The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-09

ash tree spread it's dense shade, hanging
| Tar over the still waters that stood in a
/ smooth clear eddy at its roots. On the
| upper side of this tree lay a big boulder
| resting against its trunk and embedded
in mass of clean white sand the water
| had filtered and washed and thrown there
on some spring flood.
She climbed on this rock, sat down and
leaned her bare head against it's trunk.
| This is my throne" she Iaughingly
cried
| He leaned against the rock and looked
up at her with eyes through which the
yearning, the hunger, the joy, and the
| fear of all life were quivering. What a
| picture she made under the dark cool
| shadows! Her dress was again of spot
| less white that seemed now to have been
lwoven out of the foam of the river. Her
throat was bare, her cheeks flushed, and
her wavy hair the wind had blown loose
| into a hundred stray ringlets about her
| face and neck. Her lips were trembling
with a smile at his speeches. admira-
| tion.
you seem to have been struck dumb, "
she said. isn't this glorious?"
Beyond words, Miss Sallie. l didn't
know there was such spot on earth"
This is my favorite perch. Art and
wealth could never make anything like
this! could come here and sit and
dream all da yalone if mama would let
| me-"
| He tried to begin the story of his love,
but every time his tongue refused to
move. He was trembling with nervous
| hesitation and began to dig a hole in the
sand with his heel.
! What is the matter with you today?
never saw you so serious and moody"
| Just then female mocking bird in her
| modest dove colored dress lit on a sway
ling limb whose tips touched the still
water of the eddy at their feet, and her
proud mate with head erect, far up on
| the topmost twig of the ash struck soft
! ly the first note of his immortal love
poem, the dropping song.
| They listened. He sang his first stanZa
| in low dreamy voice, and then as the
sweetness of his love and the glory of his
triumph grew on his bird soul, he lifted
| his clear notes higher and higher until
the woods on the banks Of the river rang
| with his melodyi
His mate turned her eyes upward and
quietly twittered sweet little answer.
His response rang like silver trumpet
| far up IN the sky! He sprang ten feet
| into the air and slowly dropped singing,
singing his long trilling notes of melting
! sweetness! He stopped on the topmost
| twig, sat a moment, never ceasing his
matchless song, and then began to fall
downward from limb to limb toward his
| mate, pouring out his soul in mad aban-
Comment of joy, but growing softer,
sweeter, more tender as he drew nearer.
| They could see her tremble now with
pride and love at his approach, as she
| glanced timidly upward and answered
! him with maiden modesty. At last when
/ he reached her side his song was so low
land sweet and dream-like it could
scarcely be heard. He touched the tip of
her beak with a bird kiss, they chirped
and flew away to the woods together
CASTOR determined to speak or die. His
eyes were wet with unshed tears, and he
was trembling from head to foot He
had meant to pour out his love for her
in words of passionate beauty, but all he
could do was to say with stammering
voice low and tense with emotion:
Miss Sallie, l love you!"
| He had meant to say "Sallie," but at
the last gasp of breath as he spoke, his
| courage had failed. He did not look up at
| first And when she was silent he timid-
| ly looked up, fearing to hear the answer
or read it in her face. She smiled at
him and broke into low peal Of joyous
laughter! And then there was note of
Joy in her laughter that was contagious.
"Please don't laugh at me-" he SIAM
mered, smiling himself.
She buried her face in her hands and
laughed again. She looked at him with
her great blue eyes wide open, dancing
with fun and wet with tears
do you know it's the funniest thing
| in the world you are the sixth man who
has made love to me on this rock within
year, and again she laughed.
His face clouded and he looked earnest
~ at her.
"Come, come Miss Sallie, this is cruel.
| I have torn my hearts deepest secrets
open to you and laid my life trembling at
your feet. and you are laughing at me!
have paid YOU the highest homage one
human soul can offer another. Surely
deserve better than this
'.Forgiye me- | have seen so much
lshallow love making. / am never qulte
sure a boys in deep earnest. She spoke
now with seriousness.
''You cannot doubt my earnestness. !
Ihave spoken to you this morning the first
words of love that ever passed my lips
One chamber of my soul has always been
sacred. It was the throne room OF
Love, reserved for the One Woman wait
ing for me somewhere whom should ind
would not allow an angel to enter 1t,
and I hid it from the face of God. have
opened It this morning. 1t is yours.
She softly slipped her hand in MS ano
tremblingly Said, while tear stole down
her cheek:
81 do love you!'
He bent over her hand and kissed It,
while his frame shook with uncontroll-
able emotion. Then looking up through
his dimncd eyes, he said:
''My darling, that was the sweetest
music. that sentence, that | shall ever
hear in this world or in all the worlds
beyond it in eternity"
call me by my name" she whispered
"sailie DEAR" he said, looking at heI
tenderly.
i "Hcw sWeetIy that sounds!