The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1907-02-28
THE Lion Of the. Lord"

ment With Its banner. The elderly
brethren stepped briskly under Faith
ers in Israeli; the elderly sisters gazed
proudly aloft to Mothers IN Israel"
Then came a company Of young men
whose banner announced them as DE
tenders of Zion" They were followed
by a company Of maidens led by Ma
tilda Wright, striving to be not too.
much elated, and whose banner bore
the inscription. Daughters of Zion"
At the last came the children, openly
set UP by the occasion, and big-eyed
with Importance, the boy who carried
their banner, "The Hope of Israeli"
going with wonderful rigidity, casting
not so much as an eye either to right
or left.
But Prudence had not been in this
triumphal column, nor was she among
any of the women who stood with chill
dren in their arms, o. who rushed to
the doors with sleeves rolled up and a
long spoon or fork in their hands.
Then all at once a great inspiration
came to Follett. When the last dusty
little white-dressed girl had trudged
solemnly by, and the head of the pro-
cession was alredy winding down the
lane that led to Elder Wardle's place,
he called himself a fool and turned
back. He walked like a man who has
suddenly remembered that which he
should not have forgotten. And yet he
had remembered nothing at all. He
had only thought of a possibility, but
one that became more plausible with
every step; especially when he
reached the Rae house and found it de-
serted. Whenever he thought of his
stupidity, which was every score Of
steps, he would break into a little trot
that made the willows along the creek
IN his left run into a yellowish green
blur.
He was breathing hard by the time
he had made the last ascent and stood
In the cool shade of the comforting
pines. He waited until his pulse .
came slower, wiping his forehead with
the blue neckerchief which Prudence
had suggested that she liked to gee
him wear in place Of the n of scar
let. When he had cooled and Gained
himself a little, he stepped lightly on.
Around the big rock he went, over the
down timber" beyond it, up owe the
rise down which the waters tumbled,
and then sharply to the right where
their nook was, a call to her already
on his lips.
But she was not there. He could
see the place at a glance. Nothing be-
low met his eye but the straight red
trunks Of the pines and the brown car
pet beneath them. A jay posed his
deep shining blue on a cluster OF scar-
let of sunlac, and, cooking his crested
head, screamed at him mociingly.
Tie canyons cool breath famed him
and the pine-tops sighed and sang. At
first he was disheartened; but then
his eyes caught a CLEAN of white and
red under the pine, touched to move
ment by a low-swinging breeze.
It was her hat swaying where she
had hung it on a broken Dough of the
tree she liked to lean against. And
there was her book; not the Book Of
Mormon, but a secular, frivolous thing
called Leaflets of Memory, an Hum
mated Annual for the Year 1847." 1t
was lying on it's face, open at the
sentimental tale of "Anastasia." He
put it down where she had left it. The
canyon was narrow and she would
hardly leave the waterside for the
steep trail. She would be at the up
per cascade or in the little park above
it, or somewhere between. He crossed
the stream, and there in the damp
sand was the print of a small heel
where she had made a long step from
the last stone. He began to hurry
again, ~clambering recklessly over
b%oulders, or through the underbrush
where the sides of the stream were
steep. When the upper cascade came
in sight his heart leaped, for there he
caught the fleeing simmer of a skirt
and the CLEAN of a dark head.
He hurried on, and after a moments
climb had her in full view, standing
on the ledge below which the big trout
lay. There he saw her turn SO that
he would have sworn she looked at
him. 1t seemed impossible that she
had not seen him; but to his surprise
she at once started up the stream,
swiftly footing over the rough way,
now a little step, now a free leap,
grasping a willow to pull herself up
an incline, then disappearing around a
clump of cedars.
He redoubled his speed over the
rocks. When she next came into view,
still far ahead, he shouted long and
loud. 1t was almost certain that she
must hear; and yet she made no sign.
She seemed even to speed ahead the
faster for his hail.
Again he spra2g forward to cover
the distance between them, and again
he shouted when the next view of her
showed that he was gaining. This
time he was sure she heard; but she
did not look back, and she very plain
ly increased her speed.
For an instant he stood aghast at
this discovery; then he laughed.
well if you want a race, you'll
get It'll"
He was off again along the rough