The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-03-22

to take in breath and q soft rustic n
very long way off, and there came q
low, sweet voice: "Are you there, Mr..
Penwin?"
Rapture. "Are you?" was all he could
say, and he bounded from his chair.
She laughed gently. "Yes, II got
left behind-as you did, you know!"
~ can't imagine how did it," he
said.
"You were dreaming something beau
tiful in your corner"
81 was!" he cried out, eagerly, and
began to make his stumbling way to-
ward hen voice.
"-something that I shall perhaps
read some day in a great book?" she
breathed, softly.
He stopped cropping with gasp.
Heavens! this was worse than any
thing. She took him-him, for n
writer! He blushed as he stood there
in the darkness. And, of course, how
could she suppose that any guest Of
her father had not written, or was
not about to write, some worldstirring
masterpiece? 1t thrilled him for a
moment to think she had thought him
lcapable even for an instant of writing
something, anything. But the despair
was all the fatter afterward. Well it
certainly was all over now; the only
thing was to get away from her as
quickly and with as little betrayal of
his stupidity as possible. So he blum
dered out:
"Tell ME what | can do to let you
out"
us" she said. very gently, he
thought.
| Us" he echoed, and his heart seemed
to him to stop beating as he said it,
That she should put herself into one
word with him and say "us!"
There aren't any windows" she
said, in voice that struck him as oddly
cain, coming through the tumult Of his
| feelings. Father has il lighted from
the top, so that he shan't see anything
to distract his thoughts, or We could
have got out that way"
Does he, really?" said Penwin, in
overflowing admiration OF this iron
type of genius. splendid mani"
"Do you think SOP" she said, slow
ly. "I think the blue sky or the great
clouds and the trees and flowers would
help to make ones thoughts beautiful
and true"
He became more ashamed than ever,
feeling that her reverence for poetic
things was high, indeed.
The only thing he could think OF
to say was: where are the switches?
Can't l turn on the light?"
"Outside." Then she laughed gayly.
I'm afraid we really are locked up
till they remember us!"
"We!" "Us!" 1t wrought upon him
so that he could hardly bear it. Sure
ly she did not understand what she
was doing to him! "lt you only knew"
he began, recklessly, and then pulled
himself up.
"What?"
"Oh-you know everything!"
Indeed, no; there are some things
I would like very much to know" He
heard that she sighed softly. This
was torment. Why was he not
learned man, so that she could have
asked him and he could nave told her?
IL think 1 noticed a candle on
that table," he stammered, dismally.
"The one with the prickly edge"
"Yes, if one only knew where it
was" she said. "l'm quite lost, aren't
you?"
Quite" he said, forlornly.
~ don't know where anything is."
81 do"
"What?"
YOU" he said, simply.
That's an idea,' she said, as II it
were an agreeable one.
What? How?" he cried, in delight.
Was it possible. then, that he had ideas
without recognizing them?
IF we find each other we shall at
any rate have found something"
He was speechless. Then he said, al
most trembling.
May come to your
"Y-e-es," she said. And well might
she hesitate in that heavenly, dainty
way, he thought. To find him was but
a poor hope for her, even if to find her
was to him just everything.
He heard again the soft rustic.
"Are you coming to me?" he asked, in
credulous Of his joy.
"Of course. l must meet you half
way"
IF you could-Oh, If you would"
II am doing it," she said, and laughed
softly again.
He heard several bumps and noises
close to his own knees and shins and
supposed that he was making them with
his own person, but he could not take
account of that when she was "com-
ing half way" Next moment his hand
grasped soft one, put out to feel its
way. Before he or she could stop he
had touched her. herself, and his nos
trils caught up the scent Of her hair.
She withdrew from him with a soft
surprised "Oh!"
He, too, could only echo the "Oh,"