The herald., 1896-08-07
A VISIONARY STORY.

~ have a heart to give" sang Agnes
Grant iii a clear, sweet voice rs she walked
slowly through the woods. Fred Williams
caught glimpse OF her muslin through
the shrubbery and hurried after her. She
seemed TO be intent on her singing and did
not notice his footsteps behind her.
II have heart to lose.
Who'll win it?''
Fred could not resist this. 81 will,
Agnes"
She started when he spoke to her, but,
Oh seeing who it was, held out her hand
with "Oh, how you frightened me!'
"Too bad, but could not very we'll help
1t, you were so absorbed
81 was singing to keep up my courage
and sang whatever caino into my head. I
dreaded TO go through the woods alone. )"
The last plaintivc word received particular
emphasis, and she chung to his arm.
Fred and Agnes had known each other
for years without having any lovemaking
time in their acquaintance. That they
liked each other and were good friends was
a sort of unspoken yet understood affair
between themselves. In their walk now
they soon met other persons, who, like
themselves, had been tempted from the
cottage plaza this warm summer evening
for Il stroll in the woods or longer walk
down to the lake.
A group of young people hailed their
arrival with delight May Harper, a
black eyed beauty, called out quickly,
"We arc waiting for you. We want 10 go
out on tho lake. 1t is just the night to BE-
out on the water. In some way she had
soon managed it so that she was hanging
on Fred S ARM and the two were leading
the party down the path toward the lake.
Agnes had been left alone She shivered
and drew back into the shadow till the
sound of their happy voices grew faint and
finally ceased altogether. Then she went
on down the little path, following, she
scarcely knew why.
May Harper was q dashing girl who
had como to tho cottage but fortnight
ago. But her bright, quick ways had
made her quito favorite, though ono felt
her red lips and sparkling eyes might as
easily do mischief as good-perhaps were
more ready at tho former than the latter.
She had fascinated most of tho gentlemen
from the first day-indeed, I might say all
but Fred.
May was in her most bewitching mood,
and us they tioated idly over the ripping
water in tho little boat, with the silvGry
moon peeping over tho distant tree tops,
Fred thought to himself there was no use
fighting longer against fate. She looked
up in his face with timid, queryng
"Fred?'
Ho bent over her and whispered, Oar
ling. Their lips met, and then her head
rested close to shis shoulder. The silver
moon went under cloud, and they both
felt chilled in the darkness. 1t seemed to
Fred the girl in his arms had turned to
wood that it was moro shell of a body
he was clasping to his breast. He spoke
to her again and again, but there was no
answer from tho lips that were like ice
when he touched them.
For Gods sake, what has happened?'
he cried out. The only answer was L mock.
ing laugh from the distant darkness. III
an agony of fear and doubling he waited,
waited until the cloud passed over. As
the first little dainty moonbeam fell over
her face the dark eyes lost their glare, the
red lips smiled with tho old charming
/ SMILE and Frod in ~ moment forgot all
the previous agony he had gone through.
Tho boat Go.tod back to the shore, and
these two lovo:n who, after lover fashion,
had been l0st from the others of the same
party ever since they started walked ST.
lcntly back through the woods to tho cot
tage. They parted under the troo at the
gate, for though it was lato Fred could not
carry Al his happiness vet into Z 10 w ~