Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-05-03

MD the lightning. hen i looked at
her again. covertly and from under
my hand raised as though to push
back my hair, she was pale once more,
and her dark eyes were fixed upon the
water and the green trees without
the window.
The congregation rose, and she
stood up with the other maids. Her
dress of dark wooden, severe and UNI
adorned, her close ruff and prim
white Golf, would have cried "Puri-
tan" had ever Puritan looked like this
woman, upon whom the poor apparel
had the seeming Of purple and err
mine.
Anon came the benediction. Gov
ernor, councillors, commanders and
ministers left the choir and paced
solemnly down the aisle; the maids
closed in behind; and we who had lined
the walls, shifting from one heel to
the other for long two hours.
brought up the rear, and so passed
from the church to fair green mead
ow adjacent thereto. Here the COM
pany disbanded; the wearers of gold
lace betaking themselves to seats
erected in the shadow of a mighty
oak, and the ministers, of whom there
were four, bestowing themselves
within pulpits of turf. For one altar
and one clergyman could not hope to
dispatch that days business.
AS for the maids, for minute or
more they made one cluster; then.
shyly, or with laughter, they drifted
apart like the petals of wind-blown
rose, and silk doublet and hose gave
chase. Five minutes saw the goodly
company of damsels Grant and
would-be bridegrooms scattered far
and near over the smiling meadow.
For the most part they went man and
maid, but the fairer of the feminine
cohorts had ring of clamorous suit
ors from whom to choose. AS for me,
I walked alone; for if by chance
neared a maid, she looked (woman-
like) at my apparel first, and never
reached my face, but squarely turned
her back. So disengaged, l felt like
a guest at mask, and in some meas
ure enjoyed the show, though with Oh
uneasy consciousness that l was
pledged to become, soone' or later. a
part of the spectacle. saw a shep-
herdess fresh from Arcadia wave
back dozen importunate gallants,
then throw knot of blue ribbon in?o
their midst, laugh with glee at the
scramble that ensued, and finally
march off with the wearer of the
favor. / saw neighbor of mine, tall
Jack Pride, who lived IL miles above
me. blush and stammer and bow
again and again to milliner's ap'
prentice of girl not five feet high
and all eyes, who dropped curtsy
at each bow. When I had passed
them so yards or more, and looked
back, they were still bobbing and
bowling.
At the far end of the meadow, near
the fort, l met young Hamor, alone,
flushed, and hurrying back to the more
populous part of the field.
''Not yet mated?" asked. Where
are the maids eyes?"
:'By-!' he answered. with an
angry laugh, IF they're all like the
sample I've just left, I'll buy me
squaw from the Paspaheghs!"
When he was gone, stood still for
awhile and watched the slow sweep of
a buzzard high in the blue, after which
I unsheathed my dagger, and with it
tried to scrape the dried mud from
my boots. Succeeding but Indifferent
ly, put the blade up, stared again at
the sky, drew a long breath, and
upon the covert of cedars in
Dictated by Hamor.
AS I neared it, heard at first only
the wash of the river, but presently
there came to my ears the sound of a
man S voice, and then a woman's angry:
''Begone, sir!"
''Kiss and be friends" said the man.
The sound that followed being some
thing of the loudest for even the most |
hearty salutation, was not surprised,
on parting the bushes, to find the man
nursing his cheek, and the maid her
hand.
''You shall pay well for that, you
sweet vixen!" he cried, and caught her
by both wrists.
She struggled fiercely, bending her
head this way and that, but his hot
lips had touched her face before /
could come between.
When 1 had knocked him down he
lay where he fell, dazed by the blow,
and blinking up at me with his small
ferret eyes. I knew him to be one
Sharpless, and knew no good
Of him. He had been a lawyer in Eng
land. He lay on the very brink of the
stream, with one arm touching the wa
ter. Flesh and blood could not resist
it, so, assisted by the toe of my boot,
he took cold bath to cool his hot
blood.
When he had clambered out and had
gone away, cursing, turned to face
her. She stood against the trunk of
a great cedar, her head thrown back,
a spot. of angry crimson in each cheek,
one small hand clenched at her throat.
| had heard her laugh as Sharpless
touched the water, but now there was
only defiance in her face. AS we gazed
~%1, 80 u / L