The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-05-09
CHAPTER XXI.
The White Nioht.

The White Night.
sLsrA, I'm tired" groaned Richard,
etunhltng into camp, wet to the skin.
eDoA't you say letters to me, Mac.
p going to bed. Tell Ling l don't
wnf any dinner. He'll want to fuss
- yesAething. / don't want to see
tel.
ne day, confused and jumbled.
A~ned across his eyeballs a turmoil
.efo1stle and hurry Of i%nsurrection. He
AAaA made y swift stand against that.
We was to be minded to the last man.
1ock - them. or anyone would 20, his
nArest Including the engineers. Silent,
hn1A, Wooster, Hardin himself. This
wns n time for factions, for leader
1ee1ng.
= bed, the day with it's irritations
~ away. He could see now the step
aAead that had been taken; the last
trea1e was done; the rOck-pouring
We - he called that going some
He felt pleasantly languid, but not yet
Aee1Uy. His thought wandered over the
FdnA1ng camp. And then Innes Hardin
caDe to him.
Not herself, but as a soft little
eA01gAt which came creeping around
80 corner of his dreams. She had
oes0 there, of course, all day, tucked
away In his mind, as though in his
home waiting for him to come back to
AM. weary from the pricks of the day.
Ae way he would come home to her,
please God. some day. Not bearing
his burdens to her. he did not believe
d tAaI. but asking her diversions. Con-
Testament spread her soft wings over
-. He fell asleep.
HAnkard wakened rs to a call. What
~ startled him! He listened. rails
ing himself BY his elbow. From a dis
tance. . sweet high voice, unreal In It's
pGCA and thrilling quality, came to
-. It was Godfrey, somewhere on
Me levee. singing by the river. It
beoaSht him again to Innes Hardin.
pulled aside his curtain which
Ang over the screening Of his tent
- ieeked out into a moon-fiooded
Wm1d. Richards eyes fell on a little
tt over yonder, a white shrine.
white O. that fine sweet soul Of
onors!~
Wandering into the night. Godfrey
poseed down the river, singing. His
vslce. the f~0otlights. the listening
ugeat audiences were calling to him.
- him. the m~Oon-flooded levee, the
u~11Gtenlng water, made q star-set
oenne. He was treading the boards,
60 rushing waters by the bank gave
- orchestrati0n for his melody-"La
UoanA 9 Mobile" He began II to Gerry
HARDIN she would hear it In her tent !;
80 would take 1t as the tender re-
pEoaCh he had teased her with that
1NternOOn In the ramada.
He gave for encore a ballad long
1orgotten; he had pulled It back from
ohe eobwebs OF two decades; he had
ade Il his own.
'But. my darling. you will be,
Ever young and fair to me-"
It came. the soaring voice, to Tom
0ardin. outside Gerty's tent on his
lonely cot. He knew that song. Dis
dained BY his wife, q pretty figure a
- cuts! II his wife can't stand
~, who cam He wasn't good enough
Ter her. He was rough. His life had
keot him from fitting himself to her
taete. She needed people who could
bk nke Richard. sing like Godfrey.
Hoople, other people, might miscOn-
G1Ene her preferences. He knew they
WeEe not hirtatiOns: she needed her
-: She would always keep straight
80 was straight rs q whip. Life was
- hard for her a. II was for him he
eoul6 feel sorry for her; his pity vas
a1v1d0d between the two OF them. the
nunhand. the wife. both lonely In their
own NY.
0nfssthG other side Of the canvas
Mans, Gerry Hardin lay listening to
- nessage meant for her. The tickle
-, - had called hers: no constancy
- woman. he had declared. fondling
- hair. He had tried to coax her
1ato pledges. pledges which were also
11nayOWals to the man outside.
SILVER threads! Age shuddered at
- sfhreshold. She hated that song
1n1neL, ufe had been to her none Of it's
De10lses had been kept. To be happy.
Nh1, that was . humans birthright
- n, that was her creed! There
$3.50 chance ret; youth had not gone,
80 singing It 70 her, her escape
ssDarllng, you win be.
nvsr young and fair to me-"
81 Go1fkey. singing to Gerty Hardin
awakened the camp. Innes. In
- lpuk, 10, - listening.
sDaKllng, yous will be.
lgoe young and fair TO mel"
ss oa6nnk = The miracle. that wild
W oertain feelingl Yesterday
toGnokrow. more doubts-but
~ song. the night isolated
koelf and Richard. into :
&n1lR own. Life with him OF
- wanted.
s6sss eelApTER 5exxiil
aln1e y - Nlsht.