The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-08-08

declared, apprehensiVely: and them With I'M
mediate amendment, OF course he would find
the editor at work in the Herald office: there
wasn't the slightest doubt OF that; he agreed
with the judge but he better see about 1t.
He would return. early in the morning to
bid Miss Sherwood goood-by; hoped she'd
come back, some day; hoped it wasn't her
last visit to Plattville They gave him an
umbrella and he plunged out into the night,
and as they stood watching him for mo-
ment from the door, the old man calling after
him CHEEKY good-nights and laughing mes
sages to Harkless, they could hear his feet
slosh into the puddles and see him fight with
his umbrella when he got out into the road.
,Helens room over the porch, the
windows facing north, looking out upon the
pike and across the fields beyond. PLEASE
don't light the lamp, Minnie she said, when
they had gone upstairs. Il don't need a
light Miss Briscoe was fitting about the
room, hunting for matches. In the darkness
she came to her friend and laid a kind, large
hand on Helens eyes, and the hand became
Wet She drew Helens head down on her
shoulder and sat beside her on the bed.
Sweetheart, you mustn't fret, she
soothed in motherly fashion. Don't you
worry, dear. He's all right 1t isn't your
| fault, dear. They wouldn't come on a night
like this - arT
But Helen drew away and went to the win
| dow, sflattening her arm against the pane,
! her forehead pressed against her arm She
| had let him go; she had let him go alone.
| She had forgotten the danger that always
beset him. She had been so crazy, she had
seen nothing, thought of nothing. She had
let him go into that, and into the storm,
alone. Who knew better than she how cruel
they were? She had seen the fire leap from
the white blossom and heard the ball whistle,
| the ball they had meant for his heart, that
| good, great heart. She had run to him the
night before-why had she let him go into
| the unknown and the storm tonight? But
| how could she have stopped him? How could
! she have kept him, after what he had said
| She peered into the night through distortine
! tears. sq.&..
! The wind had gone down a little, but only
| little. and the electrical flashes danced
all around the horizon in magnificent display
sometimes far away, sometimes dazzingl1
| near, the darkness trebly deep between tht
I intervals when the long sweep of fiat lands
lay in dazzling clearness, clean-cut in TIL,
washed air to the finest detail of stricken
field and heaving woodland" A staggering
| flame Glove earth and sky; sheets of ligh
came, following it, and a frightful uproa
| shook the house land ratified the easements
but over the crash of thunder Minnie heart
her friends loud scream and saw her sprin,
back from the window with both hands, pain
outward, pressed to her face. She leape
what is it,"
Look Helen dragged her to the win
dow. "At the next aash-the fence beyon
the meadow
What was it? What was it lke?" Th
lightning flashed necessarily. Helen tried t
point; her hand only jerked from side t
side. .--s 49,. ..-..
Look" she cried. ....
II see nothing but the lightning Mimi
| answered. breathleSSly.
"Oh, the fence! The fence-and in tn
feld'
, "'Helen What was it like?''
'Ah-ah!'' she painted. "a long line {
white-horrble white t.
What like?' Minnie turned from tn
.. window and caught the others wrist in
!. f1utterng clasp. '....~.., ...
Minnie, Minnie! Like long white gown
and cowls crossing the fence Helen re
leased her wrist, and put both hands o
Minnies cheeks, forcing her around to fac
the pane. "You must look-you must look,
she cried.