The Arizona copper camp., 1919-05-10


trolled by some conceited prince,
backed by an army. 1t cannot fail, I
foresee, to accomplish such devasta-
ton in the human spirit as shall i'm
peril the dearest possession of man.
If one is to follow the compass he
can have but one king-his God.
I am near the end. I rode back to
Baltimore that forenoon. They had
nominated Mr.. Polk of Tennessee for
president and Silas Wright for vice
president, the latter by acclamation. I
knew that Wright would decline the
honor, as he did.
hurried northward to keep my ap-
pointment with Sally. The boats were
slowed by fog. At Albany was day
behind my schedule. 1 should have
only an hours leeway if the boats on
the upper lakes and the stage from
Plattsburg were on time. I feared to
trust them. So I caught the west
bound train and reached Utica three
hours late. There I bought a good
horse and his saddle and bride and
hurried up the north road. When he
was near spent 1 traded him for a we'll
knit Morgan mare up in the little viii
lage Of Sandy Creek. Oh, I knew
good horse as we'll as fhe next man
and a better one than she I never
owned-never. was back in my sad
die at six in the afternoon and stopped
for feed and an hours rest at nine and
rode on through the night. I reached
the hamlet Of Richville soon after day.
break and put out for a rest of two
hours. 1 could take it easy then. At
seven o'clock the mare and 1 started
again, well fed and eager to go on.
1t was summer morning that short
ems the rOad-even that of the young
lover Its air was sweet with the
breath of the meadows. The daisies
and the clover and the cornflowers
and the wild roses seemed to be wav-
Ing a welcome to me, and the thorn
trees-shapely ornament Of my native
hills-were in blossom. A cloud of
pigeons swept across the blue deep
above my head. The great choir Of
the fields sang to me-bobolinks, song
sparrows, meadowlarks, bluebirds,
warblers, wrens, and far away in the
edge Of a spruce thicket I heard the
flute Of the white-throated sparrow.
I bathed at brook in the woods
and put on a clean silk shirt and tie
out of my saddlebags. I rode slowly
then to the edge of the village of Can
ton and turned at the bridge and took
the river road, although l had time to
spare. How my heart was beating as
/ neared the familiar scene The
river slowed it's pace there, like a dis
cerning traveller. TO enjoy the beauty
II It's shores. Smooth and silent was
the water and in 1t were the blue Of
me sky and the feathery shadow-spiresI
81 cedar and tamarack and the reflect.
I'd blossoms Of iris and meadow rue.
1t was lovely scene.
There was the pine, but where was,
my lady? I dismounted and tied my
mare and looked at my watch. It
lacked twenty minutes to eleven. She
would cOme-I had no doubt of it. I
washed my hands and face and neck
in the cool water. Suddenly I heard
q voice I knew singing: Barney
Leave the Girls Alone" 1 turned and
saviour mother, my son. (These
last lines were dictated to his son.)
She was in the stern of a birch canoe,
all dressed in white with roses in her,
hair. I raised my hat and she threw
a kiss at me. Old Kate sat in the bow
waving her handkerchief. They
stopped and Sally asked in a tone Of
playful seriousness:
young man, why have you come
here?"
"To get you," answered.
"What do you want of me?" She
was looking at her face in the water.
II want to marry you," I answered
bravely.
''Then you may nelp me ashore If
you please. I am in my best, white