The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-08-31
THE HERALD AND NEWS.


filed wooden cup with the cool
water and slowly drank it off, sprink'
ling the remaining drops on the
moss. "At last, " he said, - all is
over.
The water was clear and cool. but
| the hot blood of the drinker could
not be cooled. He seated ,h;msclf on
the threshold of the hermitage and hid
his face in his hands.
During the proceeding summer "t
had, after Il long absence, returned
home and entered into the service of
the game-keeper. Much of the world
had he seen. He had hunted the
chamnis and the wild--goat among the
Alps in the rtinur Of the EMprr"r,
aud he had followed his master in
the brilliant assembly of mobiles at
the Emperor's palace. as well us in
the chase. But above all he had ear
rici with him from his native valley
the affection of the miller's tlaxen-
haired daughter. With ample carn-
ingS and high hopes he turned his
footsteps homewards; but they had
melted away into nothing. And now
he was about to 90 out again from
his native land to enlist us a soldier.
1t WAS ut this same hermitage that
he saw his sweetheart for the first
time after their separation. She had
come to the spring for water. and
when he caught sight of the beautiful
clcndcr figure kneclin" by the spring
his joy So "vcrpowered him that he
could not contain HIMSELF: he Sprang
from his hiding place with wild
shouts and caught the frightened
girl in his arms. But she resisted ST.
stoutlv that she caused the voun"
hunter to stumble backwards: and
she turned her back upon him and
departed.
Afterwards he made one more at
tempt to approach his beloved one. 1t
was at the time of the harvest feS-
tival when both Young and old gather
in troops I" the dancing grounds. The
Young hunter. havin" waited bv the
roadside for his l"vrr. approached her
with Il Friendly %rcrlin. and offered
her u bouquet of dark rcd rlovc-pink<.
I'ul she. even wien he WAS at Il dis
lancr. turned around and lctraced her
steps t"wadS the mill. and the hunter
an"riIy thrcw the bouquet into the
That the coy girl fished
the flowers from the mill-dam and
carefully preserved them in her
trunk, he. of course. did not know
Spite had gained possession of him.
" If You go to the left, I'll go to the
rights he thought, though she, per-
haps. did not imagine that he took it
t" heart. he made up company of
merry fellows. caroused. and carried
on so madly that the wild young fell
low was the talk of the people for
miles around!
Such was the order of his life
Throughout the winter. One evening
however, there appeared comet
shaped like il sword. and Il short time
news came that there
would be fighting in Italy. 1t was
moi long before the drums for beating
up recruits were heard in the land,
and on the streets Swarmcd errant
people bound for the imperial camp.
So the hunter resigned his position
with the keeper of the forest, gave his
companions a parting cup and fol-
lowed the others. hoping in the field
to forget that which hurt and griev-
ed him. With this mind he had come
to the hermitage on whose threshold
he now sat and hung his head in sor-
row.
\ light. distant rustling in the un-
dcrgrnwth came to the sharp ears Of
the young fellow. The instinct Of the
hunter caused him to look with eager
eyes in the direction of the noise. 1t
was no game going to drink that