The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-05-20
d. The smok. hung on the ridges

red. The smoke hung on the ridges
like q fog, and the air vas full Of
flakes of charred leaves. The rain had
not %quenched the fire; 1t was burning
as fercely as ever. The dark came on
early. 1t was evident that black clouds
had rolled up again. The wind howled
about the old structure, and roared on
the ridges. Despite the afternoons
shower it was a dry, sultry wind. the
breath Of a week of scorching weather.
The fire by the brook was almost UNI
b%earably warm. but 1t was needed for
cheer and companionship. 1t was an
excellent chaperon, too. and young Jim
kept it going steadily. He sat on an
| old pine block near 1t. and she perched
%precariously on the slab-heap near the
door.
The conversation conferred about the
fire and their escape, then wandered to
| other fires and other escapes
Did you ever hear" she asked sol-
| emily. of the time when the fire ca,ne
down in the night through Heller's Gap
and threatened the valley"
NO"
And you don't know what stopped
it?"
mo I've never heard OF It,"
TT got as far as The black ring
around the old cabin and didn't cross
it,"
And the valley people OF course
~
Some did"
But 1t was all perfectly natural;
don't you see it was? That short. green
stuff that grows around the cabin don't
burn easily"
What makes 1t grow there?" She
was looking over at him half reprov-
ingly.
"Oh, it's some sort of wild grass. I
s'pose it was sowed there some time"
But why don't the snow lie on to"
.Y 1O,yorst Cna,, 1>,,t yyhot a. I%p1
possible that the sun comes in onto it
in a curious way and melts 1t quicker.
It's on the south slope. you know. M
under the rocks"
But snow never lies there. even on
the north side. no matter how deep it
may be elsewhere."
oh. that's superstition. pure and
simple. The stories about that old
house are really laughable.'
But Amos isn't superstitious. He's
seen 1t; and you know about he
heard the other night-he and Dan?"
"Pshaw! You don't seriously be-
lieve there's anything supernatural
about that old house; now do you?"
He looked over at her laughingly. II
didn't suppose that anybody nowadays
really believed in ghosts until l am
into the valley here. 1 never dreamed
of such a thing"
Amos don't believe in EN-"
No; but it makes all the difference
in the world who you're with. He and
all the rest of you have been thinking
about this thing SO long hat you're
nervous and o actually imagine you
see and hear things"
But Amos isn't nervous"
well, I now this-that every re-
gion has got a unit house, and peo-
pie you wouldn't think Of believing in
such things a be found by the dozen
to say they have seen the ghost. Now.
do you know Tom and I watched there
three nights running after that last
scare and never saw or heard a thing
out of the way? It's all superstition,
you take my word for It,"
Perhaps So" she said doubtfully.
Then for some reason a silence fell be-
tween them. After a time he glanced
shyly in her direction. She was lean
ing far toward the fire, her elbows in
demurely into the flames.
The picture thrilled him the dim
background of hemlock and rhododen-
dron in which the shadows played fit
fully, the tottering old mill family out
lined. and the girl with the freight in
her hair. He gazed at her rapt and
GREATNESS. 1t was the onen of mo-
ments for confession: the man and
maiden miles and miles from all other
human life, the steep encircling ridges
"a little world, INC only they two. A
wild impulse seized him. but he crushed
al now. She was with him wholly by
accident it had been against her will.
He had the advantage, but he would
not use it. Not one look or one word
of love to embarrass her now, If he
could master himself, and he could. He
would seek her some other time when
she was free to do her whole will, and
he would pour his heart as a man
should.
"Homcsick?" he asked. with a suspi-
cioO of fun in his voice.
mot a Bit" she said, %scornfully
But think how they are worrying
down home. They won't sleep a wink,
will they?"
Cant blame them If they don't,
but it's nothing we're to blame for
Il think I'll go in. now.". she said
solemnly.
Good night" HI said. and she dis
He threw on more wood and took
his place again on the log. For ar
hour he gazed fiXedly into the flames.
Another our and he had not changed
his position except to pile on fuel
(ContInuc1 Next Weekl
Tho Harvesting of the Nile.
From the New York Financier.
~, tho 0<h ~ A. 1.-af-.