The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-06-24
The OAKS MESSAGE
BY DONALD ALLEN.
copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)

WOTkeT anu SlTOuB -LuiHoSu "ohoh'
and SIC had married almost without
love, and certainly without romance.
Her neighbors said she was hard
hearted and q driver, and seemed ut
terly without pity, but they were mis-
taken. She had loved her brother
John, and when his only child drove
up to the gate she took her in her
arms and said "You poor child, you,
but you shall have home with me
for life, and l will be a kind mother
to you!"
The lapse of time is the remedy for
all our griefs. After three months
had passed Miss Irene was like her
old self again, and there was song and
laughter in the house.
A quarter of a mile below Aunt
Cynthia's farmhouse, and near the
highway, was a giant oak tree. The
farmers spoke Of it as the old oak
tree, and it was landmark to be seen
for miles and miles.
Miss Irene had sat and gazed at that
towering tree for an hour at time,
but 1t had never occurred to her to
make closer acquaintance until one
afternoon when she had a reply to
indite to the letter Of girl chum.
She would do her writing at the foot
of the old oak tree.
AS the girl drew nearer and near.
er to the old oak the more it ap-
pealed to her, and when at last she
reached it she stood with awe in her
heart. More than a hundred years
they said. and it had been buffeted
by hundreds Of gales.
Chatter! Chatter! Chatter"
1t was a gray squirrel up the trunk
a few feet and looking at the girl, de-
flying her to come nearer.
But | will" she laughed, as she
plunged into the bushes
The squirrel whisked around to the
other side of the tree.
By this time she had reached the
trunk and passed around it the SPUR
rel had made his way to the highest
limb. The girl found something else,
something that perhaps not
one in thousand who passed it had
knowledge of. At the height Of her
chin was a cup or hollow that would
hold a quart Of water. 1t was a
wound that the tree had received in
some way years before, and the bark
had grown again on all sides to leave
a hiding spot. The hand that was
thrust in felt and drew out a small
quantity of dead leaves, but 1t was
too low down for safety, and no wild
thing had pre-empted it for a nest.
"Why, it might be turned into a post
office" unused the girl.
And instead of writing to her girl
chum she wrote: "A maiden who
lives near here is waiting for her Sir
knight to come and bear her away
"There!" was half defiantly ex-
claimed as the note was deposited in
the cup.
AS Miss Irene got up to wander
through the woods a bit and &c
home, the squirrel descended a few
feet and seemed to call out
SILLY! Silly! Silly"
"Of course it is" said the girl in
reply, land I'll come back tomorrow
and tear it up. There are no Sir
knights any more"
Next day Miss Irene went back tc
the old oak and took her note from
the post office and read it with a sigh
and a blush. Two or three times she
started to tear it up, but held hel
hand and finally restored it to the
cup.
And days and weeks and months
passed away, and the girl did not re
turn to the old oak tree. She tried
to content herself with looking at II
from distance. 1t was young cir
romance, and she had right to keel
it locked in her breast.
One afternoon the gray squire
was chattering away as he cut circles
around the trunk of the old oak. There
was nothing to make him afraid
There was no other gray squirrel II
the woods to dispute his right to the
tree, as had been decided by battle,
Chatter chatter. chatter!'
A young man was passing in ar
auto.
Stop a minute" he said to hi'
chauffeur. "By George! that's a fin'
old treel And that's the first squire
I've seen for years. I'd sure like hi
head for an ornament
He had a pistol in his pocket, ant
he drew it and approached the tree
He was led around it as another hat
been.
Hello! Here is the old fellows
nest! | wonder if any of the famll.
Is at home"
Very cautiously hand was insert
ed. There might be teeth there await
ing it. No, there were only few
acorns and bit of paper.
"a maiden who lives near here
The young man walked back to tn
road and stood looking at Aunt Gym
thia's house a long time. Finally h
said to the chauffeur;
1--WE will go back to that house"
And from between the mornin
glories climbing over the lattice
the vernada Miss Irene peered GU
and saw him and knew that her 81
Knight had found her appeal and ha
| come to answer it.