The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-11

cries came rushing around like swarms
of winged things. They fitted around
his head on irridescent wings. They
hummed in his ears with the music of
the summer moons of long ago.
II certainly was happy then" said
Peter to himself. 81 do believe that
soft heart is not such bad thing in
many ways"
Peter! Peter!" cried his fathers
voice again. Get your soft heart be-
fore it is too late"
HUM said Peter. II could never
afford to pay the price. Whatever
would do without my wealth?"
Again the memories of far-off years
clustered thick and bright around him.
He saw himself wading with bare,
brown feet in the brook, with never
care in the world. He saw his COM
panions and himself wandering hand
finland through the woods, singing,
All the faces of those whom he had
known in childhood and in youth. in
all the days before he got his iron
heart, gazed down on him.
Suddenly they all vanished. The
birds ceased their singing. The fishes
ceased their leaping. great silence
brooded over The ridge and Peter felt
afraid. Il cannot bear this lonesome
ness" he said.
Lonely you shall be now and for
CNSis SdAu his ldlneT voice AGAIN..
and now ii was solemn and deep.
Lonely you shall be unless you re-
gain your soft heart. Choose, Peter,
for this is your last chance"
Il choose!" cried Peter. Take away
my wealth if it will take away the iron
heart. tool
Scarcely had he spoken when
blast of lightning flashed into the
ground at his feet and he fell on his
face. Befofe his senses left him he
seemed to see, half shrouded I'm black
clouds, the gigantic form of his travel
ing companion racing down the val
ley and beating the earth with an up
rooted oak.
Crash after crash doomed the thun-
der. The trees on the ridge bent this
way and that in the tempest Ancient
rocks, loosened from their foundations
on the mountain tops. went hurting
to the valleys. The torrent, beaten in
to boiling pool, started over it's
banks and rushed down headlong in
food.
When Peter awoke he rubbed his
eyes in amazement. The forest on the
ridge stood unchanged. But as far as
! he could see down the valley in the
light of the dawn everything was al
| tered. Not a shaft-house chimney not
a derrick, not a single one of his struc-
| lures was left standing. Everything
had been laid PROSTATE by the great
| storm.
But, wonderful to say, Peter never
| thought of the wealth that he had lost.
His heart was beating fast and hot in
| his breast, and he cried:
IT only hope that no one has been
| killed or hurt
He rushed down the hill and hur-
| ried to the people who stood in
crowds surveying the wreck. They
| told him that everybody had escaped,
and then began to condone with him
on his losses.
Losses ?" said Peter with the first
| joyful laugh that he bad uttered in
| years. Il have gained more than a
| kingdom this night!''
The people thought that his brain
was turned; but Peter didn't care. He
went abroad. smiling, and sat with
| his friends as of old and petted the
| children. And if he was not rich in
money any longer, he was the richer
in a better possession, for the pretty
| girl married him.
| He lived to be known again as
| "Soft-hearted Peter" and to hear his
son called "Soft-hearted Peter" too.
And he never regretted-the loss of
! the iron heart for a single moment.
! Julius Muller.