The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-08-23

J J ! J J" !
4G &NA& ~ MaCKeOGle,E anu SS-
kETlH&3l, III cort her home. The
.yANsEMIS night was chill and
e9NHEI9Mh starry; all the way
SiEEWEE eastward the trees
iH%P OF the different gar
<eSFE dens rustled and
GEO looked black. Up the
stone gully of Leith Walk. when they
came to cross 1t, the breeze made
rush and set the flames OF the street
lamps quivering; and when at last tney
had mounted to the Royal Terrace,
where Captain Mackenzie lived, great
salt freshness came In their faces from
the sea. These phases OF the Walk
remained written on Johns memory,
each emphasized by the touch Of that
light hand on his arm; and behind all
these aspects OF the nocturnal city ne
saw. In his minds eye, a picture of
The lighted drawing room at home
where he had sat talking with Flora;
and his father, from the other end,
had looked on with a kind and ironi-
cal smile. John had read the signih-
canoe OF that smile, which might have
escaped stranger. Mr.. Nicholson had
remarked his sons ENHANCEMENT with
satisfaction, tinged with humor; and
his smile, II it was a thought con-
temptuous, had implied consent.
At the captains door the girl held
out her hand, with certain emphasis;
and John took it and kept 1t little
longer, and said, Goodnight, Flora,
dear" and was instantly thrown into
much fear by his presumption. But
she only laughed, ran up the steps and
rang the bell; ; and while she was walt
ing for the door to open kept close In
the porch, and talked to him from that
point as out of a fortification. She had
Ii knitted shawl over her head; her blue
Highland eyes took the light from the
netghboring street lamp and spanked;
and when the door opened and closed
upon her John felt cruelty alone.
He proceeded slowly back along the
terrace in a tender glow; and when
he came to Greenside Church he halt
ed in doubtful mind. Over the crown
of the Cation Hill, to his left, lay the
way to Coliette's, whsre Alan would soon
be looking for his arrival and where
he would now have no more consented
to go than he would have willfully wall
lowed in a bog: the touch OF the girls
hand on his sleeve, and the kindly
light In his fathers eyes, both loudly
torbidding. But right before him was
the way home, which pointed only to
bed, q place Of little ease for one whose
fancy was strung to the lyrical pitch,
and whose not very ardent heart was
Just then unanimously moved. The hill
top, the cool air OF the night, the COM
pany OF the great monuments, the sight
of the city under his feet, with Its hills
hnd valleys and crossing files Of LAMBS.
drew him by all he had OF the poetic,
and he turned that way; and by that
quite innocent detection ripened the
crop Of his venial errors for the sickle
bf destiny.
j On seat on the hill above Green
side he sat for perhaps half an hour,
hooking down upon the lamps of Edin-
burg, and up at the lamps OF heaven.
Wonderful were the resolves he
formed! beautiful and kindly were the
kistas OF future life that sped before
him. He uttered to himself the name
of Flora in so many touching and dra-
matte keys that he became at length
fairly melted with tenderness and
could have sung aloud. At that juno
ture certain creasing In his great
coat caught his ear. He put his hand
into his pocket, pulled forth the en-
selope that held the money, and sat
stupefed. The Cation Hill, about this
period, had an ill-name of nights and
to be sitting there with four hundred
pounds that did not belong to him was
hardly wise. He looked up. There
was man in very bad hat little
on one side of him, apparently looking
at the scenery; from little on the
other second night-walker was draw
Ing very quietly near. Up jumped
5ohn. The envelope fell from his
hands; he stopped to get 1t, and at the
Same moment both men ran In and
closed with him.
u A little after he got to his feet very
Bore and shaken, the poorer Dy purse
which contained exactly one penny
postage stamp, by cambria handker-
chief, and by the all-important envel-
bpe.
Here was young man on whom, at
the highest point OF loyerly exalta-
tion, there had fallen blow too sharp
to be supported alone: andnot many hun
dred yards away his greatest friend was
sitting at supper-ay, and even expect
ing him. Was it not in the nature Of
man that he should run there? He
went in quest Of sympathy--in quest of
that droll article that we all suppose
ourselves to want when in strait,
and have agreed to call advice: and he
went, besides, with vague but rather
splendid expectations of relief Alan
was rich, or would be so when
he came of age. BY a stroke
of the pen he might remedy this
misfortune, and avert that dreaded In
teryiew with Mr.. Nicholson, from
which John now shrunk in imagination
as the hand draws back from fire.
-