The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-12

er was just beginning 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 o'clock, shortly
| after sunset of a beautiful May even
| ing. According to schedule the full
moon should be up at 1880, and that
was what Mr.. Wilbur had been figuring
| 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 creep
| ing 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 prettiist for Just
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 bl.t2k pail
+ AS they glanced up9to the hill Sadie
screamed and covered her face with
her hands as she covered CLOSER be-.
side him.
my Cod! What is that?a burst
from Wilbur's lips, as his eyes gazed
ask it. From the lower part of the
cloud was a black, writhing column,
that as it rushed over the hill was
taking the mighty trees from their
roots as man would pluck hand
full of clover. 1t lowered above them
like an eagle over 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 a
baby and laid her down in the stern
OF the boat, Springing back to his
oars just as the awful thing abdve
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 encoun-
tered 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 a
black mist seemed to fill the space
all about them. Then came the rain
a pouring flood that drenched them to
the skin in a moment.
Sadie, had raised herself from the
bottom of the boat up onto the stern
seat. All the fear seemed to have
left her now. Was it her own natural
eourage-or was it her confidence in
! him? she asked herself How cool
and brave she was. Yet only that af-
ternoon he had written his friend quite
the reverse opinion of her. Why, she
was girl to make any man love her.
And he! Could this be the young man
] whom she had told Ella was only an
| eastern 'dude''-ft for a summers
filtration? Why he was as cool and
collected as if this was a summer
breeze-instead of a cyclone-and how
he could handle a boat?
/ Only for few minutes the terrible
! uproar lasted. Even the rain ceased
but darkness was setting fast over the
river as the noise died away. Wilbur
| dropped his oars and again 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 minute-only their eyes met-ass
| 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 to.
| gether.
Kansas City, Mo-, May %, 1881.