The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-07-12


close the heavens as with a lid and put
an end TO all her imaginings Since her
moonlight walks with Mr. BIun, who
had no scruples in populating every star
in the universe for her benefit, size had
given free scope to her fancy and found
infinite entertainment in the contempla-
tion Of the sky. And now came Mr..
Falck, probably actuated by jealousy,
and declared that it was all fantastic
nonsense and idle dreaming. How could
she be grateful to him for information,
even if information it We're, conveyed
in such hateful spirit
The curate felt vaguely that his sci
entifc discourse was not well received,
but he failed to divine the cause For
10 or 30 minutes they darted away 81
lently over the shining ice, swinging
out now to the right and now TO the left
whenever the horse deviated ever so lit
tie from the straight line. Though the
last misunderstanding had left a slight
deposit Of irritation in Hulda's mind,
she could not long harbor her resent
ment, and when they had abandoned
the river and once more struck into the
woods a couple of squirrels that leaped
across the road gavo a fresh turn TO her
thoughts.
Aren't they lovely?" she exclaimed
in girlish staccato. "They are the dear
reading in a natural history book how
they store up nuts for the winter like
prudent little housewives; how they
keep their pantries in hollow trees, aud
the male and female love each other
dearly and live together year after year
like husband and wife, and both work
for their families and live in peace and
harmony and are indeed models of thrift
and fidelity, and then they are so sweet
and so graceful and so perfectly harm
less. "
Mr.. Falck we'll knew what an un-
scrupulous marauder the squirrel is and
with what villainous sang froid he will
rob birds nest, but he had no desire
TO incur further i'll will by volunteering
unpalatable truths. So he only CHR
ruped "tsch, tsch, tsch' TO the horse
and cracked his whip But this time
Hulda almost jumped in her seat, and
he ret through all the furs how she
gave "a start as if she herself had been
hit by the whip.
why don't you stop that idiotic
chirruping?" she asked with perceptible
annoyance. Don't you see the horse is
going as fast as he camp
Mr.. Falck made no reply, though he
felt the rebuke keenly. His anger was
not on the surface and not easily arous-
ed. Her face was so very lovable that il
disarmed him, made him willing, rath-
er than retaliate, TO submit to whatever
treatment she chose TO accord him.
There was but one thing he could not
afford to risk, and that was to lose her.
All else was of minor consequence.
Mr.. Falck sat ruminating upon all
the complicated possibilities Of this very
complicated relation, and Hulda for
awhile was giving her attention to the
same subject She had forgotten entire
ly that from sense Of piquo she had
set out deliberately TO capture Mr..
Falck, and the odious fact only re-
manned that he had been imposed upon
her as a "burdensome duty, " not by
threats of force, bus by a silent and per
sistent compulsion which was all but ir'
resistible How could any honorable
man lend himself to such a scheme,
taking advantage Of an unfortunate
family necessity TO deprive a girl of hel
liberty Of choice-nay, Of all that made
life precious?
While she sat thus absorbed in bittel
reflections they met long line of horses
driven by peasants who were returning
from fair in the nearest village. SomC
were too drunk TO keep awake, and theii
soberer comrades, knowing that in sucl
condition sleep meant death, were walk
ing them briskly along the roadside
Hulda, TO whom every family in the
parish was known, had the healthy in
terest Of a country bred girl in hel
neighbor's affairs. Quickly dismissinl
her own troubles, she motioned to Mr.
Falck 20 stop, and leaning out Of tn,
sleigh strove 70 identify the reeling rev
elers.
"Why, Lars Nordby," she exclaime,
as she recognized one Of her father
most prominent parishioners, "aren'
you ashamed Of yourself to be coming
home TO your wife and children in sucl
a conditions"
''A-a-a-shamed Of m-m-myselfg' re
peated the festive paterfamilias witt
imperfect articulation.
Ashamed Of yourself, yes shoull
hope you had at least the decency to b
ashamed. "
"C-o-c-ean't say have, the peasan
declared oheerfully as he tackled un
steadily across the road and tumble'
into the snowbank"
And you, Peer Vandsbeck," sh
J CALCULATED as another well known fgur
hove into view, you, who are poo
man and need every farthing youIhak
+ for the support Of your family 1t
simply disgraceful that you should drin
up your hard earned pennies and the
apply to the parish for poor relief. -
Peer was so crushed by the burden c
] his guilt that ne ventured toJnake n
retoTt. Two others raceiYed a aimila