The Ekalaka eagle., 1911-03-17

There was no answering humOr to
this in Neils eyes.
II wish we might" he said quietly.
I'VE cant" exclaimed Nathaniel.
NY shi3@"
1T is impossible. an s.-sa:s<ssS s.-sa<sssS G
Winnsome. Arbor CrOche's house is
in the heart of the town and guarded
by dogs. doubt if she would go.
anyway. She has always been like
little sister to Marion and me and she
has come to -sOmething-as
we do. hate to leave her.
obadiah told me about her
mother" ventured Nathaniel. HE
said that some day Winnsome will be
queen"
Il knew her mother" replied Neil,
as though he had not heard Ma
thaniel's last words. He looked frank
ly into the others race. Il worshipped
herr"
"Oh-h-h!"
From a distance" he hastened
"She was as pure as Winnsome is
now. Little Winn looks like her
Some day she will be as beautiful"
"She is beautiful now
But she is mere child Why, it
seems only year ago that l was to-
ting ner about on my shoulders. And
by George, that was a year before
her mother died! She is sixteen
now"
Nathaniel laughed softly.
"Tomorrow she will be making love-
| Neil, and before you know it she will
be married and have family of her
own. l tell you she is a woman-and
if you are not fool you will take her
away with Marion"
With a powerful stroke of his pad
die Neil brought the canoe in to the
shore.
| THERE" he whispered, you have
only to cross this point to reach your
boat" He stretched out his long arm
and in the silence the two shook
hands. IF you should happen to
think of a way-that we might get
! Winnsome-" he added, coloring.
| The sudden grip of his companions S
fingers made him finch
|
He climbed ashore and watched Neil
until he had disappeared in the wild
| rice. Then he turned into the woods.
He looked at his watch and saw that
1t was only 2 o'clock. He was con-
scious of no fatigue; he was not con-
scious of hunger. To him the whole
world had suddenly opened with glo-
| ,.;o, sv1 c{, H.
of the forest he felt like singing out
his rejoicing. He had never stopped
to ask himself what might be the end
of this passion that had overwhelmed ID
him; he lived only in the present, in
the knowledge that Marion was not
wife, and that it was he whom fate
had chosen for her deliverance. He
reasoned nothing beyond the sweet
eyes that had called upon him, that
had burned their gratitude, their hope
and their despair upon his soul; moth
ing beyond the thought that she would
soon be free from the mysterious in
fuence of the Mormon king and tha,
for days and nights after that she
would be on the same ship with him
He had emptied the pockets of the
coat he had given Neil and now he
brought forth the old letter which
Obadiah had rescued from the sands
He read it over and over again as he
sat for a few moments in the cool o
the forest and there was no trouble
in his face now. 1t was from a girl
He had known that girl, years ago, as
Neil knew Winnsome; in years O
wandering he had almost forgotten
> her-until this letter came 1t hae
= brought many memories back to hin
= with shocking clearness. The old foil
l. were still in the little home under tht
hill; they received his letters; the,
month-but they wanted him. Th'
girl wrote with merciless candor H,
had been away four years and 1t wa
time for him to return. She told hin
why. She wrote what they, in thei
loving fear Of intlictng pain, woul'
never have dared to say. At the end
in a postscript. she had asked for hi
= congratulations on her approachin.
: marriage.
To Nathaniel this letter had bee1
- torment. He saw the truth as h
had never seen it before-that hi
place was back there in Vermont
. with his father and mother; and tina
there was something unpleasant il
thinking Of the girl as belonging t
another. But now matters ha
changed. The letter was a hope an
inspiration to him and he smoothe'