The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-09-07
with hands folded under her head,

Win hdhdS AOi0C0 o~4SA 1870
Norma was lying lost in contemplation
of the satisfying harmony OF color
and motion in the wind-swayed tree
tops under the brooding gentleness or
the summer sky, herself a part OF the
living Whole. Every nerve-her en-
tire consciousness-vibrated in loving
response to the beauty Of the visible
creation.
Harold Hammond looked long and
ardently-looked his heart away! For
his life he could not take his eyes from
that ~carelessly reclining figure. In
stinctively he removed his hat, sur
prised at the feeling Of worshipful
reverence that possessed him.
Norma was tall, above the average,
with a well-knit frame, muscles of
strength and spring under firm, pink
flesh and satin skin. Despite her at
titude of complete Incidence and re-
taxation, activity, health, happiness
the very JOY of life and that sweet
ness which comes only from soul
soundness-seemed to radiate from
her.
The young man absorbed all these
as a thirsting plant drinks the rain.
Up to this moment he had found NO
answering echo In his heart to the call
Of love. Women had annoyed and
puzzled him, arousing in him a sense
Of irritation that they could do no
more, when he felt that at least they
mould make him admire, at the most
love!
But he must move nearer. He must
see the sweet curve Of the rosy lips,
the dark, silken fringe Of the golden
brown eyes. and the fiaAen hair, look
ing like the aureole Of a saint In the
sunlight.
He came too near. Pedro, grow
ling, showed his teeth and walked
towdrd the intruder. Norma sprang
to her feet, alert, but with no hint of
fear in her face or figure as she stood
straight and tall, her hand on the little
revolver at her belt.
The sight of a handsome young
man, square of shoulder, deep of chest
and long of limb, the look Of reveren-
tial admiration still on his face, was
reassuring.
Her hand dropped from the revolver.
Pedro was called back, apologize, to
the feet Of his mistress.
81 beg your pardon" said Harold,
advancing, hat in hand, and bowling
humbly, " had no idea OF finding any
one here. / came to escape the noise.
1t makes me tired" he added YEARLY
and convincingly.
Norma laughed.
why, / came here for that very
reason. I left home about three o'clocA
this morning"
Harold regarded her approvingly.
you hate it, too-all this Internal
roar and racket"
"Of course 1 hate K. If / were king
president, / meant would make it
a crime to go about on any day of the
year making life miserable with all
this roar and racket as you call 1t.
Why don't they celebrate the day
with fine, soft music In all TIE
churches and halls and parks, so that
wherever one went there would be
beautiful sounds? Then we could
think gratefully Of III forefathers,
instead of being ~ungrateful as we are
now, because they are in a way re-
sponsible for all this discomfort"
The brown eyes of the maid looked
into the shrewd blue eyes of the man.
With a woman's d~iscernment she read
chivalry and honesty in their depths;
so when he said
would you mind il I sat DOWN.
she answered.
mo, not at all, but you had better
make your peace with Pedro first. He
feels responsible for me, you see."
Then to Pedro, Its all right, Pedro,
shake hands with"-she stopped and
blushed, suddenly remembering that
though a common indignation had
made them friends, he was a totaI
stranger to her otherwise.
Harold Hammand, at your service
he said, smiling and bowling with ar
air of courtly homage that reminded
her Of her adored 'Pater." as she al
ways called him, and again a sense Of
perfect security and trust In the owner
| Of the deepest blue, and deepest set
| eyes she had aver seen, emboldenet
her to say
"Mr. Hammond, Pedro" and thu
| stately st. Bernard gravely EXTENDED
a mighty paw in token Of the estab
| lishment Of friendly relations.
"Do you know" said Harold, seat
ing himself on her side. Il think thi
Fourth of July misery is getting seri