Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-12-02
PAGE SEVEN

FINISHES f1dttered and fitted in reich
of her hand. Other birds walked up
and down nearby branches, or darted
down for a hurried peck at the crumbs
she had scattered over the rock.
The tears drowned the blue; the
song ceased. The birds f1uttered away
one by one. The girl bowed her head
and stood with clasped hands. gazing
down at the quiet water.
The mans step reused her. She
turned, and her hands unclasped as il
to reach toward him-but instantly
clasped themselves again. He turned
from the path, stepped out on the rock
II came to her side. \ moment her
eyes met his, and then went back to
the placid water, and she stood crying
softly.
She turned back to him after Il time,
a poor little half-droWned smile strug-
gled out and brought a suggestion Of
the dimpleS back.
Il had to tell them!" she said
at was wonderful {" he answered
very softly, as if his voice might dis
turb the spell of the music before the
echoes had finished carrying it to the
rest of the woods.
The leaves hung motionless, as If
waiting for the song to start again.
The tinkle of the rifle where the wa
ter walked up at the lower edge Of the
pool came out of the silence,
1.-The telegram came" he went on
after a long time. at says"-he
hesitated, as if bordering the next
words before giving them speech, as
If half dreading to give them speech
that Judge Eskridge is coming for
you"
The words strangely carried the
girls thoughts back to a mother driven
forth to die in loneliness and poverty;
to a grave on a hill overlooking the
river, where the hand of a friend had
laid her; to a great, silent house; to
a stern old mar %relenting in his last
hours
81 shan't go back with him." she
said. "Some day I'll go back to the,
grave on the hill, but not-now."
The man stood weighing the words
in his slow way.
81 shan't either" He paused a mo-
ment; went on. I'm going to tear
down the old cabin at Fallen Rock,
clear out the underbrush, lay out
grounds, and build q house. Why
should I leave the Flatwoods? ALL
hat I care for in the world is here:
my father, my mother, and-you."
The last word came hard for him.
The girl lifted a hurried, shy half
glance to his face; dropped her eyes
again to the quiet water.
1.-THE Blue Moon" he went on, dis
somehow-welI. it oughtn't to pass
from hand to hand for just-money!
Mother spent her life for it. I now
know why" There came a pause. "I1l
never need that five thousand dollars,
and maybe Louie Solomon's widow
does. I've arranged with the sheriff
to send her the draft, and I've kept
the pearl"
The girl softly clasped her hands
together and looked up at him with
beaming eyes.
"And maybe I'll get to see it, after
ALL"
II think maybe you will !"
He reached into the pocket of his
blouse, drew out the small velvet box,
raised the lid. lifted the girls hand,
and laid the Blue Moon in her palm.
The sunset. the green of the leaves,
| the glory of a silver-edged cloud float
ing across the sky-the wonderful
gem caught them all. and lay laughing
them up into her face.
wild Rose!" Her eyes left the
pearl and rose to his face. What she
saw there brought a little catch to her
breath. And there was a note in his
voice that had never been there be-
fore. 81 reckon there's nobody left
but iust-you, and-me. And moth
ing in the world counts to me but
you. The pearl is your birthday pres
ent."
ITS your birthday, too" she STAN
mered, her face bowed and turned
away. "And I have no present"
1.-THE most wonderful a man ever re-
ceived! a Wild Rose"
He held out his ~unwounded arm.
His heart had leaped to his eyes. His
voice held the note that makes all
voices musical. The girl lifted her
face-like the dawn of day her eyes
glorious with the light not of star or
IN: the light it is given a man but
nee to see. Her hands came toward
him. found their way about his neck.
The sunset stole softly through the
hushed branches and touched their
heads. and bound the two together
the gold and the brown-with a shaft
Of living bronze. A little breeze came
by, lifted a strand of her hair, laid it
across his face and slipped away to
tell the trees.
THE END.l
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ii. Neely. attorney.
has been commissioned a captain IN
the United States regular army and
I'LL