The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-04-23
A Decision
From the Dead
By F. A. Mitchell

By F. A. Mitchell
When Donald Erskine was fourteen
years Of age his father bought q place
on one of the principal roads leading
from the city. The house stood In
large lot, and in the adjoining lot on
one side stood another house of about
the same size. There was no other
house within half a mile.
Donald had long wished for a gun.
but his father would not consent to his
having one so long as he lived In the
city, but when they moved to the,
country the boy was given a small
rife. The day after reaching the new
residence Donald went to a wood back
Of the house with bis gun. It was in
the spring Of the year, when shooting
was not in order. but he wanted to e
how 1t would feel to be In a wood With
a gun. I
Donald found something better than
q bird in the wood-a girl about his
own age gathering wild aowers.. Chit
dren don't usually require an introduce
ton. and q boy with q gun and a girl
gathering wild flowers in a wood were
not likely to forego an acquaintance
from such a default.
Donald learned that the girl was
Amy Stanford and that she lived in
the next house to his own home. Since
he did not feel at liberty to shoot the
birds he leaned his gun against 4 tree
and hunted with the girl for flowers.
When they had gathered quite a num-
Der they looked about for a seat on
which they might arrange them into Il
bouquet.
"Come with me-" said Amy. and she
led Donald to a tree from which a
branch a few feet from the ground
stood out horizontally far enough to
make room for the two Of them. then
turned in q perpendicular direction.
There the girl seated herself, spread
ing the flowers in her lap. and Donald
sat down beside her.
Then followed the most delicious
hour in Donald's life. Above the
birds, twittering. flying to and from
the nests they were building. I'm occa-
sional song. accompanied by the neve
ending music of a brook that bent
about the tree underneath which the
children were sitting, while at their
feet trembled shadows Of the half
grown leaves. Donald passed other
hours In the same position with the
same girl beside him. But there Is that
In the first Of anything which never
comes again. On that branch he took
the first kiss Of love-" Nevertheless
there was not again quite the same
sweetness In the songs Of the birds.
the music of the running water. the.
flecked shadows Of the young leaves.
Just when he took the first kiss OF
love may not be revealed. 1t: was to
him too sacred to be spoken. But we
may be sure 1t was not long delayed.
The love that sprang up and blossom
ed there when 1t bloomed bloomed for
ever. He felt that whether they we're
together or separated in this world or
in the next they We're one forever.
Three years iuter-Donnld was seven
teen-the Erskine family removed to Il
distant region. Their parting occurred
at the trysting place where they had
SO often met. and neither doubted that
they would meet again when they bad
passed from youth to manhood and
womanhood. But they were never to
meet again in mortality. Three years
later Amy died.
Four years after their parting Don
aid. who had come to mans estlte.
one spring morning. s0rrowful. with
reluctant step passed from the road to
the wood where he had been 80 happy
with his lost love. Thereshad been no
change. Birds We're twittering. the
brook gave forth its music. the shadows
Of the leaves necked the turf.
AS Donald approached the branch
seat he suddenly stopped aud gazed
as though he saw some ugly apparitton.
A man sat ON the branch wearing a
countenance Of grief. Then Donald
with quicker step approached the man
and said to him: -0
why are you here?"
II am mourning a lost love-"
"a lost love! Who may that lost
love be-"
my Amy-Amy Stanford"
'Your Amy:"
my Amy! Mine In life: mine 10
death" VIZ
There was q pause. during which tho
two men regarded each other with q
strange emotion. Finally Donald spoke.
Did Amy Stanford love you?"
"She did"
'You lie"
II lie? You have strange cont.
dence."
Confidence. but not strange conf
dence. Il you speak the truth she VS.
not what she was. and that IL tmpos-
sible. But It Is sacrilege for me to
dispute with you on such a subject"
Advancing to the trunk Of the tres
where there WAS n cavitv in tho vond Z