The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-04-29
The House of the Black.
e=s=. Ring e.,z..... .,.z
CHAPTER vII1-continued.

eouch ner-stood a figure on the bank,
= woman, a young maiden, tall and
hthe, without hat or wrap, her hair
ivory biack-an intense leck of colour
against the snow, her plump figure
clad IN a plain working dress, her
hands holding two buckets dripping
from the brook-an instant only, but
TO Tom like a camera snap. He lodged
automattcally-he had not been stalk
ing game like this-and took several
nolseiess steps, so as not to startle the
girl. 1t was useless. however; escape
was impossible. She was coming
straight toward him, and In a moment
more would be around the rock and
face to face with him. He wheeled
about. and began to whistle, as he
were strolling up the glen and had not
seen her. A m and they came
fuil upon each other around the rock.
She did not start or cry out, but stopped
instantly and looked at him with wild
eyes. as a deer will when one comes
upon him on a forest path.
surprise in his voice. Il didn't know
any one was down here"
Her eyes, intensely black, had long
iashes: her cheeks seemed a pale olive
against the Jet of her hair. She did
not speak: she made a movement as If
to get by him.
oh. l see; you are taking EN- up to
Poppy Miller's?"
- L 3
Let me carry EN-. I'll carry 'em
for you"
she put them down on the instant
and started ahead. ~Involuntarily he
stood and looked at her. She was tall
n straight and full-figured. and she
sprang up the rocks as agile as a fawn.
Walt. don't run away" he called.
picking up the buckets and trying to
Follow. but in a mt she WIS out
OF sight.
The girl was undoubtedly Iona He'll
sr. He had never seen her before. but
ne mad heard of her as a TRANCE, shy
creature. whom no one knew much
about. There was a beaten path all
the way to the cabin; it was evident
that they got all their water from the
creek, and that the girl carried it.
Neither old Poppy nor Grannie
Miller was fit for such a task.
He crossed a rail fence that lurched
~drunkenly across the glen, n came
Out into a Uttered yard. A yelIowish
horse. harnessed to an old wagon.
aozed before the house, but there was
no movement anywhere. The Witness
OF the place, with It's chaos of rocks. its
ragged trees. and it's strange architec-
iure did MOI impress him. He was
looking for the girl. What should he
90 with the bucket? AS he stood de-
Operating, the old man himself, hoary
the door.
Leave 'enl set right there" he quay
cred Are yeh going down the road
Wunst? Chump right in" Tom
Jumped In. and the old manflaboriousiy |
followed. There was a movement out |
by the barn.
"Hsh. Tat pegs already. wuts.
wuts. wuts. wntst Here. peggy. Hey,
Io1ay. ~Lo-ner-y-y-y! Huh, She
cant hear nothing stiil. Let I'm go it.
Cup. t'ere."
va r,n nral 49, |
cid creatures back. and. after awaking.
u. began to shanabie down the moderate
slope. Tom watched the house mar
roTly No sign OF life They reached
the end of the yard; by a sudden i'm
pulse ne turned again.
An the upper window was omen and
he caught the glimpse of a face. At
Ina moment h sur just over the
SagSed tear OF the gap, broke through
the s~cioudbank. n a slanting ray fell
inii upon the girl of the brook. lighting
up her face witt, a strange rnomentary
TRANSFORMATION. An instant. and n
nal disappeared.
Clear -tgaorrow." observed the old
oracularly. The shambling horse
lost.
II was NOT far to the Heller.s Can
voad. and little was said, thai little be-
from the old man and about the
Maywardness and peryersity of pegs.
Tom heard little and cared little. He
Msn. nome and. after the name of
Fellows Of twenty, dreamed
about black eyes and a certain nicfure
In a window. And Poppy Miller
his reflections on pegs iust
p Il ne We're not a pow-woyser and
know that something had hap
The circle about the suuire's stove
the old man warmly. He came
the store but seldom Of evenings.
End when he did come It was an event.
- always comforting to have an UNI
uisputeu authority on things superna-
turat close at hand for ready reference.
That's a fine day, Poppy, Already,
"Arnh-huh..--a sharp accent on the
.rst syllable, which meant mo. 9th
erwise accented 1t would have been
PES. TITS amt no saplin'- bender;
" Onion snow 'twixt nine and twenty
Drooth and trouble and a plenty
MISUNDERSTANDING
Gut your garden planted. Poppy?p
Mmh-huh. Signs Amt right still
Hight for onions, amt it? Vase"
I. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ,em IN thals
so t'ey'n strike down wunst.
Oh. pshaw. this moon business
makes me tired!'' burst out Amos
Harding. He was sitting on a chair by
= sns stove. both @ his legs folded UP
the chair seat: In this position he re-
seribled nothing so much as 4 Ionp
upon.
.Hea. heh?a The old man bristlad
and turned shakiIy.
sl plant by the sun, not the moon .
Spose I'm blind, do ye? ,Snosa
hatrst been seeins t'ese so year. hen I
coy ant by TIC moor. young man,
n tax yo1 p Mht Ok t,e signs # 9 want
are the sigma fnr r,.rx.-