Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-06-11
xI-Continued.
And you'll know sometime!"
Lona!" He arose Inc took q dizzy

CHAPTER xI-Continued.
And you'll know sometime."
Lona!' He arose and took a dizzy
step toward her.
"Oh, Iona, +"
mo, no.. no-don't!-Come!" She
arose swiftly and turned toward the
path. It's getting darker: we must &c
breathlessly. BY the creekside she
paused for an instant, while he dipped
the buckets; then she turned and ran
up the path again.
Come, quick" she ordered in a pen
-etrating whisper. 1t was as II some
fearful thing were lurking somewhere
In the glen.
"Wait!-please, do" he gasped, after
they had scurried half way up the hill
Cant we stop a minute?" She turned
Instantly n faced him.
"No!--at h fiat stone-come!"
Again they fastened up the path. Al
the stone he ank down GREATNESS
The girl wheeled instantly. and, stand
ing straight and rigid, peered back into
the Run. She was very near him. How
perfect she was as she stood there in
vthe twilight woman to dream about,
Fair as a jonquiI. tall as a bride for
Tthe high gods mete."
Iona" he whispered, what is it %
Nothing"
but you're strange. There's some
thing the matter. What Is 1t down
there, Lena?" He felt like shuddering,
ne knew not why. 1t was as IL some
thing were lowering over them.
ITS nothing; It's the evening. Let's
hkeep perfectly still. Don't you hear
at?"
Hear what?"
The evening. It's a concert.
Hark."
1t was not hard to imagine. The
nynninu htyp1n ~ fhn Nav 6ny x,n
swelling all about them, but above all,
and dominating it all. was the gibber
of the Run just below them. There
was something strange about II, some
thing that crept over him more and
more like a premonition OF danger: the
gloom Of the place, the dark forms of
the cedars, the imprisoning tangle of
the r~hododendron. and the smutches of
black above-the ridges converging into
the Gap. He began to ook about him
almost stealthily. Then he caught a
glimpse OF her, and something all in a
flash thrilled him as with fear.
She was looking with wide eyes,
every muscle and nerve in her body
tense, down through the laurel tangle
TO where the waters of Roaring Run
break through the Gap. Automatically
he turned in the direction Of her gaze,
but he saw nothing.
Iona, what is it?'
IT'S Observation-Disclosures" She
lodged with lightning movement as IL
some unseen thing had struck at her,
then darted away One instant and
rshe was gone.
Scarce realizing what he did, he
.sprang after her. H looked eagerly
right and left. behind every cedar and
tangle. She had vanished utterly.
'Lona!" he called in a fearful whis-
per. "Lona!" hen he raised his voice
Inc shouted, "Lona!"
Hush! Sh-h-h-h-h," She was right
at his elbow, as IL she had risen from
che earth. "Come-quick."
but, Iona, what Is it? For Gods
sake, what's this all about? Lona!"
Quick" she whispered tragically.
''Quick!" She seized his hand as If he
were in danger, and tried to pull him
along.
aler hand thrilling him nightly, what
IS it?'-I love you
NO. no, MOI You must go. You
must never come back. ~Come-quick!"
There was an intensity about the girls
words that frightened him.
"Lona-what is tt%
Col command" She Kissed the
words in his very ear. IT you speak,
its death. One word and it's death.
Come" Her hot breath was in his face.
She was pulling him along as II in a
panic. Then, as by magic, she was
Sgone. he stopped ror q IN ms
tracks.
Everything was unnaturally silent.
Even the frogs, for some mysterious
reason, had ceased their chorus. He
t5ound himself listening breathlessly for
he knew not what. A CHASTITY fear was
creeping over him. Something black
and awful was lurking right near him.
The air was hot and sitting; It was
difficult to breathe; his head seemed
bursting. Cautiously he began to pick
his a then he began to walk rapid
ly: then to run; nor did he stop until
me had reached his fathers door.
The nextmorring all was normal again.
The night seemed like some confused
dream, far off and vague. He laughed at
mis- panic, and all day long the passion
IN his heart grew more imperious. He
would go down again; he would go that
very evening. Blu he found no life
about the old house that night, nor the
next. For a week he tried to see her,
vbut the whole place seemed deserted.
There was no response to his rappings
at the cabin; it was as II the family
had moved away. He rel down into
the Run and sat on the fiat rock until
long after twilight, but there was nc
sound or movement. Then for a time
he went no more into the uncanny hole,
but tried to smother out his thoughts
by the hard work OF the spring niant-
Eng.