The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-02-22

| because the wind through the window
| chinks made 1t flicker and run, and she
sat singing to herself as she watched
| the cakes. They lay at one end Of
the wide hearth on a bed Of Goals, and
at the other end fire burned up stead
lily, casting it's amber glow over Ems
light hair and black dress, with the
ruffle of Grape about the neck and over
the white curls of the sheepskin on
which she sat.
Louder and more fiercely yet howled
the storm. but EN- sang on and heard
nothing but the words of her song,
and heard them only family, as some
thing restfuL 1t was an old, childish
song she had often heard her mother
sing long ago:
"Where the reeds dance by the river.
Where the Willows song Is said,
On the face Of the morning water,
Is reflected a white flowers head"
She folded her hands and sang the
next verse dreamily:
.'where the reeds shake by the river.
Where the moonlight's sheen Is shed,
On the face Of the sleeping water,
Two leaves Of a white flower foat dead
Dead dead, deadl''
She echoed the refrain softly till It
died away and then repeated 1t. 1t was
as If. unknown to herself, it harmonic
ed with the pictures and thoughts that
sat with her there alone in the freight
She turned the cakes over while the
wind hurled down a row of bricks
from the gable and made the walls
tremble
Presently she paused and listened.
There was sound as of something
knocking at the back doorway. But the
wind had raised it's level higher, and
she went on with her work. At last the
sound was repeated. Then she rose,
lighted the candle at the fire and went
to see, only to satisfy herself, she said,
that nothing could be out on such
night.
She opened the door little way and
held the light behind her to defend it
from the wind. The figure of a tall man
stood there, and before she could speak
he had pushed his way in and was
forcing the door to close behind him.
"Waldov' she cried in establishment.
He had been gone more than year
and a half.
You did not expect to see me-" he
answered as he turned toward her. 81
should have slept in the clubhouse and
not troubled you tonight, but through
the shutter l saw glimmerings of
light"
"Come into the fire." she said. 1T is
a terrific night for any creature to be
out. Shall we not go and fetch your
things in frst?" she added.
81 have nothing but this" he said,
motioning to the little bundle in his
hand.
"Your horseY'
"Is dead"
"The cakes are almost ready" she
said. 81 will get you something to
eat. Where have you been wandering
all this while?
up and down, up and down." he an
swered YEARLY, "and now the whim
has seized me to come back here. En-"
be said, putting his hand on her arm
as she passed him, "have you heard
from Lyndall lately?"
"Yes," said EN-, turning quickly from
him.
"Where is she? I had one letter from
her, but that is almost year ago now.
just when she left. Where is she?"
"In the Transvaal. l will 60 and get
you some supper. We can talk after
ward"
"Can you give me her exact address?
want to write to her."
But EN- had gone into the next room.
knelt down before the fire, turning the
cakes. babbling restlessly, eagerly, now
of this. now of that. She was glad to
see him. Tant' Sannie was coming
soon to show her her new baby. He
must stay on the farm now and help
her. And Waldo himself was well con-
tent to eat his meal in silence, asking
no more questions.
"Gregory is coming back next week."
she said. "He will have been gone 1O3
days tomorrow. I~had a letter from
him yesterday"
"Where has he been?"
But his companion stopped to lift
cake from the fire.
How the wind blows! One can
hardly hear ones own voice." she said.
"Take this warm cake. No ones cakes
are like mine. Why, you have eaten
nothingT
81 am little weary" he said. 'The
wind was mad tonight"
81 will write a few lines" he said,
It'll you are ready to sit down and
talk"
EN- as she shook out the tablecloth
watched him bending intently over his
paper. He had changed much. His
face had grown thinner; his cheeks
were almost hollow, though they were
covered by dark growth Of beard.
She sat down on the skin beside him
and felt the little bundle on the bench.
1t was painfully small and soft. Per-
haps it held q shirt and book, but
nothing more. The old black hat had
piece of unhemmed muslin twisted
round it, and on his elbow was large
patch so fixed on with yellow thread
that her heart ached. Only his hair
was not changed and hung in silky