The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-05-01
CHAPTER Xxx.
Seven Gold Reeds.

l
dry reeds. The air grew war
as the sun climbed to the zenit
and Hezekiah flung aside her Goa
The breeze caught the ends OF her t
and snapped them behind her. 81
was wholly absorbed In her task. ar
no boy could have managed peck,
knife better. The first reed she mac
a trfie longer than her hand. III
succeeding ones she trimmed to grad
ated lessening lengths. till seven In a
had been cut. and then she notche
| them
Seven" she murmured. laying ther
neatly in order on her knee. II n
member the right number by poer
| read the other day In an old maya
zine"
She reached down and plucked sew
eral long leaves of tough grass witt
gether, repeating:
Seven gold reeds grew tall and slim
| Close by the rivers beaded brim.
Syrnix, the naiad. fitted past:
Pan. the goat hoofed. followed fast.
at will be easier" said Hezekiah. III
you hold the pipes while tie them"
found this propinquity wholly
agreeable. it was pleasant to sit on a
log beside Hezekiah. 1t seemed no far
cry to the storied Mediterranean and
Pan and dryads and naiads. as Heze-
kiah bound her reeds to the music of
couplets There was no self conscions
ness in her recitation. She seemed to
be telling Of something that she had
seen herself an hour ago.
HE spread his arms to clasp her there
Just as she vanished into air
And to his BOSOM warm and rough,
Drew the gold reeds close enough
Il don't remember the rest" she
broke off. IBut there. That's a pipe
bit for any shepherd"
She put IL to her lips and blew.
shall not pretend that the result was
melodious She whistled much better
the reeds. but the sight of her,
sitting on the fallen tree beside the
lake. beating time with her foot, her
head thrown back. her eyes half closed
wheezy uncertainties and ineptitudes
she evoked. thrilled me with new and
lodgings. heart. spirit
ike hers would never grow old. She
was next of kin to all the elusive fugi-
i've company of the elf world. And on
such a pipe as she had strung together
beside that pond to this day Sicilian
hepherd boys whistle themselves into
une with Theocritus.
Take it" she said. II can't tell
'ou more than have. and yet it is all
here. Chimneys. Read the riddle of |
he reeds if you can"
| took the pipe and turned 1t over |
arefully in my hands, but l fear my |
houghts were rather of the hands
hat had fashioned 1t, the fingers that
ad danced nimbly upon the stops.
There are seven reeds-seven," she
tfirmed.
She amused herself by skipping peb-
les over the surface of the water
bile | pondered. and deliberated
ng. for one did not like to blunder
,fore Hezekiah. Then jumped up
nd called to her.
"One. two. thres. four, five. six
ven. Not until the seventh man Of
RS himself shall Cecilia have hus-
ind. Is that the answer?"
For moment Hezekiah watched the
idening ripples made by the casting :
her last pebble. Then she came q
ok and resumed her seat
You have done well. Chimney Man.
ID now I'll not make you guess any !
ore. though found 1t all out for my
IT, When Aunt Octavia gave that
book to Cecilia ! knew it 4
lst have something to do with the
venth man. You know l love all I
int Octavia's nonsense because it's
2 kind OF foolishness | like myself,
d the idea of pretty little note 1
ok to write down proposals in was
acisely the sort of thing that would Z
We occurred to my aunt. And it was I
the bargain. too. that she herself q
,uld not in any way interfere or try Z
influence the course of events. 1t 3
,uld be the seventh sutton. willy =
ly. And suspect she's been little :
red too" |.
She has indeed. She was almost
dy to throw the whole scheme over |:
[ night Your naughtiness had got
her nerves."
You missed the target that time
MT Octavia loves my naughtiness.
| think she has really been afraid
Pumpkin Virgins would catch me.
W. | didn't roam my aunt's house
t for fun. | was doing my best to |.
p Cecilia from getting into some j:
ape about that seventh sutton plan
Dund out by chance how to get into
peteld and about the hidden stair
' and the old rooms tucked away
re- Papa really discovered that.
carpenter In Katonah who worked -.
the house helped to build papa's -
Igalow. and he told us how that
] came to be there. That dys-
STA cure man. who also immortal
himself by inyenting the ribless
brella. was very superstitious He
eved that If be built an entirely
' house he would die. So he had ar
architect build around and retain
Sc two rooms and that stairway OF
ouse that had been on the ground ga