Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-07-23

M. Falck sat lost tn admiration of her
courage.
tain ridges, and the black line Of the
pine forest traced itself with the sharp
ness of q silhouette against the radiant
horizon. Hulda, impossible as ever,
heaved a sigh of surprised emotion and
broke into a long ecstatio "Ah-h!"
Presently the aurora borealis flashed
across the sky with bright, fanlike
blades Of pink and white, and to her
fancy the stars seemed to fare up with
a keener brilliancy, and all the vast sky
was an ocean of light.
"Oh, it is beautiful to live!" she
murmured to herself rather than to him,
for he was yet under the ban of her dis
pleasure. "How you can soar above all
human pettiness when you see q scene
| like this! 1t seems as If ones bosom
were too narrow to hold its delight, as
if the heart must break with rapture"
Unhappily Mr.. Falck fancied that he
was being addressed in these mere i'm
personal CALCULATIONS, and under the ex-
treme discomfort of feeling himself un.
equal to the occasion he forgot the pro-
hibition against chirruping, and giving
the horse IA cut with the whip he emit
ted the fatal ''Tsch, tsch, .tsch."
So cruelty did the harsh sound jar
upon her exalted mood that, beside her.
self with irritation, she kicked
off her footbag and leaped out Of the
sleigh. There she stood, pale and pant
ing, with flashing eyes and distended
nostrils, and her shadow, ~grotesquely
distorted, stretched across the snow.
Mr. Falck, stunned with surprise, had
pectantly, a. if waiting for her to recov-
er her senses.
81 hope you will pardon me" he be-
gan after awhile. II forgot all about
it's being annoying to you"
She could not trust herself to speak
yet, but the anger died out Of her eyes,
and he fancied he read in them a half
compassionate contempt. He lifted re-
peatedly the fur robe and stopped to
open the footbag for her reception, but
she ignored all invitations and remain
ed rigidly standing where she was. yet
measuring him with that chilling, un-
comfortable gaze.
REALLY, Hulda," he went on. with
a weak attempt ut authority, "you will
catch your death of cold unless you get
back into the sleigh Instantly"
She smiled now outright, though it
was an extremely unpleasant smile, and
began to walk slowly along the roadside.
"But, Hulda," he cried in distress,
shave you taken leave Of your senses3"
mo-" she answered quite coolly, II
have just recovered them"
"What do you mean by that?''
He did not dare chirrup to the horse,
but gave him a light touch Of the whip
80 as to start him. Keeping pace with
her, he anxiously watched for signs Of
relenting and finally repeated his query.
II mean" she answered, THAT I
have taken your measure and discovered
how small You are"
Taken my measure? When did you
do that?"
my dear MI. Falck, that idiotic
chirrup gave me your soul measure"
II really don't understand you"
II know you don't You never did
understand me. You never will UNDER
stand me.
but why is it necessary that I
shoulds' he queried with deep humil-
ity. for he had discovered BY this time
that she was in many ways his superior.
lis 1t not enough that ! love your"
II thought 80 once, but I think 90 no
longer. Without sympathy and mutual
understanding love IL impossible. and
even il it were possible 1t would bring
no happiness"
he had been driving in step at her
side during this ~colloquy, being haunted
all the while by the dread lest abe i'm
peril her life BY her imprudenca. The
Thermometer wa At least 90 degrees be-
lqw seru. Eyss1- stsax hsiz n her tam.