The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-04-24

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 / heard the
flute of the w~bite-thrOated sparrow.
/ bathed at a brook in the woods
and put on n clean silk shirt and tie
out Of my saddlebags. / rode slowly
then to the edge Of the village of Can
ton and turned at the bridge ana took
the river road, although l had time to
spare. How my heart was beating as
I neared the familiar scene! The
river slowed its pace there, like u dis
corning traveller, to enjoy the beuGtV
81 Its shores. Smooth and silent was
the water and in 1t were the blue Of
the sky and the feathery shadow-spires
Of cedar and tamarack and the reflect
ed blossoms of iris and meadow rue.
It was a lovely scene.
There vas the pine, but where was
rly lady? l dismounted and tied my
r1are and looked at my watch. 1t
lacked twenty minutes to eleven. She
would come-I had no doubt of it. l
washed my hands and face and neck
In the cool water. Suddenly / heard
a voice 1 knew singing: Barney
Leave the Girls Alone" / turned and
saviour mother, my son. (These
last lines were dictated to his SOM
She was in the stern of a birch canoe,
all dressed in white with roses in her
hair. / raised my hat and she threw
n kiss at me. Old Kate sat in the bow
waving her handkerchief. They
stopped and Sally asked in IA tone of
playful seriousness:
a. oung 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.
81 want to marry you," l answered
bravely.
"Then you may help me ashore il
you please. l am in my best, white
slippers and you are to be very cure
,ul."
Beautiful! She was the spirit Of
the fields Of June hen and always.
I helped her ashore and held her In
my arms and, you know, the lips have
a way Of speaking then In the old, con-
vlncing, final argument of love. They
left no doubt In our hearts, my SON.
ssNVbnp do yo, rich ta orr ~ os
he whispered.
"As o as possible, but my pay is
)nly sixty dollars a month now"
1--WE shall make 1t do" she an
swered. my mother and father and
your aunt and uncle and the Jackets
and the minister and a number Of our
friends are coming In a fleet Of boats"
"We are prepared either for a picnic
Or a wedding" was the whisper of
Kate.
Lets make It BOTH" I proposed to
Sally.
"Surely there couldn't be a better
place than here under the big pine
It's so smooth and soft and shady"
said she.
"Nor could there be a better day or
better company" l urged, for / was
not sure that she would agree.
The boats came along. Sally and
waved a welcome from the bank and
she merrily proclaimed:
Its to be a wedding"
Then a cheer from the boats, In
which l joined.
1 shall never forget how, when the
company had landed and the greetings
we're over, Uncle Peabody approached
your mother and said:
"Say. Sally. I'm goin' to plant a kiss
on both o. them red cheeks O. yours,
an do 1t deliberate. too"
He did 1t and so did Aunt Deel and
old Kate, and l think that, next to
your mother and me-. they were the
happiest people at the wedding.
There is a lonely grave up in the
hills-that Of the stranger who died
long ago on Rattleroad. One day
found old Kate sitting beside 1t and or
a stone lately erected there vas the
name. Enoch Rome.
1T Is very sorrowful." she whis
pered. HE was trying to find me
when he died."
We walked on in silence while I re
called the circumstances. How strange
that those tales of blood and lawles.
daring which Kate had given to Amo:
Grimshaw had led to the staying o.
her own son! Yet, so 1t happened
and the old wives will tell you tn,
story up there in the hills.
The play ends just as the night Il
falling with Kate and me entering thu
little home, SO familiar now, where sh,
lives and Is ever welcome with Aunt
, Deel and Uncle Peabody. The latter
: meets us at the door and is saying In {
> cheerful voice:
. "Come in to supper, you rovers
. How solemn We look! Say, IL you ex
: pect Sally and me to do all the laughin
here you're mistaken. There's a lot o.
9 n Tn he done right now nm ire Tim.