The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-08
The Oak Leaves.

OF the most exploratory street car line.
1t was fact that st. Hilda's appear
| ed to be without neighbors, and for that
reason land was cheap and a playground
a thing easy of achievement.
The contract had been given to Halder-
| son later in the year than he could have
| desired, and he saw grave difficulties
ahead Of him if he did not get the walls
| and roof in place before the severe wealth
er. So he put large force of men on
and worked them hard and kept himself
at the task Of pushing the work early
and late
One day when the sky was drab and
the wind kept up a silly shrek through
| the denuded trees, and the leaves were
| piled in mounds, he became conscious of
little figure moving along the out
| skirts Of the grove. 1t was much the
! color Of the leaves, and as 1t crept along
! peering in curiously, Halderson had a hu-
morous idea that it might be the spirit
| Of the orphans come to look at their
future habitation. The little thing had a
| sylph-lke motion. and now and then
some caprice got the better Of her dig
nifty and she scampered among the leaves
| like a kitten, making a great ruStling.
| Her tangled brown hair streamed upon
| her shoulders, escaping from tiny hood
| which she had long since outgrown. Her
| little frock was fringed at the bottom az
] the result of impulsive adventures Hal
! derson was quite fascinated with the an
| tics of this little earth creature-for she
! seemed as irresponsible as a gnome and
| as girotesque-and he made up his mind
to form her acquaintance. This was not
easy to do, for no sooner would he APP
| proach than she would speed before him
| on the lightest of feet in and out among
! the trees. Not caring to make himself
too undignified before his men. Halderson
desisted, and went about his work. Then
the leaf-girl drew quite near-so near that
he could see her eyes and her little tan
ned eerie face
At twilight she disappeared. and though
Halderson looked all about him as he
drove home for some house in which she
would be likely to live he could find none.
There was, It is true, a group of tar pa
per shanties occupied by graders, half
mile to the west, but it did not seem TO
him that she could have come from there.
Moreover, the shanties had been there
since he began his task.
The morning of the next day wore
away without his seeing her, but just
before the early autumn dusk she came
again. He heard her scuffing IN the
leaves before he saw her. but when he
turned, she waved a tantaliZing hand to
him, and seemed to vanish in the falling
shadows of the day.
Where does that child come from?"
he asked one of his men as casually as
he could.
She's the daughter of one of the gra-
ders,' replied the man. II know her
father-he's a Dane. His family only
came out here two days ago. Jorgenson
got tired of patching it, suppose"
towns edge and got his supper. and then
drove back over the prairie Dad again.
past the orphanage, to where the tar
paper huts were. The night was crisp,
and the stars were out, and beside the
bed Of the projected railroad he saw a
huge camp fire 1t looked wild and in
viting, and Halderson urged his horse
on. A sound of music greeted his ears,
too-music of fiddle and clappers. AS he
drew closer he saw men and women
dancing about the fire
dancing about the fire And without any
partner, quite by herself. went the leaf
girl, circling and bending. tossing her
plant arms-the impersonation Of the
wild, windy night.
Halderson, who had more than his
share of Northern blood-considering that
American-felt the inconsistencies go out
of him suddenly He waited for no well
come He tied his horse and Joined In
the innocent revel, and presently he and
the leaf-grl were teasing each other
about the fire. he always pursuing, she
always vanishing.
The women made black coffee after
ward, and there was bread with meat
upon it for refreshment and then Hal
derson drove away in the biting frost.
The doors Of the little tar paper houses
were closed But lights cleaned from
the windows and twinkled in friendly
fashion at the architect as he went on
his way.
After that the leaf-girl and he used to
talk together at the edge Of the grove.
But she was as coy as a squirrel that
chatters at one from a lofty branch. She
brought him little MESA es, such as:
There was ice on the ditch this morn
ing I tried 1t with my toe. It almost
held me. When 1t is hard I shall skate.
Halderson could imagine that she would
skate like the wind. He thought to HIM
self that he would like TO build an ice
boat and put her in 1t under the stars.
Once she said:
II cannot laugh any more. I cannot
run today. Something says to me:
Tngebord. you are not to laugh and run
today"
That Is called a presentiment." said
Halderson. "Your people are forever hav-
ing them. But presentiments never
come true. They are old wives tales"
'I do not know any old wives. I only
know I cannot run" She held her little
head down and walked sadly among the
shadows. Halderson followed her, and
laid a hand on her shoulder.
You must laugh tomorrow" said he.
cit is wrong for you to be sad. There
are some things. like squirrels. and birds,
and you, who ought always 10 be gay
But she walked slowly with dropping
head for all Of what he said.
The next morning brought news TO him
OF a bad dynamite explosion among the
road-makers. The leaf-girl's father was
killed. and his wife was only Iugebord's I
step-mother. At twilight she had not !
come. 50 he went over n her. She was I
sitting in the hut beside the dead man. /
keeping watch.
Il am saying all the prayers" she said /
gravely. Il suppose he must be usuch I
afraid at being dead. Il must be hard (
getting used to Cod" Sire fen 20 pray 4
ing again. and Halderson went out
Pct It was he who saw 70 = proper /
burial for Jorgenson and the two other f,
unfortunate VICTIMS OF the accident Inge- B
bO-d was grateful, and came down 10 ter /
him 50.
But what an 7 70 do now?" she n I
CURED. Ny stepmoth~r. she must work 4
10 care for her own children She can I
not also work for ne" she looked with F.
m0urnful eyes at the murky sky. and The /
wind blew her sad uttie garments about f
her.
Il know" said Haldersou. with an IN 4
spiratio1. See. tomorrow the good Sis +
-ers move in the Far wing there ~ the +