The Red Cloud chief., 1905-03-24
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

ISL your fault, dear. They wouldn't
come on II night like this
But Helen drew away and went 10
window, t%iattcning her arm against
the pane, her forehead pressed against
her arm. She had let him 20: she had
let him go alone. She had forgotten the
danger that always bcset him. She had
been so crazy: she had seen nothing,
thought of nothing. She had let him
60 into that and into the storm alone.
Who knew better than she how cruel
they were. She had seen the fire lean
from Che white blossom and heard the
ball whistle. the ball they had meant
Tor his hcart-tlat good, great heart.
She had run to him the night before.
Why had she let him 20 into the I'M
known and the storm tonight? But
now could she have stopped him? How
could she have kept him after what he
had said? lie had put it out of her
power to speak the word STAY She
peered into the night through distort-
ing tears.
The wind had gone down n little, but
only a little, and the electrical flashes
danced all round the horizon i'm mag
nlticent display, sometimes far away,
sometimes dazingly near, the darkness
doubly deep between the intervals
when the long sweep of fiat lands lay
In dazzling clearness, clean cut in the
washed air to the finest detail Of strick-
Ell field and heaving woodland.
A staggering flame Glove earth and
sky, and sheets of light echoed it, and
q ~frightful uproar shook the house and
ratified the easements, but over the
crash Of thunder Minnie heard her
friends loud scream and saw her
spring back from the window with
both hands. palms outward, pressed to
her face. she leaped to her and threw
her arms about her.
"What Is IT,
Window. "At the next fash! The
fence beyond the meadow"
"What was it? What was 1t like?"
The lightning flashed necessarily.
iIslen tried to point. Her hand only
jerked from side to side.
Look she cried.
81 see nothing but the lightning"
Minnie answered breathlcssly.
"Oh, the fence! The fence! And in
the field"
"IIelcn. What was it like?"
"Ah, ah." she painted. "a long line
Of white looking things horrible
white
"What like" Minnie turned from
the window and caught the others
wrist in Il strong clasp.
minnie, Minnie! Like long white
gowns and cowls crossing the fence!"
Helen released her wrist from her
companions grasp and put both hands
on Minnie's cheeks, forcing her around
to face the tiickering pane. you must
look. You must look" she cried.
"They wouldn't do it! They wouldn't
1T isn't!' Minnie s%huddered. "They
couldn't come in the storm. They
wouldn't do it in the pouring rain"
ayes. Such things would mind the
rain" She burst into hysterical laugh
ter, and Minnie seized her round the
waist. almost as unnerved as Helen,
yet trying to soothe her. "Thcy would
mind the rain" Helen whispered.
'SThey would fear a storm. Yes, yes!
And | let him go; | let him go!"
Pressing close together, clasping
each others waist, the two girls peer
ed out at the landscape.
"Look".'
Up from the distant fence that Dor
dered the NORTHERN side Of Jones' field
a pale, peltSd, tapping thing reared
Itself, poised and seemed, just as the
blackness came again, to drop to the
ground.
ibid you seer
But Minnie had thrown herself into
a deep chair with a laugh of wild re-
lief. MY darling girl!' she cried.
"Not a line of white t%hings-just one
Mr.. Jones' scarecrow! And we saw 1t
blown DOWN.
mo, no, no! I saw the others. They
were in the field beyond. l saw them.
When / looked the first time they were
nearly all on the fence. This time we
saw the last man crossing. All, ! let
him go alone!"
Minnie sprang up and infolded her.
"No; you dear, imagining child, you're
upset and nervous that's all h mat
ter in the world. Don't worry; don't,
child; it's all right. Mr.. Harkless Is
home and safe in bed long ago. !
know that old scarecrow on the fence
like a book, and you're so u%nstrung
you fancied the rest. Hes all right.
Don't you bother, dear"