The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-02-01
BEGUN DECEMBER 90, 1899.
III Lifted number of back papers on hand
CONTINUED from last week.

CONTINUED from last week.
mo; cannot"
"You think it is worth morer' asked
the stranger, with little sneer.
He pointed with his thumb to q
grave.
mo; it is for him."
"And who is there?" asked the stran-
ger.
"My father"
The man silently returned the note
to his pocketbook and gave the cary
ing to the boy and. drawing his hat
over his eyes, composed himself to
sleep. Not being able to do so. after
awhile he glanced over the fellows
shoulder to watch him work. The boy
carved letters into the back.
If" said the stranger. with his
melodious voice, rich with a sweetness
that never showed itself in the clouded
eyes, for sweetness will linger on in
the voice after it has died out in the
eyes-'ff for such a purpose, why
write that upon it"
The boy glanced at him. but made
no answer. He had almost forgotten
his presence.
You surely believe" said the stran-
ger, that some day, sooner or later,
these graves will open and those Boer
uncles with their wives walk about
here in the red sand with the very
fleshly legs with which they went to
SI
ever? You believe he will stand up
again.?
do you?" asked the boy, lifting for
an instant his heavy eyes to the stran-
gers face.'
Half taken aback, the stranger laugh
ed. 1t was as though a curious little
tadpole which ne held under his glass
should suddenly lift it's tail and begin
to question him.
81? No." He laughed his short,
thick laugh. 81 am a man who be-
lieves nothing, hopes nothing, fears
nothing, feels nothing. / am beyond
the pale Of humanity, no criterion of
what you should be who live here
among your ostriches and bushes
surprised by a sudden movement on
the part Of the fellow, which brought
him close to the strangers feet. Soon
after he raised his carving and laid it
across the mans knee.
- Yes, l will tell you." he muttered;
II will tell you all about it,
He put his finger on the grotesque
in q (oh ho
man who believed nothing, hoped moth
ing, felt nothing-how he loved himD,
and with eager finger the fellow moved
upward, explaining over fantastic fig
ures and MOUNTAINS, to the GROWING
bird from whose wing dropped feath-
er. At the end he spoke with broken
breath-short words, like one who ut
tiers things Of mighty import.
The stranger watched more the face
than the carving, and there was now
and then a show Of white teeth be-
meath the mustaches as he listened.
Il think" he said blandly when the
boy had done, that l partly under
stand you. 1t is something after this
fashion, Is it notT He smiled. I'm
certain valleys there was q hunter"
He touched the, grotesque little figure
It the bottom. DAY by day he went
to hunt for wild fowl in the woods. and
it CHANGED that tnce he stood on the
shores of large lake. While he stood
waiting in the rushes for the coming
of the birds a great shadow fell on
him, and in the water he saw re-
Election. He looked up to the sky, but
the thing was gone. Then burning
desire came over him to see once again
that reflection in the water, and all
day he watched and waited, but night
rame, and it had not returned. Then
he went home with his empty bag,
moody and silent. His comrades came
questioning about him to know the rea-
son, but he answered them nothing.
He sat alone and brooded. Then his
friend came to him, and to him he
spoke.
"T have seen today he said, that
which l never saw before-a vast white
bird, with silver wings outstretched,
sailing in the everlasting blue. And
now it is as though great fire burned
within my breast. 1t was but sheen.
a simmer, a reflection in the water,
but now desire nothing more on arth
than to hold her.
"His friend laughed.
"'It was but a beam playing on the
water or the shadow Of your own head.
Tomorrow you will forget her. he said.
"But tomorrow and tomorrow and
tomorrow the hunter walked alone. He
sought in the forest and in the woods,
by the lakes and among the rushes,
but he could not find her. He shot no
more wild fowl. What were they to
him? ~
"eWhat ails bfisy said his comrades.
"'He is I u <saii one.
emo; but he is worse said another.
he would see that which none Of US
have seen and make himself a wonder
"'Come, let US forswear his compa-
n.y. said all.
$50 the hunter walked alone.
"One night, as he wandered in the
shade. very heartsore and weeping. an
old man stood before him, grander and
taller than the sons Of men.
"'Who are your asked the hunter.
ST am Wisdom. answered the old