Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-03-27
CHATTER Iv-Contlnued.

Not afootH You don't mean I'd VAIN
Sure. 1 feel just like walking. Come
on"
But the roads are all mud-its awful
walking" he had persisted.
AN the more fun. | amt afraid OF
mud, are you? Get on your gum
shoes. Wen be there in no time"
There was no escape.
Don't rum" he puffed at length.
Lets just saunter along. There's no
rush"
Wen have to hurry to get there and
back before meeting time. Come on,
and she had fitted on before him, while
he puffed and waddled and tried 10
keep up.
The day was perfect. The sun, low in
the south, poured in a mellow flood that
was like the Indian summer. There
was no snow, but along the whole ROAD
there was that which was tenfold
worse--a river OF that yellow, Centre
County mud that sticks closer than
brother. There is no shaking II OF; In
deed, ii is difficult to separate 1t from
the shoes even with a stick.
Rose, picking her way lightly and
daintily, now by the roadside, now on
the crushed stones, avoided 1t almost
completely, but Karl, ploughing along
heavily, kept ever in the middle OF the
road. His feet increased to the size OF
peck baskets. In vain he kicked and
scraped. His fubbers came off and
he ruined his shoes
Don't hurry" he pleaded. hot and
painting. There's no hurry"
Call this hurrying" she called back
over her shoulder. why, we're only
crawling. We must walk faster than
this" And ne stumbled on after her
I'm desperation.
His collar became a wet rag. The
sweat soaked through the band of his
best hat, making a broad yellow stripe
His feet weighed a hundred pounds
apiece and were increasing every mo
mcnt It was like walking with ball
and chain. The mud smeared his
trousers nearly to his knees, but he
puffCd on.
come, come" she cried scornfully;
"why, who's tired? We've only just
started. why, I've walked twenty
miles lots OF times. Come on: I'm GO
ing" she started on briskly. He hes
itated moment, then painted after
her half on the dog trOt.
When at last they had cut through
the scrub cakes and stood in sight of
the old house, he was in dry pallor.
His mouth and throat were like pieces
of paper.
He gasped out something like a
Thank God" and collapsed upon the
nearest stone.
IT'S a wild, lonesome place, isn't 2"
she went on, almost eXCitedly. See
how the gap hangs over 1t. And look
the black ring! What do you suppose
makes it? Can you see it?'
Yes" he puffed.
1T seems almost like a perfect cir
Gle, doesn't IT,"
Yes"
IT'S something that's growing; some
kind OF a moss or grass, don't you
think? I'm going down and see.
Come"
mo, no. This is all the farther I'm
going" he said with decision.
Then I'm going down there alone"
mo, no, no." he gasped. "Remem-
ber what they say. You know it's
death for any Hartswick to go inside
that ring"
"Oh, CANNON! As If believed
that"
ITS safer to stay away"
Il want to look into the window"
This is all the farther I'm going
ne announced decisively. Besides, you
wouldn't see anything If you tried.
Don't you see how there's a shutter
over the Window"
But the ring?"
"Oh, the Hellers put some kind of a
chemical there, and a devils crop of
some sort or other comes up on it,"
but why don't the snow lie there
in winter?"
Il don't know. Probably they sowed
some kind OF a plant that melts snow
just the same as salt does. Say, Iii
bet II is salt"
But that would kill everything and
make the ground bare and dead, and,
see, it's a sort of black matted moss"
Well there's nothing chemical about
II, I'll bet a dollar" For time they
looked in silence at the old structure.
II was a log house. some - feet
square and two stories in height. The
caves projected far out. giving it an un-
usual appearance. The Crevices had
been caulked with some black material,
which in places had begun to crumble
out A great chimney of irregular
blocks of limestone arose at one end.
There was no path leading to the house
and no clearing save the black ring,
which surrounded IT and upon which
there grew no trees or shrubs.
"Hark. what's that?" They both
Strengthened instantly. The sun was
near the top of the western ridge; all
was deathly still save the growl of wa
ter in the nearby run.
Didn't you hear something" Then
the faint voice of the church bell came
to them over the valley.
My! That's the first bell. We've
got Just an hour. Come, we must walk
now: we can't crawl the way we did
coming up. Come on"
She sprang lightly down the rocks
and out upon the pike, and he followed
the best he could. Through the puddles
and into the mud. thick and sticky as
sOdden glue. he ploughed, putting and
blowing and wallowing, while she trip
ped daintily ahead.
the last bell was tolling. Darkness had
fallen, for which Keichline was pro-
foundly grateful. 1t allowed him to
drag himself through the church going
throng unrccOgniZed. and to get safe
~ to Hartswick Hall.
He was faint and feverish: his legs
almost refused to obey him; and his
breath came in gasps that ratified and
gurgled in his throat. An hour later
when he appeared In complete suit
of the squire's that was three sizes too
small for him. and sat down to the long
DELAYED supper, he found it impossible
to eat.
"Oh. Pap" Rose burst in from meet
ing, 1--WE had glorious walk. Didn't
we Mr.. Keichline? We went over to
the old cabin. and it was fine. Well
go again, won't we?" She took her
place at the table as fresh and unruf-
fed as II she had spent the whole art
ernoon In her room. One glance at
Karl I'm his tight-fitting costume, an
imperceptible fiutter for a moment at
the corners of her mouth. and she fin
isher her supper with great solemnity.
Keichline said very little. He was
aching i'm every joint and his dignity
had suffered. When at 10 o'clock he
drove out of the yard he was beginning
to be really angry. The game was not
worth the candle. Without a doubt he
could win her in the end; he felt sure
of that. since the old squire was on
his side: but was it worth the while :?
With every mile down the Run his
slow-kindling. fat-man's rage grew hot
ter. He would never return; not even
the squire's great property was suffi-
cient to repay him. He would go there
no more.