The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-01-11
DESTINY.

keep saying the words over and over
again gazing the while upon the mag
nifcent upholstery of the sky and
the gorgeous beauty of the earth
have a romance to write, or, as a
bi ther author would say, ian arti-
Gle l fancy it will be a true tale l
shall write tonight, for l feel in no
mood for writing romance. One can
not always write romance; indeed,
there are times when one cannot
write al all, as every writer knows to
lhls cost Again, there are times
Nhen the thoughts come thick and
last and the words almost flow from
the pen: when one can take up a
plain sub ect and embroider it over
with beautiful Thought and quaint
ideas till n scarcely recognizes the
original theme.
My talk with you tonight shall be
of one l know and love full well. I
have seen her within the last hour,
sitting dreamily at her window, so
lost in thought that she did not see
me as l rode by ON my way to the
poStoffice-my usual evening ride.
You must know that l am in the
country now, the splendid country,
and shall not return to not, dusty
Gotham for six delicious weeks. But
this is not my story. 1t was a leaf
or two from a heart and life l was
going to unfOld-a life in which my
own was strangely intermingled-a
life whose every phase l knew by
heart; for thou h she kept the inner
leaves of her heart folded over its
deepest feelings, /, even l, had once
or twice passed beyond the penetrate
further than which no other human
soul had ever gained an entrance,
neithe would they in the years to
Come.
IL was a balmy evening III June,
the hours creeping on toward the sun
set. Here and there, on the hill-tops,
the sunlight still came hltering
through the trees, t!ecking tn, velvet
sward with patches OF trembling gold.
In the valleys, the long, cool shadows
crept upward, hcralding the dying OF
the day. Forth from their leafy
,hambels came Il troop OF insects. and
set up their usual C ening concert.
The cricket that HAD sang in the
warm jamb all winter. opened the
concert, : nEing his sOng to the end
without topping to take breath, and
the frogs, Iillcd with ervv. join d in,
. splrlto. Some timid little LirdS
trillcd in a few trembling notes. and
the lazy OcusJ sang his song IN long,
dIowsy cadenceS, lulling into yet
de per thought the paie-brOWed
woman that sat so still and sad by
the window. She, 100 vas gazing
upon the same brilliant clouds, drift
Ing their purple and crimson and
gold into Il most rare mosaic. The
hush of a ummcr evening. was
around her an folded flowers and
sleeping uirds. Yet. methinks the
summer beauty was lost upon the
dreamer, for her eyes were cast up
ward, as though in anguish or prayer.
Two white hands were claspcd to-
gether. surely there was Il PRAYER
folded in the mail hands, else why
were they clasped so nervOusli n
within the other, while her eyes were
gazing up to heaven.
rawn .c!osely to the window. as
though ion mole lignt, was a table
tiick!v Strewn with. SIS. which Oc-
tuhcncd her calling, though the pen
lay IDLY beside her, showing that Tor
this time, ut least, her art was power
less to satisfy her heart. The mo-
ton c>s lgurc was almost statucslue
III lis Geep repOSc, making one SAD
t. look UPON her-thc twilight tell
50 t and cool till its gray shadows
dralcd earth ard sky. and still the
dr. amer sat thcre-the night closet
q uund her, the r.teiul sooth NJ
n-nt that falls upon all the weary
word. mat folds itself over tired
eyes ana around the weary-hcarted.
The NOM 10 4 full.aLd clear, render
ing the ~wlnteIarc ST IL more white.
Tie be. utiful CALM moon. that lights
up Sc many nights n our W ana
other lands. That brightcns,. into
ricner beauty the flowers sleeping
under trOpic skies, and ga des the
10 or to. the. leet Of his chosen one.
Oxcr many Il love Gscene the moon
light fell; over bra c mep:and heau11
full over purple seas, ana
yoyagers sailing upon these seas; over
precious argOsieS AID ships OF war,
and over this beautiful woman, sit
ting so sad and. silent in the little
brown cottage on the heath. The
beautiful form is there, but the spirit
is Tar away LET us shadow forth a
few of the thoughts and memories
THAI fit before her mental viSiOn-a
fragment here and there, that will
tell somewhat of her heart history.
Her thoughts had flown back years
and years. Before her minds eye
stood a fair child of twelve summers,
her white apron filled with flowers,
which che cr,chod rock1occlv AGAINST