Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1919-10-09
DAWN
BY JACK LAYTON

NN''li'RAAAtN man. sNlllA AONUEa uit
having won the golden key to favor. b
drew back wcarily before those door
II might open
During his years of struggle an
need none of these friends. who no
so eagerly strove to share his triumph
had made an effort To stretch forth
helping hand. Even the girl whom h
had so deeply loved and who had pre-
teSsed to return his love had grow
weary waiting and had hearileSSl'
jilied him for an Acknowledge mci
Of the business world
Now that the dream of Jerome Bar
| ris was realized he SAILED cynically al
this same woman's prOifered notes q
reconciliatiOn-his former love had b.
/ come a widow. but her charm for him
had vanished before her in sincerity
and all This superficial adulation nov
wearied him. He lOnged TO get away
from il, To get back TO certain spot
which had often been his refuge
To Barris thfs small place, with thu
sea stretching out before, was home
his one sure haven.
II was here that his great picture
was bOrn-fhe picture which had won
for him fame and fortune Years ago.
when his heart was sore with its dis
appointment, he had gone. after read
ing the announcement of the one girls
marriage. to the secuslOn of this little
house, there 10 shut out from curious
eyes his deep hurt. And when at sun
down he sat upon the tiny porch boat
had come drifting down a golden beam
toward him. And in the boat sat very
young girl Unbound, her golden hair
rippled over her shoulders, and her up
raised face was glorified in the light
Barris called his great picture
'Maidenhood"
mpulsively he had called her as she
drifted by, and had run down to draw
her boat in to the shore. The girl, who
was perhaps fourteen or fifteen years
of age, acceded readily to his request
that she pose thus again for a picture.
"Pll make the arrangement with
your people," Barris suggested.
81 have no people" the girl told him,
and as she went on with the strange
story of her own life he knew what
had brought the shadow to her young
eyes. She had been washed to the
shore in boat tossing upon Il stormy
sea before she was old enough to re-
member anything about II. A man and
woman found drowned later were
thought to have been her parents, but
she had never known. A fisherman find
ing the child carried her to his wife
who had befriended her. until as the
girl grew and the wife became an in
valid the charge was transferred.
They called her Dawn" the girl
told him blushingly, because II had
been at dawn that the fisherman found
her
And as days passed and Dawn came
to pose for the artist he learned more
and more OF the hard incongruity Of a
young life which longed for great
things and must be satisfied with com
mon duties. Dawn's heart was full
Of music and her mind yearned for
When upon his return later from the
city Barris learned from his old house
keeper that Dawn's invalid charge had
died he sent at once for the girl and |
babe her make her home in his house
On the shore, arranging passage for
her to and from school in the adjoin- |
ng village and finding her a music
eacher there. Then in the absorbing |
'orgot about the little girl, who never |
ceased to think OF him with reyerent |
tdoration.
Barris. long absent from the house |
~ the sea. sought 1t out again after |
me of his trips abroad and learned |
rom the old housekeeper that his |
,rotege had secured a position as
eacher in nearby village and left
vord that he would hear from her later.
The artist smiled and frOwned. "She
Ter education" he said. Then his
'leased eyes fell upon the inviting fur
isbing of his beloved old room.
you keep the place up WELL" he
commended his hOusekeeper.
That's Dawn" the woman replied
she comes out here and sees that
hings is all new an convenient we
lust keep It home-for him. she
avs"
After that came TO the artist regu-
irly small checks In the name Of the
illage bank, with notes in a girlish
and.
"Of course ! can never repay what
on have done for me-" wrote Dawn,
this is just to- assure myself that I
Ould If | could"
And at length, wearied by labor and
with flattering attentions,
anne to Barris longing wish for the
sstful house by the shore. And when
2 reached ii at shutdown, sailing again
cross the golden water toward him,
ime the girl who had made his great
oturQ STANDING m tho Sondc har