The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-16
me IL duck She reminded. IN be

me IL duck She reminded. IN be
ready ut 4 o'clock"
She darted away, and Brooks. with
Il new hope in his heart, caught up u
| pen and wrote the letters that he had
been trying to compose all the week.
Bess was prompt, and at 4 O'Clock
| they met Oh the piazza. The rain had
| don affected to take q last farewell OF
them and promised TO try and recover
their bodies after the flood.
Bess Il " him a saucy reply, and
they started down the road. 1t was a
hard climb up the steep side Of the
mountain ut the foot Of which Center
vile nestled, but after the stuify at
mosphcre of the house the wet earth
filed the clean air with Il fragrance
peculiarly its own.
Bess drank deep drafts down into
her lungs. I'm glad that we came
she declared. ct isn't so very wet
and l did want to have you see Big
rock again"
Il was afraid that il would be wash
ed away before we could get up here"
he said, with Il smile. This has been
a nightmare week. Bcss. What can
you think of the way I've been actingt"
II don't blame YOU" she said softly.
st must be llorrid to have your only
week spoiled. But there is Big rock"
she added as they came in view Of u
huge bowldcr. relic of some glacial pc
riod. .
In clear weather they could see fur
down the valley from the ledge on
which the rock stood. Even now they
were given IL glimpse of green fields
and the darker tint Of the wooded sec
| tons, though the silver thread Of the
| river had become Il leaden reflection of
the cloudy skies.
Brooks leaned against the rock, while
Bess seated herself upon a smaller
stone. For Il moment neither spoke:
then Brooks turned to her.
cit was my one wish to come up
here" he said. do you remember last
summer meeting me hereY"
GAS though it were yesterday she
answered. II had been day dreaming
in the shade Of the rock, and you came
crashing through the bushes. I was a
little frightened, l remember"
II wanted to come back here" he
said re%1ectively. Il had a foolish no
ton that l should be more fortunate il
I spoke in the shadow of the Big rock.
I wanted to ask you to marry me, Bess,
but I don't suppose You would dare
marry q chap who had shown such a
temper as I have in the past few
days"
why don't you ask and find out?'
| she suggested demurely.
In n moment he was upon his knees
beside her. He had given up all hope
as the long wet days wore upon his pa
tience. He had not supposed that she
would trust her future to him. Now
that she had spoken he poured out his
love in Il torrent of speech, Oblivious
to all else. For Il quarter Of all hour
he gave heed to nothing save the sweet
face before him, looked at nothing
save the tendc eyes, now so full OF
love. Then she gently disengaged her
self and pointed across the valley.
Far in the west the Jul was showing
| through a rift in the clouds, lighting
with prismatic splendor the arch of a
rainbow. Life is like that, dear" she
said gently. There must be some
stormy days that we may better ap-
p~reciate the SUM-"
"And you are not afraid-even of my
temper"
"Of course not, you foolish boy"
"Bess," he said im%petuously, "I'm go
ing to try and have very few storms.
| I know how hideously unpleasant they
| are. All this week I've been growing
more and more certain that you would
never have me, and all the time you
| were looking for the rainbow"
Glove is the pot of gold that is buried
at the foot of that sort of a rainbow"
she said, with i smile.
"And, unlike the others, we have
found the gold" he eXulted.