Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-10-08

She came running lightly down the
shallow stairs, through the wide hall,
out into the glorious summer morning.
Such a morning-biue, clear. brilliant!
Overhead yellowest, most dazzling sun
shine; underfoot mossiest, greenest
turf. And all around flowers-pink
and white, and crimson and damask.
lifting their haunting heads to gaily
nod the sun "Good-morrow."
Pickering through the hawthorn
branches, down by the gate, cleaned
a spot OF color. For Just beyond the
hawthorn some one was standing, and
watching, and waiting-had been
standing, and watching. and waiting
for an hour or more.
He had come to know the old house
by heart-every inch of IL; and It was
well worth studying in its quaint pic
turesqueness. 1t was long and low
and rambling; 1t had dlamond-latticed
and lozenge-latticed windows; it had
Queer-peaked gables. It was covered
from cellar to roof with i~vy-darkest,
glossiest. richest ivy-and would
doubtless have made an exquisite NOR
sci on canvas. But the gentleman
down by the hedge OF hawthorn was
not an artist, not a poet. not a lover of
romantic decay. Instead he was an ex-
ceedingly handsome, exceedingly hot
headed, exceedingly miserable young
man.
Just now he started with a look OF
sudden animation, and abandoned his
lounging posture, rs Laurie's white
figure flashed out into the sunshine.
Halfway down the path she paused
TO pluck q great cluster of crimson
roses; Their she came slowly on. Her
head wa sa little bent. as she thrust
the flowers In her bosom and belt. She
was still singing light-heartedly, as
any thrush In the elm tree:
"Oh, my Nora creinn. deari
My gentle, bashful Nora Creinai
Beauty les
The song broke of with a sweet.
startled laugh, as she caught sight of
figure before her. Her ~half-fastened
flowers fell unheeded at her feet. The
young fellow towering above her, eager
and handsome. and splendidly
strengthful, did not notice them either.
He was looking down on the face be-
fore him. And what a witching win
some face it was! DeIicately chiseled
as though cut from a cameo, with a
faint, soft rose-bloom tinging either
cheek; with its great ~purple-blue eyes,
dark-fringed and shining, with its
short, proud. smiling. scarlet lips. Ten
drills of bronze-gold hair clustered
round the broad, white brow; the rest
was brushed away and hung In bur.
nished braids below her slim. girls
waist.
@Ah my Nora Creina, dear!" Give
Darlington echoed softly, a queer,
warm look in his dark eyes--a queer,
moved tone in his strong voice. MY
gentle, bashful Nora Creinai"
She heard the faint emphasis on the
pronoun, and the rose in her cheek
deepened TO a rich carnation. She
lifted her head quickly, with an air
that was In reality a gesture of self
defiance
Well. where did you spring from"
In gay questioning. do your friends
traduce you? Capt. Hanley told me
you never rose before eight, and here
you are. . than a mile from the
barracks. and 1t is not yet even"
And even as she spoke, she realized
how well he looked, standing erect and
barehaaded In the pure gold of the
early sunshine. He gave one the idea
OF such muscular power, such royal
strength.
But his comrades knew that In the
messroom the most rollicking spirits,
the most ringing laughter, were those
OF Give Darlington.
And his enemies felt. In hour of dam
ger or at knowledge OF dishonor, there
was no man In the regiment SO terror
inspiring, SC wrathful, SO unerringly
swik 20 dare and do.
But Just now that face, which could
break to boyish smiles or kindle to
honest rage. was as gentle q sa WON
ans.
II was very tender and reverent. 1t
was also strangely troubled and per-
picked. High in the branches Of a
r Q above him a bird was cha.tering
its mathis. Something In the pleasant.
girIish voice had struck him with an
odd sense Of pain.
How blithe it was! And then he
told himself. in swift reproach, that
size did not know-she did not know.
When che did. would she care? He
answered her never a word.
His grave, poetic face was full OF
grieved embarrassment.
Miss LaurIe!"
He was still standing restlessls by
The gate and was twirling his stiff mil
itary cap round and round In his white.
shapely fingers.
ssMr. Carringtoni"
'sThe regiment leaves to-day"