The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-05-15
heads. and the rank vegetation. ana
mysterious darkness of the mere should

heads. and the rank vegetation, ana
mysterious darkness Of the mere should
shut US in.
For a time I was to be spared this.
Master Lindstrom suddenly stopped
rowing. I'VE have forgotten to bring
"A stone?" 1 answered ssu ee q tu upn voice.
was pulling the stroke oar, and my
a was toward him.. do we want a
stoneo"
7 sink the body" he replied. eve
cannot pury 1t In the marsh. and IL we
We have a stone"
n Is to be done?" I asked. lean.
ing on my oar n shivering as much
we go back?" muse
No: we are not far from the cause
way now he answered, with Dutch
GOODNESS. There are some big atnnea
! Iahcy, by the end Of the bridge. If
not. there are some lying among tho
eoelages Just across the bridge. Your
eyes are younger Than mine. so vou
you" Ao AaAo
l assented. and. the boats course
three minutes rowing laid Two Two
BOWS on the mud some so Yards
from the and ward bend Of the
causeway. sprang ashore and clam.
Dered up. Hist" he cried. warninp
me as was about to start on NV ar
rama. Go o 1t quietly. Master
RI rane, The people will probably be
IN ned. But be secret"
be a moaaed and moved off as wartly as
ne could desire. 1 spent q minute mr.
Two peerfng about the causeway. hut
! 1ound nothing that would serve orr
purpose There was no course lert
.neh put to cross the planks and seek
what wanted In the hamlet. Remem-
oel,iis now the timbers had creaked
and clattered when 1 went over them
IN the daylight. I stole across on tin.
toe l fancied I had seen a pile Of
stones near one of the posts AT that
emo. put l could not find them row.
ana after cropping about awhile-for
rnas part was at the moment in dark
ness-l crept cautiously past the first
novel, peering to right and left as I
went. l did not like to confess to NV
selt that 1 was afraid to be alone in
the dark, but that was nearly
the truth. l vas feverishly anxious to
una what l wanted n return to my
Suddenly I paused and held my
breath. A slight sound had fallen on
my ears. ~nervously ready to catch the
slightest. 1 paused and listened. Yes.
there II was again-a whispering Of
CAUTIOUS voices close to me, within a
few feet of me-. l could see no one. hut
a few thoughts told me that he speak
ers We're hidden by the farther corner
OF the cottage abreast OF which 1 stood.
Inc sound OF human voices, the assur-
ance of living companionship. steadied
my nerves and to some extent rid me
OF my folly. 1 took a step to one side
so as to be more completely in the
shadow cast by the reed matched
caves. and then softly advanced until I
commanded a view Of the w%hisperers.
Ihey We're two-a man n a woman
and the woman was Of all people
!Dymphna! She had her back to me.
u she stood in the moonlight. and /
knew her hood in a moment. The man
surely the man was Van Tree. then,
II the woman was Dymphna? 1 stared.
L 1elt sure 1t must be Van Tree. III
was wonderful enough that Dymphna
should SO rar have regained nerve and
omposure as to rise and come out to
meet him. But In that case her con-
duct, though strange, was explicabie.
u not, however. If the man were not
Van Tree wv
Well. he certainty was not. Stare as
might. rub my eyes as I might, I
could not alter the mans figure, which
was Of the %tallest, whereas / have sad
that the young Dutchman was short.
Ihis mans face. too. Though 1t was OBJ
scured as he bent over the girl nv his
cloak, which was pulled high up about
ms throat, was swarthy-swarthy and
~beardless. I made u More. his can
and feather, and e. as he stood still
thought l e the soldier in his at
titude-the soldier and the Spaniard!
h did 1t mean? On what strange
combination had lit? Dymphna and a
Spanlard! Impossible! Yet a thousand
doubts and thoughts ran riot In nv
brain; a thousand conjectures jostled
another to get uppermost. What
was l to do? Go nearer to them. as
near as possible. and listen and learn
the truth or steal back the way I had
come and fetch Master Lindstrom? But
first, was 1t certain that the girl was
there of her w free will? Yes: the
question was answered aNsoon as nut.
The mar laid his hand gently on her
shoulder. She did not draw back.
Confident of this. and c~onseuuentlv Of
Dymphna's bodily safety, 1 hesitated
and was beginning to consider whether
the best course might not be to with
draw and say nothing. leaving the cues
tion or future proceedings to be de-
cided after I had spoken TO her on the
morrow, when a movement diverted
my thoughts. The man at last raised
mis- mead. h moonlight fell cold and
bright on his face. displaying every
feature as clearly as II it had been day.
ana though l had only once seen his
face before l knew 1t again.
Continued Next Weekly
~
Opportunity.
There spread q cloud OF dust along a
plain: