The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-05-07
A DREAMY TALE
81 have heart to give sang Agnes
Grant in Il clear, sweet voice as she
walked slowly through the woods.
81 have heart to lose.
Who'll win it?"

Fred Williams, who happened to be
behind her. could not resist and said,
II will, Agnes
She started when he spoke to her,
but on seeing who it was held out her
hand, with ooh, how you frightened
metz
"Too bad, but could not very well
help it, you We're so absorbed
81 was singing to keep up my cour-
age and sang whatever came into my
head. dreaded to go through the
woods alone"
Fred and Agnes had known each 9TH
er for years without having any love-
making time in their acquaintance.
That they liked each other and were
good friends was sort of unspokcn
yet understood affair betweer them
selves. In their walk now they soon
met other persons, who, like them
selves, had been tempted from the cot
tage plaza this warm summer evening
for stroll in the woods or a longer
walk down to the lake.
A group of young people hailed their
arrival with delight. May Harper, a
black eyed beauty, called out quickly:
eve are waiting for you. We want to
go out on the lake. 1t is just the night
to be out on the water" In some way
she had soon managed it so that she
was hanging on Freds arm, and the
two We're leading the party down the
path toward the lake. Agnes had been
left alone. She shivered and drew back
into the shadow till the sound of their
happy voices grew faint and finally
ceased altogether. Then she went on
down the little path. following, she
scarcely knew why.
May Harper was dashing girl who
had come to the cottage but a fort
night ago. But her bright, quick ways
had made her quite fayorite, though
one felt her red lips and sparkling
eyes might as easily do mischief as
good perhaps We're more ready at the
former than the latter. She had fasci-
mated most of the gentlemen from the
first day-indeed, l might say all but
Fred.
May was in her most bewitching
mood, and as they foated idly over
the ripping water in the little boat,
with the silyery moon peeping over
the distant tree tops, Fred thought to
himself there was no use fighting lon
ger against fate. She looked up in his
face with timid, querying "Fred@'
! He bent over and whispered, Oar
ling" Their lips met, and then her
head rested close to his shoulder. The
silver moon went under cloud, and
they both felt chilled in the darkness.
/, 1t seemed to Fred the girl in his arms
had turned to wood, that it was Il
mere shell of body he was clasping
to his breast. He spoke to her again
and again, but there was no>answer
he touched them.
For Gods sake, what has happen
ed?" he cried out The only answer
was hooking laugh from the distant
darkness In an agony of fear and
doubling he waited, waited until the
cloud passed over. AS the first little
dainty moonbeam fell over her face
the dark eyes lost their glare, the red
! lips smiled with the old charming
a
! all the previous agony he had gone
through.
| The boat tioated back to the shore,
and these two lovers who, after lover
i fashion, had been lost from the others
OF the same party ever since they start
ed, walked silently back through the
woods to the cottage. They parted
under the tree at the gate, for, though
it was late, Fred could not carry all
his happiness yet into a 10 by IL room
The very thought that it could ever
be done choled him, and he turned
once more to the freedom of the woods
to be alone with his joy.
But was it joy, this load that seemed
weighing him down? Something of the
horror he had felt when pressing her
lips in the darkness crept over him
pain about him, he could not tell ex-
actly where. He went back over the
same path, step by step, slowly, head
down. as though he was looking for
something he had lost In this way he
came again to the lake. The boat was
gone. After moment he saw it on the
waves, but his heart failed him when
he saw Agnes sitting in it alone.
He had forgotten her till then, forgot
ten other things too. What had become
of his promise to take care of her? On
ly that evening he had whispered in
her ear that he would win her heart
How had he kept his word? Wiz, for.
getfulness till he saw her in the ~
light drifting out in the tiny boat. :
was sitting at the bow, her hands fold
ed in her lap.
Speeches. with fear and powerless
to reach her, he could only stand
watching. Again he heard her singing
"Agnes" he cried, with all his
strength, but he only sent forth faint
whisper, a whisper that on the light
summer air reached her ears. Her eyes
fell from the clouds and came to him
She held out her arms as though with
one quick, happy movement she would
be with him.
"God forgive me! Agnes, come back
| Oh, come backr' But if was foo late