Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-07-01
fn11 md APPROACH. held up her hand and
motioned me to stop.

S0Uy WVbU WeO. Ele SOJVstSSO We OVass
10 seek this SPOT before wooing the ~
men Of their choice, and. It 10 a stranss
fatality that IN our family who hats
not done 70 have gone to their graves
uploysd old haDhelors and the women
Who have q 1t a. old maids. OF
later ysarar b6s become the custom
for iovesick youths and maidens in the
town and county to seek It out and test
it, charms. and many a happy home
owes more than We may imagine to the
legend which clings about this ivy col.
cred dial. The moment has arrived
when you can test It's power too"
Already l had become a nrm believer
in the wishing stone. Laying my hand
on Il and looking into the lovely eyes
OF Ellen. l made my wish and added
q prayer that 1t might nnd favor with
the fates. After had finished We
Joined hands again and made three
circles around the stone. Then all be.
gan to laugh. and some q started up
The rollicking chorus Of
It's love, It's love.
'TIs love that makes the world 20 round.
All 1oined In ave Miss Ellen and me,
for W strolled back somewhat slower
than the others.
what did you wisb7' I asked, but
shs only shook her head and said che
could not tell.
VI wished that you I got no fur.
thef. for she gave a startled cry that
checked me- before ! could 6nish the
sentence
"Don'-oh, dontt' she said. "You
have already said too much. I ought
to have told you not to tell your wish,
for II You DO tho fates become perverss
and mock you. If you even hint Of
what You have asked in secret some
thing win happen to mai Ito complete
fulnllment. am sorry you spoke
about It at all." and l thought her face
grew . little paler.
I dared not speak again, and W
walked on in silence and Joined tho
others In the old oaken dining room.
M. Lamb asked the blessing. and the
girls sat down, while the men waited
On them and brought them supper.
After 4 merry hour we danced again,
and the incident Of the wishing stone
vas soon forgotten in the frolic Of the
old Virginia reel. Miss Ellen led this
old fashioned dance with me, and
many . pretty ankle was displayed
that night a. toes were pointed and
courtesies made. and many q little
love scene, too, went on that night,
but I wal too busy with my own At.
fairs to watch what others did.
When the candles had burnt down
to their sockets and MI. Lamb said
the band had struck. then began the
good nights, which lasted for another
half an hour. The wagons were
brought round and the horses saddled,
and soon the whole gay company start
ed like a cavalcade. Long after they
had left we could hear them singing
through the pines.
Bud saddled bis horse and rode out
into the night to think Of some young
girl. l thought, but Miss Ellen said no;
that sometimes when hs became rest
less he would ride for hours and re-
turn always with Z brighter heart
and more cheerfully take up the bur.
den Of his life again. When ! babe
Miss Ellen good night on the landing !
held the tips Of her fingers for . mo-
ment.
you are my queen tonishtr' I cried
earnestly.
She let me raise her fingers 70 my
lips and looked down ct me In q sad,
sweet way. Then, laughing softly and
somehow, l felt, a little bitterly, she
said:
"Your queen Of tonight win be your
cook again tomorrow"
Before I could reach her side. for my
impulse wal to throw myself at her
feet and pour out my love to her, she
glided swiftly up the stairs.
Within the next week ! received a
copy Of the paper with my letter in It.
prominently placed Of the first page,
and a note in the same mail from the
editor congratulating me on the excel
lence Of It. He told me to send one or
two more from Georgia and then to
push on and write up the bayou coun-
ties In Louisiana. He liked the dia-
logues and suggested that I give more
interviews with the farmers. read
my letter in print, and It again struck
me that I had not made It clear to my
conservative readers that It was to the
sons Of the antebellum, slaveholding
families that the south had to look for
ito regeneration and renewed prosper
ity; that It was this element which
was rebuilding the fortunes IN that
section and not the few lei from the
north who had gone there to invest
money. II / dared to draw q picture
Of the Buds and the Ellens Of the
south how the people Of the old COM
monwealth would read the future Of
this sunny land and appreciate the
struggle of its younger generation to
overcome the obstacles which they had
inherited in consequence o9ff war!