The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-06-09

Z! Nature palled on him; he had no
ne 20 tell Of his sensations. When he
lad tried to talk with the landlord, the
mar had Disguised him with his ques.
ions on the real estate values of prop
erty. and he had turned to his own
companionship hampered by doubts as
20 how long this could last.
He had been two weeks in the vii
age, when he determined one morning
upon new and perfectly untried
route. He had ridden miles along the
unknown path when it began to rain
not a pour of rain, but delightful lit
tie squirt Of big glistening drops. Just
as the shower was doing its smartest,
he came abruptly to the end of his
road-up against stone wall lying
alongside row of great trees. This
was luck-there was not house in
s'-ht and he was hungry and in dan
ger of drenching AS he alighted and
set his motorcycle up against the
fence, he felt decidedly lonely. There
vas no one to talk to and he was miles
away from his stopping place-and
hungry. AS he seated himself under
The tree, he thought he heard litter
The sound was so elusive at first that
it was as an echo in his memory-a
part CT the I'd life where titterinS yirls
abounded. The litter was repeated,
then it broke into a laugh. He looked
m pair of roo,,;Ch hl,,o ayoe 1ooLo1
down into his. There was a quick
thrill. as OF an old experience, and a
musical voice came down to him.
What are you doing down there,
Mr.. Man? Why don't you come up
here and keep out of the rain?" Rich
ard sprang up. He regretted that he
was not so agile as he used to be, but
he was on the stone fence and among
the branches of the tree in less time
than it takes to tell of it. He found
himself face to face with girl of six.
teen, or thereabouts. She was tall and
fair, with an air of friendliness he did
not care to resist. They both laughed
and she handed him sandwich from
the paper bag out of which she was
eating. They were both perfectly at
home. There was a provoking old
memory in the situation for the man
something elusive and as if he had
been there before. The girl seemingly
had no thought but that of serene COM
fort.
Richard had not noticed that the
Chinino ,6 1n5
his attention to it. Il must be going"
she said, and suiting the action to the
words, she slid down to the stone wall
and was gone. Richard rubbed his
eyes-had he met with a real dryad
and had she vanished? No; there she
was, down the road, waving him
good-by. Then she really vanished
and only the road stretched out the
way he had come
He mounted his cycle and motored
after her. He turned at the first d.
verging path and came upon an old
farmhouse. This then was the home
of this nymph of the trees. He
knocked at the door and was met by
an angular, hard-worked woman with
wisp of hair twisted tight in the
back and ragged, not too tidy, gown
These seemed to be her distinctive
points. Could this be the mother of
his divinity? The woman looked at
him suspiciously-he must say some.
thing. He asked for the usual drink
OF water. She brought it to him in
tin dipper and waited. He asked if
he might have some of the flowers
that grew by the walk.
"Them's my daughters" the woman
said. She'll be here come supper
time"
May l stay for supper?" Richard
asked. I'm hungry-Ill pay what
it's worth"
The woman said Yes" and went
about her work, leaving him sitting
on the front steps. He sat somewhat
uncomfortably and waited for the
daughter-he, Richard Dudley, erst.
while woman hater.
In an hour by the clock the daugh
ter came. The mother caught sight
OF her from afar. There she IT," she
said laconically.
Richard strained his eyes. But 1t
was not she-it was only smaller
edition of the woman who had met
him at the door. He asked for the
flowers, got them and went He went
to his hotel and investigated no more
roads for days.
Finally 1t occurred to him that II he
did not expect to become confirmed
idiot. he had better get back to ma.
ture. He got out his motorcycle and
went chugging off-not in a new di.
rection at all, but down the salf-same
road of his unusual experience. He
had ridden for = long time without
meeting single human disturber, and
was going on at a great rate, when he
was brought to an abrupt standstill by
burst Of girlish laughter. In fact
there were several peals and shrek.
Ahead of him on the road a huge
motor car had met with some mishap.
There were several persons standing
and young chap was under the mn,