The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1903-07-17
CHAPTER II.

IL udppeueu Que IdlF morning, "neu
earth and sky seemed all to meet in a
blessed promise of tranquility and
peace, that Namarah stood in the midst
of her garden, with small basket on
her arm, from which she was scat
tering grain to a flock Of white doves.
which, fluttering from far and near,
came to her feet and sank down there,
moving mass of snowy plumage, from
which her slender figure, clad in spot
less white, rose up like a human ema-
nation from their pure loneliness of
hue and outline. Her face and throat
and hands were pure white, too. and
look of deep serenity was upon her.
The sky above seemed not more still
and placid.
She raised her hand and put few
grains of the food into her mouth, and
at the motion some of the doves were
frightened and flew up, with a whir-
ring noise, only to circle round and
come back again and fall to nodding
and dipping about for the grain at
her feet. Presently one Of the flock
flew up and alighted on her shoulder.
then another and another. Namarah
opened her red lips and showed the
dark grains held tight between her
little white teeth; at which pecking
and futtering began among the three
tame doves, as she would offer her
mouth first to one and then another.
1t was evidently familiar game
which all the participants enjoyed.
Suddenly there was great whirring
and f1uttering, and the whole flock flew
wildly off, and were out of sight be-
hind the trees, before Namarah left
quite alone, perceived the cause of
their fright. A young man, taller even
than Jephthah, her father, but with
the ruddiness of youth and dawning
manhood upon his beardless face, stood
before her, all in shining armor, on
which the moving light danced and
glinted. He had taken off his helmet.
and sunlight kissed sunlight in the
gold of his thick curls. And, behold,
when Namarah turned and looked at
him, strange thing came to pass.
Her white cheeks, which no one had
ever seen other than calm and color
less, were all at once suffused with
pink, as if rose had been suddenly
placed beneath a piece >of fair white
cambria; and in that moment she be-
came hundred times more beauti-
full than she had ever been before. The
young man colored, too, and bent his
golden head, as she said:
HTf this no tho m aidop y 49,.
father Jephthah hath sent me to ask
of thee some pieces of his armor that
he hath need Of"
sis he going into fight?" the maid
en- asked, the rose disappearing from
her cheeks Twill he not see me, to
say FAREWELL"
There is, in truth, some danger Of
a fight the young man answered,
'for the times are troublous, and a
mighty man like Jephthah must be
ever ready; but his name is great and
terrible, and in going forth to put
down the enemy that hath so suddenly
arisen, think the report that thy fa-
Their Jephthah leadeth the host will
be enough, and that there will be no
bloodshed. But, maiden" he added.
more gently, seeing that her /. face
looked still affrighted, II pray thee
have no fear for the safety of thy ia
ther. will even guard his body with
my own" And, as he spoke, he looked
on her and loved her.
Namarah met the look, and the
trouble Of her face grew deeper. She
felt the disturbing power of that quiet
gaze, but all her thought was for her
/ father. ;5
!, Maiden the young man mur-
INJURED, in a voice that had softened
cadence, already, even today. there
hath been 8 surprise attack, and your
father hath been In danger; but ii
please God that 4 should BE near him,
20 protect him, as could, and for this
cause Jephthah, thy h father, hath,
chosen me TO be his armor bearer, 90
that 81 future NY place win BE besfds
| him: andsI ~ but tho truth when 1
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