Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-09-27
CHAPTER Ill.

rendering Acacia Cottage secure at
night. Every door and every window
were fastened punctually at half past
eight; then having read a chapter in
the family Bible to the yawning little
maid and her niece, she dismissed
them; and she herself also retired to
rest, with the virtuous sensation OF
having fulfilled her duty to the utter
most.
| Violet went to her room, and having
extinguished her candle, drew up her
blind, opened the window, and let in a
! food of silvery moonlight. The
girls poetical soul was reused almost
to rapture. she could hear the river
as it rippled between the green banks;
AMI then, in the far distance, the night
ingale began to sing.
81 should like to hear it more dis
tinctly," she said.
my aunt could not be very angry
If she did know that / went out to lis
ten to the nightingale's song"
1t was still quite early and the dying
light of day was giving place to the
thought in her nature-loving heart
save that of seeing the fall of the
waters and listening to the nightingale
Little imagining how beautiful she
looked, quite unconscious that she was
committing a great imprudence, Violet
wrapped a black-lace shawl around
her head and shoulders, and crept
noiselessly down stairs. Then she
passed into the dining-room, and, un-
fastening the long window, stepped
on to the lawn.
A sense of freedom and exhilaration
made her pulses thrill All around
was so fair and so lovely to her dazzled
senses.
How beautiful" she cried to her.
SELF II will go to the river first"
1t did not take her many minutes TO
reach her favorite spot, the falls. The
spray shone like diamonds; all kinds OF
sweet, wild, vagrant thoughts fitted
/ through her mind. And then, as she
stood there, tall, dark figure emerged
from under the great group of trees
near the waterfall. She recognized 1t
at glance and her first impulse was to
turn and fly; yet why, she asked her.
self, should she not hear the nightln-
gale sing, IL she chose to do so?
He advanced few steps,
do forgive me-" he said for being
here. fought with the temptation
for five long hours, and l lost in the
end"
What was the temptation" she
asked. II do not understand"
! "You said this morning-oh, how
long 1t seems since then--that you
liked to see the waterfall by moon
light, looked at the almanac, and
found that there was a full moon to-
night: and have been debating in
my own mind whether | should come
or not. II seemed unfair to take any
advantage of what you said uncon-
sclously, but longed to see you a
gain"
"Did your" she asked. Did you
really wish to see me? How strange"
1T is not strange at ALL" he cried,
impetuously, making one step in adj
vance, and then checking himself.
Il thought you would come out to-
night; and, now that l am here, do be
kind to me. Miss Beaton, and let me
talk to you for few minutes"
at is not at all the right thing to
do" she answered. ITO tell you the
truth, Mr.. Randolph" she said, ~
came out to hear the nightingale sing;
il is in the linden tree over there
MAY go with you so far?" he ask
ed 1T would be an untold pleasure
to me-"
She looked at him intently.
Aunt Alice will-well, she win be
terrible angry with me II ever she
knows; but 1t win not always be June,
and the nightingale viii not always
sing Yes, we will go and hear it,"
The dew lay thick and heavy on
the grass; each drop seemed to catch
the moonlight. Lord RIVERS was be-
side himself with delight; his heart
was fun, but he could not speak, the
words would not come, The song of
the nightingale grew clearer and
sweeter.
There is the linden-tree" said vio-
let; We must move very quietly, or we
shall disturb the bird"
With quiet steps on the long grass,
they advanced until they reached the
spot where the bird was pouring out
its marvellous flow of melody. They
stood entranced.
II am glad | came" said Violet after
a time. Il would not have missed it for
the whole world"
81 might have lived forever in the
busy haunts OF men," remarked Lord
RIVERS. land have heard nothing like
] IT,"
''If we ever meet again." she said.
karding him thoughtfully. how
e Il viii seem 70 remember that
spent an hour together in