Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-09-25
A Knot That
Remained Tied.
(Original.]

touched th& trees and daubed the sur
face Of the river and path that led
along its bank with spots Of yellow,
crimson and brown. One dab larger
than the rest, a splotch of white-a
girls parasol-mingled not inharmOni-
ously with the variegated leaves. Be-
meath was a still larger dab Of pearl,
beside which walked a long streak Of
gray. Nature is a wonderful painter.
and on this occasion she laid on the
colors with all the recklessness Of
demented impressionist.
Its very beautiful she said, "but
I don't like to see it. 1t reminds me
that In a few weeks l shall lie back
In town."
"You have the advantage Of the few
weeks. l shall go tomorrow"
"And you're not coming up again?"
"Not this season"
"Oh, dear Why must pleasures
end? I've had delightful summer"
"Why more delightful than any
| other summer:'
IL don't know"
"Then l can't give reason for you.
I've been up here only this one sum-
| mer. l can't compare it with Others"
you've been up four times this sea-
son."
| "YOu mean Dozen"
"A dozen? l thought it was only
four. But your visits have been very
short, only two or three days each"
| He glanced sidewise into her face
while she looked away at the river,
sprinkled with the fallen leaves.
"You seem sad," he remarked
Autumn is a sad season. Besides,
having had so pleasant summer it
it is ended
"My summer has been just the re-
verse"
She turned and looked at him inuuir-
ingly with her brown eyes.
Eyes, he went on, cutting a sumac
with his cane. 1--WE been bothered"
Lowering her eyes, she noticed that
her shoestring was united. She
paused and put out her foot, and he
stopped and tied it.
"And what has bothered you?" she
asked languidly.
"Do you see those leaves drifting on
the surface Of the riverY'
Eyes. Aren't they pretty?"
"They have no power Of their own.
It's all in the current. Where it takes
them they go. That red one, for in
stance, will drift on till it reaches the
mill; then 1t will either swirl down the
fume or sail on to the dam and pitch
down On to the rocks below"
"Poor little leaf!'
He gave her quick glance, then
asked, "Do you follow me?"
"Follow you? I'm following the leaf.
I'm very much interested in the poor
thing. Perhaps some fisher maiden in
a boat may be captivated by it's rich
color, take it in and clasp it to her
breast"
1.-THE leaf, as l said, is either drawn
into the mill race or goes over the
dam
"But the fisher maiden-will she go
into the race or over the dam too?''
HIN! That's the most distressing
feature The fisher maiden in trying
to save the fellow-I mean the leaf
may bring about her own discount
ture"
"Is she very near the damp
ION the verge"
II thought you said it might be the
tiume"
1T doesn't matter which it is" i'm
4 potently.
I "Well, if she's on the verge it seems
: to me it's too late for her to save her
} self She'll have to 90 OVER
This was not all that he had been
angling for The question remained,
} Would the fisher maiden 90 over the
r dam with pleasure? So he said:
r "That would be hard on her. It
would have been much better for her
4 to have left the leaf to perish
Rather she should not have been
- caught by it's brilliant color"
This was getting nearer to the point.
He looked down for inspiration-lov-
ers are not apt to look up for it-as to
= his next move and noticed that her re-
f fractory shoestring was again trailing
D In the dust
IF you will 60 and sit on that rock
+ down there under those dropping trees
y I can get at it better"
They descended q bank, and she sat
down on the rock, putting out we'll
shaped foot, contriving to let bit Of
4 lingerie show under the edge Of her
i skirt He knelt before her and took
r the shoestrings in his fingers.
:. '"This time," she said, "try to tie
4 knot that will not come unloosened."
II wish 1 could"
"Would you like me to find a man
!, who CAM" coquettishly.
II know one who can tie knot that
= would suit me exactly"
"Who?'
= 1.-THE bishop"
S He gave quick glance about him,
e while her own glance futtered every
where, resting on nothing, like a.
frightened bird. Then he drew her
face down and kissed her.