The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-07-13
CHAPTER VI.
Mar. 10. S.

Both Miss LacroiX and myself waited
impatiently for news from Freeman III
London. From day TO day | expected
letter: and day after day when | met
her. either in Jacques's cottage or in
the little clough beyond Timpcrley Hall,
/ had to tell her that no letter had
come. She quickly began to show signs
of that hcart-SickneSs which III the
young is SO ready to follow upon the
steady. indefinite postponement OF nope.
In my efforts to encourage her | en-
couraged myself also to believe that an
IOverruling Power was holding this mys-
terry in hand for some great purpose,
only to reveal it eventually with the
more force and effect.
| One evening. when / met her in the
clough. we were both startled and ST.
lenced 10y the clear note of bird--a
/ liquid "ioug- -ioug'
! lis il thrush" ! said in a whisper.
She listened breathless, almost pant
/ ing. with Joy.
Oh she whispered at length. 1T is
a nightengale-it is Il nightengale. and.
poor girl She actually soDbed How
can the dear little bird have got SO far
out Of its way as this dreadful place.
she was. | also was convinced it was a
nightengale. and | saw and felt more
clearly than | had ever seen or felt
before what horror and desolation
life for her in Timperley must be. Tn
derstanding this. longed more and
more to take her out Of it into the
brightness and JOY. and hope natural
to youth. into the innocent pleasure af-
l.l Il, .+1ysa t.,I is Il1
shady woods vocal with the song OF
birds.
After a rapt attention of some min
utes To the rayishing song, both Of us
We're impelled to 20 away to tell others
Of our delight. The path out Of the
clough led along the ridge behind Tim
perley. past two or three neat little
houses From one Of these we Were
surprised. as we approached TO hear
music and singing Of an unusually fine
quality. II was Just growing dark; &
lamp shone out from a window, ovel
which the blind was not yet drawn. ant
we could plainly see a man seated a
the piano. and girl. slight and small
Of figure. standing with her hands OF
his shoulder. She sang in a voice cleal
and sweet as birds song then mucf
in vogue. called "Ehren on the Rhine.
AS we passed the song ended, and tn,
player turned: we saw his face, and
each exclaimed to the other. why, it.
Frank SO, here dwelt the reason o,
his Indifference to Louise's beauty and
sad grace.
.Oh. what would his father say, i
he knew exclaimed Louise, in alarm
II don't think We'll tell him." said ]
The second night after it had bee1
bruited that the clough. had been visit
cd by the nightingale, men and Womel
Of all conditions We're inquirins thei
way along the roads to the "Nightin
gale Clo1gh.
1t was j strange and touching spec
tacle: the men and women, the lad
and lasSes standing under the tree!
down to the very edge of the discoloret
little lake. and the mischievous boy,
among the branches. all hushed Whil
the summer twilight deepened int
dark about them. waiting patiently TO
the unseen little bird to break forth lik
a voice from Heaven into rapturou
song And when at length. after fey
timid notes. it poured out it's full heart
l heard many Il low sob mingling wit
the strains Of the artless music.
Whether the nightingale took alarm
at this invasion Of its solitude. 0
whether some mischievous person
frightened it. it is certain that by th
end of the week it was heard no more
One evening l was returning home
when old fellow walked alongside Q
me, looking at me hard, and at lenYt
speaking.
1
ITO Be Continuedl