The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-08-11
woman tibet talks too much IL jes be

WOmau tneC IdlkS 700 mucn IL JsS uc
a-hobblin' on"
Margaret had solitude at last. She
ate strawberry and found it insipid.
1t had rained too much. 1t always
rains too much in big, desolate rattle
snal1y mountains.
A half hour later she turned in the
| direction of the village. She was 60
ing to send the kilograms. One of
them, it didn't much matter which,
| would hold but one word, word pho
phetic of joy or sorrow.
At the foot of the hill she stopped
on the bridge; but she wasn't think
ing of kilograms. She was praying
that mountain peak Nigh topple
over on him and save him from Flori-
da Higgins.
The whirl of reckless wheels fell on
her ears. A horse came round the hills
curve, running. The holding back
strap had broken and crazed him with
terror. He ran in short, affrighted
leaps that rocked the buggy omi-
nously.
AS Margaret dashed across the
bridge to safety she saw that the bug
gy's one occupant, Florida Higgins,
was crouched in the bottom of the
vehicle in a terrified little heap, her
hands clinging to the dashboard. She
saw, too, the tree that divided the road
narrowly above the bridge. If the
horse swerved too much trying to es-
cape the tree, he would plunge down
the bank and into the water, cleaning
20 feet below the roadbed.
For one sickening moment the girl
hesitated, the next her strong young
fingers caught the bit just under the
foaming mouth and she was jerked by
the rearing horse into unending space.
Jerked and lifted and let down, lifted
and let down and jerked, and shaken
and whirled in what seemed to her
failing senses to be a monster churn
that meant to crush the life out Of
her. And then she slipped down, down,
with the gurgle of running waters in
her ears, down-and into utter dark
ness.
The house into which Margaret was
! carried was little and low and old, like
it's owner, who had looked over her
garden fence an hour before.
In an incredibly short time the
people.
1t was the preacher who tumbled
them out unceremoniously, and tower
ed, big and powerful, over the doctor
who thought it might end in coma.
The preacher bent over the motion
less figure and called softly.
Its no use," the doctor said.
"She's going to live" he said, dog
gedly. And he forced brandy through
her lips.
A half hour passed The room was
still, except for the mans calling, just
over his breath.
''It's no use," the doctor said again.
"She's gong to live" the preacher
shouted. AM again he called, called
and called and called, loud and loud
and louder, until the clarion ring Of his
voice pierced through the mists that
held her quiet figure in the border
land that divides.
For one deliciously irresponsible mo-
ment of consciousness Margaret lay
listening, so still was the room, to the
little clicking catch in the preachers
watch as it hurried the seconds away.
Then she opened her eyes full on the
lean, powerful young figure that bent
over her.
'"Florida" she asked family.
bob fha
gruffly.
"I'm glad sh" whispered, and
turned her eyes to where the sun, red
and glorious, was dropping down the
sky. The hills were faint and far off;
the valleys brimmed with mist.
As fast as the hitch in her walk
would allow the little old woman
crossed the room. She dropped beside
the girls bed and cried, the tears run
ming down her cheeks:
"Hit war lie! He amt never rid
in her buggy ter my knowledge. Hit
war tole tibet good might come O. hit,
the the Lords whopped me. He don't
want lies"
Margaret's hand went out to rest on
the bowed head, her eyes sought the
preachers sudden light in them.
81 thought ye war dead" the old
voice waived. 81 know'd ye'd not rest
easylike an them kilograms not sent.
l sont 'em with butter money. I re-
membered the. fellars' names. 1 sed:
She war too good fer we, an the Lord
TUX her. Maybe now" gulping and
swallowing and sobbing, "I'd better go
back an say hits the Lords sarvant."
The sun went down in a gulf of
glory. Margaret watched it out of
sight behind the far, far hills, her
cheek Graded in the minister's big