The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-11-09
neutrality-suspicious.
A SLIP OF The TONGUE
BY KENN EFT HARRIS
Copyright, 1908. by Daily Story Pub. Co..
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The night was bitter cold. 1t was
an unpleasant night altogether to be
out in, for the wind intensified the
raw chill in the air and carried with
it sharp particles of sleet that drove
into the face and stung. Then, too,
the branches of the trees overhead
swayed ominously, and it seemed that
their creaking might at any moment
be succeeded by the sharp crack OF
rent timber, and flying oak branches
are hard to dodge in the dark. In
stinctively the man in the fur coat
moved closer into the shelter of one
of the brick buttresses of the high
walls. He had heard of such things
as judgments"
But they don't happen nowadays"
he said to himself with laugh.
"Transgressors are too thick, and half
of our best people would be killed
Off"
With this reassuring reflection he
moved out from the wall to where Re
could get a better view of light that
burned brightly in corner of the
black shadOwy bulk of house at the
end of the avenue. Then he looked at
his watch by the glow of cigarette
that he was smoking. Five minutes
more to the appointed time" he NUT
tered and the Lord knows how
much longer after that. I'm too ar
dent l suppose when I've done this
few more times shall get hardened
and make the lady wait. She ought to
take this as a test of devotion at
least"
He shivered and drew his coat col
lar closer about him and then began to
pace rapidly up and down, keeping
well in the dense shadow of the wall,
however, and avoiding the gravel CT
the driveway.
81 feel like a burglar" he murmured
as the distant sound of mans voice
sent him back against the wall. "Per-
haps a sneak-thief would describe me
better. I imagine old Cauley won't
think that's any too harsh an appella-
ton. l wonder how he'll take it!
Philosophically, hope. It would be
foolish to make fuss about it. [
guess that was somebody passing
along the road.
81 don't know that anybody could
blame me-" he resumed, after listen
ing until the voices and footsteps had
died away. 'She's pretty enough to
tempt anybody, if that were all, and
then-well I'm not sure that 1 really
meant it when 1 asked her to cut loose
Anyway, didn't think she would take
me up so quick. Who'd have thought
that there was so much of the devil
under that sanity exterior? And now
it's come to this!"
He looked at the light which still
shone out boldly, unblinkingly. "That
means she's still there" he said. "Per-
haps it hasn't come to this. It doesn't
seem possible, really. I heard Candy
say that he knew positively she
hadn't missed church service in her
life. She's president of Tenthly's
Mission Aid and she wouldn't call on
Mrs. Pemberton because she is a Uni
versalist. l wonder what you're
thinking of, up there. my lady!"
He lit fresh cigarette, cautiously,
and again looked at his watch. Five
minutes past the time now" he said.
Perhaps she's thought better of it.
And now the clouds are blowing over
and the moon will be out the next
thing. I'll look up an almanac next
time. But there won't be any next
time. If she doesn't come and"
The light he was staring at was
suddenly extinguished and he gave a
gasping sigh and threw away his Gig
arctic. "She's coming, all right" he
said.
The clouds were now scattering fast
| and the moon shone dimly forth be-
tween the riffs from time to time.
Still the wall was in shadow and '-