Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-08-30
CHAPTER /.

The gray afternoon was wearing on
to its chit! close; the dark cope Of I'm.
movable dun cloud overhead seemed to
contract and grow closer to the silent
world beneath It; and the steep, chalky
hill, leading from tho ancient village,
with It's hoary castle and church, up
over the bleak, barren down, was a
weary thing to climb.
The solitary traveller along that
quiet road moved her limbs more slow
ly, and felt her breath coming more
quickly and shortly, as she mounted
higher and higher, and the gray Nor
man tower lessened and gradually
sunk out of sight behind her. Bn
she tolled bravcly on between the
high tangled hedges, draped with
great curtains of travellers JOY now
a mass OF the sllvcry seed Feathers
which the country children call "old
mans beard" and yariegatcd with
crimson Of briony and roseberry, the
cleaning black OF priyet, and the gold
and orange reds Of Ivy hanglngs: and,
though her pace slackened to n mere
crawl, she did not pause I'LL she
reached tho brow Of the hill, where
tine hedges ceased, and tho broad
white high.rond wound over the open
down.
Here, where the incloscd land ended,
was ii live-barred gate In the wild
hedge-row, and here the weary pcdcs
TRAN, dcposltlng the numerous parcels
she carried on the ground ut her feet,
rested, her arms supported on the top
most bar, and her face and the upper
portion OF her tail figure traced clear
ly against the gray gloomy sky. Some
llnnetS lluttcred out OF the hedge be-
side her, one or two silent larks sprung
up from the turf Of the downlnnd
sloping away from the gate, and some
rocks sailed cawing overhead All
olse was still with the weird, dreamy
stiffness that hangs over the earth on
day of chill east wind haze.
There IL Il brooding expectancy
about such day that works strongly
on the Imagination, and suggests the
dark possibilities Of Irresistible Fate.
There Is an austere poetry In the
purply gray, breathlcss earth and the
dark, unchanging sky, and n mute
pathos In the quiet hush Of weary
Nature, thus folding her hands for
rest, which has an unuttcrable charm
for some Compartments. and touches
far deeper chords than those vibratcd
by the brillianco and joyous tumult
OF life and song In the pleasant June
time, There Is something OF the in
finite In the very monotony Of the
colorIng; the GREATNESS quiet, the
yaguencss OF outline, and dimness Of
the allinfolding mist are full of mys
terry, and invest the most common.
place objects with romance.
The sense OF lnlinity was dccpcncd
In this case by the vast sweep OF the
horizon which bounded our pedcstri-
ans gaze. The gray fallows and wan
stubble-nclds sloped swiftly away
from the gate to II bottom OF vcrdant
pastures dotted with trees aud home
stcads; beyond them were more dim
fields, and then Il wide belt Of forest,
principally of iirs 10 the nsht, til"
valley, in which nestled the now I'M
seen tower OF Chalkhurnc, widrncd
out, bounded by gentle hills, Till the
stream indicating its direction became
river, on tho banks of which stood
tho mist,yciled town of Oldpori, the
tall tower of whose church rose light,
white, and graceful against the iron.
gray sky. cmulatlng In the glory of its
maiden youth for II had seen but two
busters the hoary grandeur of Its Nor
man parent AT Chalkburnc. Beyond
the town, the river rolled on, barge
laden. to the sea, the faint blue line
OF which was blurred by maze of
mnSts where the estuary formed Il har.
Dor
10 tho left Of the tired gAzcr
stretched n wide champaign, rich IN
woodland, and bounded in the far dis
lance by two chalky submits, at
whose steep bases surgcd the unseen
sea, quiet today on the surface. but
sullcn with the heavy roar of the
ground swell beneath. Here and there
In the breaks Of the wood and forest
on the horizon, Almas accustomed
eyes saw some faint gray touches
which IN bright summer were tiny
bays of sapphire sea.
Alma Lee herself made bright
point OF interest In the afternoon gray
ness as she leaned wcarly, and not
ungracefully, on the gate her face and
figure outlined clearly against the dark
sky. Her dress was bright blue, and
her scarlet plaid shawl fastened tight
" about her shoulders, revealed and
suggested, rs only n shawl can. II full,
supple form. Indicative OF youth ana
health Her dark. thick hair was
crowned by small velvet hat adorn-
cd with bright birds wing; and her
dark eyes and wcll-formed features,
rcposeful and Indifferent rs they were
at the moment, suggested latent We
hemence and passion. Her hands and
feet were large the former hare. and
wrapped In the gay shaw for warmth
Alma was not thinking Of the mys
tnrv ond iutinitn DoSStbility suggested