Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-03-05

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| The Undine danced before him through
the lonely years. on fair nights in hi
walks and came to sit by his fire OF
winter evenings when he stared alon,
at the embers.
And tonight. here in Plattville. HI
heard voice he had waited for long
: one that his tickle memory told him ht
had never heard before. But, listening
he knew better-he had heard it Ions
ago. though when and how he did mo-
know. as rich and true and ineffably
tender as now. He threw a sop to his
common sense. Miss Sherwood is a
littla thing" (the image was so surely
tall. with a bumpy forehead and spec
tacles,' he said to himself. ''or else a
provincial young lady with big eyes tc
pose at you" Then he felt the ridicu
lousness Of looking after his common
sense on a moonlight night in June;
also, he knew that he lied.
The song had ceased. but the musician
fingered, and the keys were touched to
plaintive harmonies new to him. He
had come to Plattville before "Caval.
leria Rusticana" won the prize at Rome,
and now, entranced. he heard the lin.
termezzo" for the first time. Listening
to this, he feared to move lest he should
wake from a summer nights dream.
A ragged little shadow fitted down
the path behind him, and from soil.
tary apple tree standing like a lone.
~ ghost in the middle OF the field
came the Woo" of a screech owl twice.
1t was answered-twice-from a clump
of elder bushes that grew in a fencd
corner fifty yards west of the pasture
bars. Then the barrel of squirrel rifle
issued. lifted out Of the white elder bios.
SONS, and lay along the fence. The
music in the house across the way ceas-
ed. and Harkless saw two white dresses
come out through the long parlor win.
dows on to the yeranda. at will be
cooler out here" came the voice of the
singer clearly through the quiet. What
a night"
John vaulted the bars anu started to
cross the road. They saw him from
the veranda, and Miss Briscoe called
to him in welcome. AS his tall figure
stood out plainly in the bright light
against the white dust streak of fire
there rang out the sharp report of
rifle. There were two screams from
the veranda. One white figure ran into
the house. The other little one with
q gauZy wrap streaming behind. came
flying out into the moonlight straight
to Harkless. There was second re-
port. The rifle shot was answered by
a revolver. William Todd had risen
up. apparently from nowhere and.
by the pasture bars fired at
the fash of the rifle
slump fer the shadder. Mr.. Hark-
less!" he Shouted. He's in them ell
ders Fer Gods sake, come backw
Empty handed as he was. the editor
dashed for the treacherous elder bush |
as fast as his long legs could carry
him. but before he had taken six
strides a hand cIutched his sleeve and |
1 girls voice quavered from close be-
hind him: Don't run like that, Mr.
aarkless. l can't keep up"
He wheeled about and confronted
Vision, a dainty little figure about five
'eet high, flushed and lovely face,
lair and draperies disarranged and
lying. He stamped his foot with rage.
Get back in the house, he cried.
"You mustn't go"' she painted cts
he only way to stop you"
GO back to the housev' he shouted
avagely
evil you comew
'Fer Gods sake" cried William
Todd, ''come back! Keep out of the
Dad" He was emptying his revolver
t the clump of bushes. the uproar of
lis firing blasting the night. Some one
creamed from the house:
"Helen, Helenv' ,
John seized the girls wrists. Her .
ray eyes flashed into his defantly.
Will you go?' he roared.
''Nor'
He dropped her wrists, caught her up {
4 his arms as if she had been kit
IN and leaped into the shadow of the !
'ees that leaned overs-the road fromaFl
ne yard. The rifle rang out again. /
nd the little ball whistIed venomous- !
7 overhead. Harkless ran along the 1
.nce and turned in at the gate. A I
,ose strand of the girls hair blew (
cross his cheek. and in the moon her /
cad shone with gold. She had light q