The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-04-08
WILD BILLS ROSE.

bow hues behind the tall, gray-peaked
mountain tops, whose sombre Jagged
hess, here and there, glinted brightly
where the golden shafts of diaphanoua
sunbeam kissed them. The lurid glow
of the light of the setting sun filled the
atmosphere with wierd, fiery haze;
the grayish yellow sand of the earth
cleaned more golden, and the dark
olive of the outrageous trees shone
of brighter green. A group OF men
are clustered loungingly about the door
of Gruff Rock tavern.
ut amt nuthin' to none of us" one
of the miners is saying, "eXceptin' that
what hurts Bill hurts u.s.
eff Master David means wrong by
the GIRL" another says, and his fists
clinch incidentally. ...
Hole on, Buck" some one inter-
rupts him. IF in all the white-faced
aristocracy there's one gentleman, it's
Master David"
Gosh! l wonder if Bill knows"
/ "Shut up, comrades, here he is"
"A lOIIu, ldll, otul W al I
as an oak, straight as pine, advances
toward the group. He strides to va
cant chair in silence. There's nothing
prepossessingly handsome about this
gruff Westerner, excepting the gentle
ness that turks about his mouth. Bill
had perceived the seemingly mutual
partially of his little Rose and the
bale-faced stranger. Yet, why had
every one perceived it?
| When young Lodding, stalwart
stripping, had come to Pawnee Bill to
tell, in his honest faltering eloquence,
the story of his love for little Rose,
Bill shook the boys hand with kind
heartedness.
Lord" Bill said, 81 love my little
gal better nor anything else on earth
but you're worthy of her, lad. Go ask
the chit, and my heart and godspeed
go with you"
Lodding never preached the subject
to Bill afterward, but his eyes lower
ed and his lips twitched painfully
whenever the great blue eyes of Bill
met him. Rose never mentioned Lod's
name now, while there was time
when she would run to Bill with {
merry laugh to exhibit the rare noun
tain stone or brace of game that Loo
had given her. That was before there
had been question of love, but now
well, now it was different.
|
Among the miners all Conversations
desire seems to have fed, and each
engaged with his own thoughts, SEEM
not to be conscious of the long silence
Some distance eastward, silhouettet
against the transparent blue OF tn
evening, sky, two forms are visible
meandering slowly along the rock,
powders and low-lying cliffs. The fig
whose hat floats tangle of sum
curls. A smile lights the comelnes
of her youthful countenance as sh
places one slender hand in that of he
| companion, who offers his assistanc
from where he stands on juttin
| rock llttle beneath ner.
His lips part in genial SMILE a
though he had said something amusin
or pleasant, and the girls smilin
face breaks into ripples Of laughin
smiles. Pawnee Bill has turned, an
gazes at the tableau in silence. H
utters no word-rising silently, b
moves slowly from the still companion
ship of his comrades. AS he move
from his comrades, they look at hill
in silence. What harm could come t
Pawnee Bills Rose? What woul
that aristocrat be in Pawnee Bill
hands? A helpless atom, reed-wh
F., nothing at all.
do let us stop here. I'm tired, Ma.
ter David"
Rose, why do you persist in calm
me Master David? Do you not ill
David just as well?"
Eyes, but-you see-everybody hel
calls you Master David, and WI
should be different from ahybot
else?"
"You cannot help being that Ros
At least, not to me. Now, to plea
: me, let me hear you say David"
She looked at him, half timidly
first; then, fixing her glance firmly {
his, she says, clearly and sweetly, ID
vid."
"Bravely donel But have not y
finished. Could You not say dear D
vid'?"
The long lashes are lowered no
and her face is crimson flushed.
Couldn't you, Rose?" he pleade
She strives to meet his gaze as befol
but her eyelids seem to droop involu
tarily, and her lips falter perceptj }
as she says, Dear David" She
: too confused to notice that both b
: hands are held in his and when s.