Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-10-29

IL OAO0A W oIcdOy tAe SIAOhc' ~ "eo
contest between two past masters in
the art Of fiirting-and each thought
the other a novice. He told her how he
had been tied up in business in Detroit,
and had had no time for society, and
how doubly lonely it had been for him,
not knowing anyone in Kansas City
until he had met her. And she had
conf1ded I'd him that she had only been
out OF a strict boarding-school for q
few weeks, and her mother was just be-
ginning to let her receive company-so
she had met hardly any young men as
yet.
Absorbed in this interesting game Of
hearts, neither of them had noticed how
dark it was getting. They had left the
boathouse about seven o'clock, shortly
after sunset of beautiful May even
ing. According to schedule, the full
moon should be up at seven-thirty, and
that was what Mr.. Wilbur had been fig
uring on. OF course. he noticed it was
dark down under the shadow of the
hill, but the hill itself kept him from
seeing the ugly, black clouds that had
been creeping up from the south.
He had dropped his oar and his left
arm had stolen around her waist, while
his right hand had imprisoned the two
white ones which still held the oar, and
he was pleading his prettiest for lust
one little kiss" Suddenly there came
a clang of thunder that seemed to split
the very heavens, and at the same time
the cloud which had stolen upon them
under cover of the hill rose above and
over them like great black pail.
AS they glanced up to the hill Sadie
screamed and covered her face with her
hands as she covered closer beside him.
MY God! What is that?" burst from
Wilbur's lips. as his eyes gazed in hor-
ror at the hilltop. He might we'll ask it.
From the lower part of the cloud was a
black, writing column, that as it
rushed over the hill was taking the
mighty trees from their roots as man
would pluck handful of clover. It hov-
cred above them like an eagle over a
lark. Even in that awful moment Mart
Wilbur did not lose his presence Of
mind. He caught Sadie in his arms as
if she were baby and laid her down
in the stern of the boat, springing back
to his oars just as the awful thing above
them seemed to swoop forward with a
roar like hundred trip hammers. In
an instant the surface of the water,
which had been SO calm, was boiling
like cauldron, and waves that seemed
as large as any he had ever encountered
on Lake Erie tossed their boat about
like feather. The air was filled with
debris, branches Of trees and shrubbery
from the hill above, while black mist
seemed to fill the space sill about chem.
Then came the rain-s pouring food
that drenched them to the skin in a
moment.
Sadie had raised her.elf from the bot
tom of the boat up onto the stern seat
All the fear seemed to have left her now.
Was it her own natural courage-or was
it her confidence in him? she asked her.
self. How cool and brave she was. Yet
only that afternoon he had written his
friend quite the reverse opinion of her.
" ny oAV a. q &AAA w AAebnV any AAoA
love her.
And he! Could this be the young man
whom she had told Ella was only an
eastern "dude"-fit for summers
Irritation? Why he was as cool and
collected as if this was a summer breeze
instead of a cyclone-and how he
could handle boat.
Only for few minutes the terrible
uproar lasted. Even the rain ceased
but darkness was setting fast over tho
river as the noise died away. Wilbur
dropped his oars again and held out his
hands to her.
She had lost her hat in the storm but,
gathering her wet skirts about her, she
raised herself forward as he drew her
to the seat beside him. Neither spoke
for a minute-only their eyes met-as
he drew her closer to him. There was
no need to plead for the kiss now-she
gave it without asking. and gave her
heart with it, as they rowed slowly back
to the dismantled boathouse together.
Kansas City, NO., May %. 1881.
My Dear Frank: I've changed my
mind about little Sadie. Well, she and
will be married this fall. The night
we went boating we got caught in one
of those cyclones-you don't know what
they are back in Detroit-but they are
the worst thing you ever saw or read of
worse than any lake storm ever saw.
She was as cool as could be. Cool as I
was-and she really knew the danger
and I didn't-though could imagine.
It didn't hit us exactly, though don't
believe it missed us over so yards. It
killed two people and wrecked a lot of
houses. Well, am in rush tonight,
but you'll see the sweetest little.
brayest little woman in all the world
when I bring my little bride home.
Write soon. Yours in haste.
MART.