction. Anc
u would surely crush the dwelling in il,
tall, If eyerany accursed Laborde presumed
to lay sacrilegious hand upon it.
oh, yes, it is pricelessm sneered the
carpenter when Luke came to confide in
him all these superstitions And be scorn
fully added
but, my dear fellow, on no condition
now would give you my daughter: you
are too much of a simpleton for mep
Luke felt his jaws clenching, and went
home again, And one day he saw a young
man, his rival, also cap in hand, enter the
| dwelling of Louise's father
God save met He is going to ask her
hand" exclaimed Luke. And he gazed at
the pine tree with savage eyes.
Louise sometimes IN the evening, when
the wind was lisping tender things up
yonder in the slender boRgbs OF the pine
Louise, pensive and pale, would look uu
utterable things in Lukes direction. But.
10! Luke would look at nothing but the
patriarchal pine tree, and he would enter
his dwelling again shivering us if the snow
had fallen upon his heart. He no longer
slept. He grew thin, The i'll cultivated
lands yielded but scanty harvests
The young man-his rival-was constant
iy going to the carpenters house. One day
Luke said to himself
What il il be true after all that am
but a simpleton"
10 r,ro,., l.
spoke ungentle words to the oxen When
Louise's voice reached his ear he started rs
If he had heard the cannon thunder
One night, as be lay awake, he heard
Louise weeping in the orchard Another
time he heard-yes, distinctly heard-the
sound Of a kiss
"Ah, the other young man is leayiDgP
Luke leaped up. His eyes were starting
out Of his head and he was blowing like a
northeast wind
Now, then, he said, running to the car
penter's house, cut it down if you will.
give it to you" And thus saying he sank
down into a chair.
IL was not TOO late. And Louise wept for
joy. Yes, she would be Nine. Luke La
borde. Luke wept also.
And the pine tree2 1t was laid low a
few days afterward, and it was Cazade
the carpenter, who managed the affair
Four stout ropes were fastened TO the TOP
Of the tree; and two men, with naked
arms and barred tbroats, breathing tenn
pestuously, attacked it with dreadful
force, setting at it with their broad iron
axes, keeping time as they struck
Luke, trembling, stationed himself a
hundred PAGES from the tree, and looking
on Mt the monstrous murder, he started at
each blow Of the AK as if they were strik
ing into his flesh. The tree still stood
erect, with scarcely tremor And the
fragments of wood which few from its
open sides came forth yellow, came forth
bleeding, while diffusing over the murder
ers their invigorating ard resinous odor
One hOur-two hours--three hours, and
the axes ate their way The tree resisted
still. At the sight great drops Of perspira-
ton stood on Luke's brow. Yes he had
seen his father die, and his grandfather
and an uncle, but never had he suffered
anguish like this
All Of a sudden the tree sent forth It's
complaint 1t was an indistinct cry at first.
brief and almost inaudibe But gradu
ally increasing in length and gathering
force it grew mournful causing one 10
shudder with horror.
Oh, the cry Of the pinei Luke stopped
up his ears Bitter was the cry, and AT
each stroke its whole bulk throbbed mourn
fully, like a dying man gasping for breath
In the agony Of death it sent forth cry
and was already leaning over
"Fleel neeW shouted Luke; 1T will
crush US allW
Aud he ran-ran instinctively, fearing
that the tree in its fall would stretch forth
its Infatuated branches like elastic claws
and crush in a last embrace all the pyg
mics who were causing its death. On he
RAM
Suddenly long drawn out moan-a
moan in which one seemed to hear the tear
ing away of plant soul Luke, terrified
beheld yonder the vanquished pine totter
on its base and making a great wind with
its despairing branches fall staggering
with a crash rs Of shattered bones.
well, thou simple oneP put in the car
penter, with a loud laugh. thou seest
plainly that il has not revenged itself"
And Luke discovered with amazement
that the dwelling and its inmates still
existed
Anu On Jue udy OF Ine wedding the pine
tree lay prostrate with russell boughs and
motionfess trunks-nor yet did any catas
trophe happen. And a year later when
Luke found himself the father Of "A pretty
rose colored doll Of babe, whose artless
glaRces seemed TO make stars dawn in bis
heart, the lifcless body Of the pine, which
was drying in his father-in-law's timber
yard, no longer interfered
But three years alter-powerful saws
had cut up the old tree into goodly beams.
fragrant with perfume--a strange rumor
suddenly ran forth. 4 Spaniard had
brought the cholera into the land There
we're already three victims in the village
Luke felt his very locks moist with ter
ror Where is il now-the protecting
.ree? The tree which, with its compass
donate boughs Of foliage dispelled the
loXiOus miasma Of the skies2
Still another sufferer from cholera, quite
'lose to his dwelling Luke shuddered
"Oh, God" he stammered out save us
rom the pine treep
An inspifationl He ran to his father-in