The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1909-02-05

| ofA1D0 HISS - toe BSO0D, tDooe 0Ahes
aad shells and BUTTERFLIES yoa sae."
"Yos! They are voaAerfully deli
case-but those are net American
draSOn-A -Aies."
"No-they are more beautiful. Bee
I have my hammer a.A ehisel With
me-
She drew from . queer pouch at her
held them toward me.
You are very talented" I said.
where did you study"
II? l never studded knew how
I saw things and cut them out Of
stone. Do you like them! 6ome time
will show you other things that
have done. II I had 4 great lump of
bronze l could make your dog, beauti.
full as he is."
Her hammer fell into the fountain
and leaned over and plunged my arm
into the water to 6nd It.
1t Is there. shining on the sand
she said. leaning over the pool with
me.
Where" said I. looking at our re,
fiected faces In the water For It was
only in the water that I had dared.
As yet. to look her long in the face.
The pool mirrored the exquisite
oval Of her head. the heavy hair. the
eyes. heard the silken rustic OF s,er
girdle. l caught the fash Of white
arm. and the hammer was drawn up
dripping with spray.
The troubled surface of the MOI
grew calm and again I saw her eyes
reflected.
Listen" she said in a low voice.
do you think you will come again
to my fountain"
Il will come" said. My voice
was dull; the noise of water filled nv
ears.
Then swift shadow sped across the
pool: I rubbed my eyes Where her
reflected face had bent beside mine
there was nothing mirrored but the
rosy evening sky with one pale star
glimmering. l drew myself up aud
turned. She was gone. l saw the faint
star twinkling above me In the after
glow. saw the tall trees motionless
In the still evening air saw my dog
slumb~ ing at my feet.
The sweet scent in the air had
faded. leaving In my nostrils the
heavy Od0r Of fern and forest mold
blind fear seized me. and l. caught
up my gun and sprang into the dark
ening woods. The dog followed me-
crashing through the underground at
my side. Duller and duller grew the
light, but strode on, the sweat pour
ing from my face and hair. my mind
a chaos. How I reached the spinney
l can hardly tell. As turned up the
path caught glimpse of q human
face peering at me from the darkening
thicket-a horrible human face, vel.
low and drawn with high-bone cheeks
and narrow eyes.
lnvoluntarily l halted: the dog at
my heels snarled. Then sprang
straight at it. houndering blindly
through the thicket. but the night had
fallen swiftly and found myself pant
ing and struggling In q maze OF tw.st-
ed shrubbery and twining vines. In.
able to see the very underground that
ensnared me.
1t was pale face, and a scratched
one that carried to late dinner that
night. Hewlett served me, dumb re-
prosch In his eyes. for the soup had
been standing and the grouse was
juiceless.
David brought the dogs in after they
had had their supper. and l drew my
chair before the blaze and set my ale
on table beside me. The dogs
curled up at my feet. blinking gravely
at the sparks that snapped and flew
In eddying showers from the heavy
logs.
David" said I. did you say yo,
saw 4 Chinaman today"
Il did, SIR"
What do you think about it nowr
Il may have been mistaken, sir"
But you think not What sort Of
whisky did you put in my flask to.
day."
The usual, SIR"
Is there much gohe?"
About three swallows. sir, as
usual"
You don't suppose there could have
been any mistake about that whisky
mo medicine could have gotten into
it, for instance?"
David smiled and said: mo. sir"
Well" said l. Il have had an ex.
traordinary dream"
When said dream" felt com.
forted and reassured. had scarcely
dared to say 1t before, even to my.
self
An extraordinary Dream re.
peated: Il fell asleep in the woods
about five o'clock, in that pretty glade
where the fountain-I mean the poo
IL. You know the place."
II do not, sir"
l described it minutely. twice. but
David shook his head.
Carved stone did you say, sir? 1
never chanced on 1t. You don't mean
the New SDrin1-"