Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-03-25


Where we saw two faces looking up
And kisses chasing kissesf
brown faced. blue eyed. barefoot girl
The angels. how they love heri
A barefoot boy with bleeding feet,
Her constant gray haired lover
Will search the paths of heaven some day
For such n nook as this Is
And find, perchance. this very pool,
With all Its treasured kisses
Edward A. jerks In Granite Monthly.
THORLINDA.
The morning wind blew freshly up
the ford along the hillside, futtering
the red kirtles of two chieftains who
stood there and ruffling the white swans
wings that decked their helmets. AS the
cloaks Of the warriors streamed back
ward the April sur hit sparkled gayly
among the rings II mail coats and
flashed upon 1mmels of their
swords, w hey turned or
moved. the war ak
each der shot back
t.
.ners-Thorolf and
tall men and good to
Thorof, the elder, was
BROAD and fair, while Gud-
do of slender build. His eyes,
.,ere dark. His neck and forehead
ere shaded beneath his helmet by
waves of blue black hair.
On the beach before them the brown
armed seamen had pushed their ship out
into deep water. Her prov only still
muzzled in the sand and held her steady
against the shoreward wind and the lap
of the harbor waves. Her crew had
slowed the last barrels Of beef and casks
of mead for the voyage, and now enc by
one they clambered in over the bow, and
seating themselves at the thwarts each
hung his leather covered shield outside
the gunwale. Then they tossed the long
ashen oars blade upward and dropped
them into the tholepins, the fiat blades
slapping the water as they fell. After
fastening the leather thongs that held
the oars in place against the wash of a
head sea the men sat silent, lingering
their oar butts, waiting for the chiefs to
come aboard.
Folk had gathered on the hill to watch
the vessel sail. In front of the little
group stood vikings daughter, very
fair and taller by head than the wives
Of the fishermen and villagers. She was
Thorlinda, cousin to Thorolf and Gud-
mund, and she was the beloved of Tho
rolf. Wonderfully beautiful she looked as
the wind blew back the linen drapery
across her breast and limbs and rippled
the wreaths of red gold hair about the
fullness of her throat.
Thoroh stood near her, talking little,
but with his eyes upon her face, smiling
ever at the words she spoke, though the
smile was sad one and passed as
quickly as it came Gudmund spoke no
word nor smiled, but stood as one who
wishes to be gone, his dark eyes gazing
beyond the ford mouth to where a
glimpse Of the ocean glimmered grayly
through the Yast clearing haze The
helmsman called that all was ready.
Thorof turned and took Thorlinda in
his arms Gudmund still gazed seaward.
and none saw that just when the lovers
lips met his right hand frightened about
the AZ hilt until his fingers grew white
and bloodless while wildness cleaned
from his helmet shaded eyes, Yet when
Thoroh put aside the maiden arms and
leaped with q rattle of wargear to the
beach Gudmund turned to her quiet
face, met her smile a moment, looked
down and silently followed his brother.
AS the chieftains strobe to the stern
the rowers backed water with a swirl Of
foam and a shout. Then the helmsman
threw his weight against the steering
oar. the bow swung round, the carved
dragon head at the bows seemed to
stretch its neck seaward, snuffing for the
broad sweep Of the ocean, and to the
measured roll and chant of an oar song
the ship glided down the ford.
Yet as she nodded lightly to the har-
Dor chop Gudmund staggered where he
stood and pressed his hands to his face.
Then he went forward, ran out an oar
and swung steadily with the beat of the
rowers. ThoroK stood thoughtful, gaz-
ing above the simmer of the wake to
where figure fluttered white upon the
AAhSANCB ahA sOhothAbH VI al
most smile, was in his look, for her
kiss still lay hot between his lips.
Presently he turned and looked for.
ward and saw where his brothers. mail
coat cleaned among the blue jenkins Of
the seamen. Yet his face he did not see,
for Gudmund's dark hair was blown
about his cheeks and forehead as he
swung to and fro. Thorolf watched the
sweep Of his brothers. oar blade as it
lAshed through the water.
"Ah, Gudmund." said he, "you part
lightly, and your heart goes out before
you to new lands. For me, feel as
though my heart were left behind with
Thorlinda. yet my bosom is no lighter
for its loss
Aye" said the helmsman as he