Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-05-14


that, sirl" said the girl, and. spring
Ing from the saddle, deftlyo secured
him. Then turning her back toward
/ the Mount. a shadowy pyramid in the
/ distance. she seated herself in the
] grass with her eyes to the woods.
! Not long, however did my lady re-
main thus; soon rising. she walked
toward the shadowy depths At the
| verge she paused; her brows grew
thoughtful; what was it the woods
| recalled? Suddenly, she remembered
| IA boy she had met the night she
left for school so long ago. had told
| her he lived In them. She recalled,
too, as child, how the woman. Marie.
| who had been maid to her mother.
/ had tried TO brighten her about that
| sequestered domain. with tales of
| fierce wild animals and unearthly
| creatures, visible and invisible. that
roamed within
She had no fear now. though faint
, rustlings and a pusation of sound
held her listening Then. through the
| leafy inteIStice, cleaning and flash
ing. as If some one were throwing
| jewels 10 the earth. lured her on to
| the cause oil the seeming enchant-
ment-a tiny waterwalll
The moment passed; still she lin
gered Around the Mounts high top.
her own home, only transcendent 81
J lence relgned; here was she surround
! ed by bahbinS voices and all manner
OF merry creatures---lively little SPUR
! rels; winged insects, romping in the
! twilight shade; portly and well-sat
isied appearing green monster who
/ regarded her amicably from a niche
OF green. A butterfly. poised and
/ waving fits wings held her a long
| time--until she was suddenly aroused
| by the wood growing darker Raising
her eyes, she saw through the green
foliage overhead that the bright sky
had become sunless. At the same time
. rumbling defamation. faint. far-on.
broke in upon the whisperings and
findings Of that wood nook. Getting
up. she stood for a moment listening
then walked away
Near the verge Of the sand Saladin
greeted her with Impotence. tossing
his head toward the darkening heav-
ems Nor did he wait until she was
fairly seated before starting back at
a rapid gate along the shore. But the
girl offered no protest; her face
showed only enjoyment A little wild
he might be at times. as became one
of rugged ancestry, but never vicious
only headstrong! And she didn't
mind that
Already had he begun to slack that
first laundering pace when somethinr
white--a veil. perhaps, dropped from
the cavalcade OF lords and ladies' some
days before on the land and waited 20
the beach--fluttered like live thing
suddenly before him. In his tense
mood. Salndin. affrighted, sprang to
one side; then wheeling outright.
madly took tho N't in mis- teeth. Per
force his mistress resigned herself.
| sitting straight and sure. with little
hands hard and firm at the relns.
Saladiu was behaving very badly, but
lat least he was superb. worth con,
quering. if
A brief thrill of apprehension seized
her as. again drawing near the point
| OF land. he showed no signs of yield.
| ing: resisted all her attempts TO turn,
| to direct him TO II. with nostrils
thrust forward and breathing strong,
| he continued to choose his own
course; to whirl her on; past the
| rr,r,Ortnrvs sround into tina groat
bay beyond--now a vast expaase, Of
desert Of sand. broken only. about half
way across, by the small isle of
| Casque Toward this rocky forma.
ton. a pygmy to the great Mount
| from which II lay concealed by the
intervening projection OF land. the
| horse rushed
| On. on In vain she still endeayored
to stop him; thinking uneasily of
| stories the fishermen told of this
/ neighboring coast: of the sands that
often shifted here, setting pitfalls for
/ the unwary. She saw the sky grow
Yet darker. noted the nearer Hastings
| OF light. and heard the louder rumb-
llnes that followed Then presently
another danger she had long been con
/ scious of. on a sudden became real
She saw. or thought she saw. a faint
streak, like silver line drawn across
| the sky where the yellow sands
/ touched the sombrous horizon And
Saladin seemed 10 observe It. too; to
detect In IL cause for wonder: reason
/ for hesitation. At any rate. that head