The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-06-17
CHAPTER XIV.
IN THE WILD AzALEA.

IN THE WILD AZALEA.
In the late spring and early sum-
mer the Seven mountains burst sud
denly from their sombre melancholy
and bury themselves for a month In
a wealth of efflorescence such as n
may look for in vain elsewhere north
OF the tropics. The wild gaps and runs
become choked with mighty masses Of
pink and white that fill even those long
accustomed to 1t with wonder. First
comes the miracle of the dogwood, the
spangling of the forest with spotless
white; then the miracle of the azalea
when the swart hillsides break sudden
ly into pillows of fire; then the miracle
of the laurel with its great masses
Of bloom like baskets of flowers set
here n there amid the rocks; and
then the miracles of miracles OF the
rhodendron which fills gap and tangle
and scaur with great banks of un-
broken snow. One might be contented
to live IL months In the dur solitudes
for the sake of this one marvellous
month OF flowers.
One visiting ii mid-June the mouth
Of Roaring Run will find IL transformed
almost beyond belief. The fantastic
Weatherings are EMPOWERED in laurel;
the tangle along the Run is a bank of
solid bic n; and among the cedar
scrubs still shoulders the last of the
INNsAN a III " ldlloLOI IldhIOHt IIluGGu,
one that no familiarity can ever strip
or Its semblance of miracle.
The morning after the pow-wowing
at Roaring Run broke free-skied and
smokeless. BY midday there was no
trace of the storm. The mountains lay
soft n warm in the spring sun. I'M
der It's radiance the azalea shot up its
radiance until 1t dominated ridge
and bottom and gap. Along the trough
OF Plum Run where 1t flowers in great
est profusion, 1t rolled I'm pillows Of
flame, and ever among il and around
u, like a deliberate contrast, glistened
the stars of the dogwood. AS Tom
Frarthlng stood on the crest OF Raccoon
ridge 1t seemed to him as IL the noun
talns We're in gala dress; green and
brown with fringings of scarlet and
~spanglings OF white.
He was hot and restless. He had
struck up into the ridges after the
Sunday dinner In sheer unrest. On and
on he had tramped without aim or
thought. A mass OF color in the sharp
OF the V caught his eye and automati-
cally he turned toward II. At one place
In an angle of the rocks the efflores-
cence seemed to eliminate. It was like
q huge centerpiece or a single giant
blossom. 1t cooled and rested MIN, He
stood wondering a moment. drinking
IN the sweet reek of 1t, then sat down
IN the middle of the plot, his back
against the sandstone. All was still
save for the drone Of the stream near
by and the voice OF a warbler in the
heart OF the tangle.
Unconsciously, for the thousandth
time. he began to go over the prob
lem which was dominating him. What
had become of her? Why had she
left him SO? What was the mys-
terry OF 1t all? The brook puzzled
on; the bird sang over and over
It's simple note, n his thoughts be-
came ever more vague and more vague.
He awoke with a start. He was con-
scious of some sharp, sudden noise
close by him, but all was silent when
he opened his eyes. He was strangely
confused. Everything seemed changed;
the sun was lower; the shadows had
SHIFTED greatly; there was a different
light in the atmosphere. A vague i'm
preston of some presence close at hand
caused him to turn his head.
Why, Iona" he cried in startled
voice, lis 1t you? Is 1t really your"
She did not answer, For a
she stood as on hat first evening by
the brookside, when he had come sud
denly upon her. If he moved she
would vanish.
But how came you way up here p"
He did not wait for her to answer; he
made a swift bound through the azalea
n stood beside her. did you know /
was here? Did your"
mo"
"Then it's All accident? You just hap
pened to Gomez"
Yes" .
You were walking and saw this
bunch Of honeysuckle? Is that why?"
Yes. I must go now." She turned
abruptly in the. direction of HeIler's
Ridge, and began almost to run
through the tangle.
Iona, don't" he pleaded. why do
you go, Lona?" She made no answer,
but bounded up the rocks.
Wait, Iona, please" but she did not
stop. 1t was as IL she were afraid of
him. She cast a swift glance back
n quickened her pace. He was ain
ing on her. At the Summit she
stopped abruptly and faced him.
Wen rest a minute here" she
announced d~ecisively, perching herself
on a rock.
Tell me. Iona, what the matter is.
Why do you always run from me?
Tell me, Iona" He came close to her
and looked UP into her face.
There's a comfortable seat there"
She pointed to a rock opposite hers.
AS he turned he noted that she was
pale, and that there were flushed spots
in her cheeks.
You are not we'll, Iona. Tell me.
what is it% He did not take the seat,
but came near to her again.
TITS nothing" she said absently. She
was looking far out over the valley
which lay bathed in the evening light.
The sun was just on the horizon. The
stiffness OF the Sabbath evening lay
like a spell. From the far away farm
houses and roads there arose no sound
save the faint "pe-pe-pe-pe" OF a wom-
an calling her chickens, and the low
monotone of the Run purring with soft
throat, like a kitten half asleep by It's
mother. A breath OF the hot clover
fields, SO faint as to be only half per-
ceived, hoated up over the scrub oaks
and the rocks.
Iona, I want to tell you
See" she broke in sharply. isn't
II beautiful It's like a great han.
Isn't 1T" He followed her gaze out
over the valley.
Yes; but Iona
"a hap in four coIors: clover. corn.