The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1921-03-24

very UDeT OF his SOUL. ne hhcN Vhc
thing. He knew he could never for
get this first Introduction TO The noun
tain night. The whole sIene moved
him In strange. deep ways In which
he had never been stirred before; IL
| left him exuItant and, In deep wells of
his nature far below the usual cur
rents of excitement, q little excited
too.
Then both of them were startled
out of their reflections by the clear,
unmistakable sound Of footsteps on
the ridge. Both of them turned, and
Lennox laughed softly in the dark
ness. my daughter" he said. Il
knew she wouldn't be afraid TO come"
Dan could see only Snowbird's out
line at first, just her shadow against
the moOnIit hillside. His glasses we're
none too good at long rarge. And
possibly, when she came within range,
the first thing that he noticed about
her was her stride. The girls he
knew didn't walk In quite that free,
strong way. She took almost a man.
size step; and yet 1t was curious that
she did not seem u~ngraceful. Dan had
a distinct impression that she was
floating down to him on the moonlight.
She seemed to come with such unut-
terahle smOothness. And then he
heard her call lightly through the
darkness.
The sound gave him a distinct sense
of surprise. Some way, he hadn't as
ISOLATED a voice like this with a noun
tain girl he had supposed that there
would he so many harshening influ-
ences in this wild place. Yet the tone
was as clear and full as a trained
singers. 1t was not a high voice; and
yet 1t seemed simply trimming, as a
cup brimS with wine, with the rap
ture of life. 1t was a self-confident
voice too, wholly unaffected and sim
cere, and wholly without embarrass-
ment.
Then she came close, and Dan saw
the moonlight on her face. And so 1t
I came about, whether in dreams or
w~akefulness, he could see nothing else
for many hours 10 come.
The girl who stood in the moonlight
had health. she was simply vibrant
with health. It brought a light to her
eyes, and a color TO her cheeks, and
life and simmer to her moonllt hair.
1t brought curves to her body, and
strength and firmness to her limbs,
and the grace Of a deer TO her car
rage. Whether she had regular fea-
lures or not Dan would have been I'M
able to state. He didn't even notice.
They weren't important when health
was present. Yet there was nothing
Of the coarse or bold or voluptuous
about her. She was just a slender
girl, perhaps twenty years of age, and
weighing even less than the figure &C.
c~asionally to be read in the health
magazines for girls of her height. And
she was fresh and cool beyond all
words to tell.
And Dan had no decisions about
her attitude toward him. For a long
instant she turned her keen, young
eyes to his white, thin face; and at
once 1t became abundantly evident
that beyond a few girlish speculations
she felt no interest in him. After o
single moment of rather strained. pc
lite conversation with Dan-just
enough to satisfy her Idea of the con-
ventions-she began a thrilling girl
hood tale to her father. And she was
still telling it when they reached the
house.
Dan held a chair for her In front Of
the fireplace, and she took ii with en-
tire n%aturalness. He was careful to
pat it where the freight was at it's
height. He wanted TO see it's effect on
the flushed cheeks, the soft dark hair.
And then. standing in the shadows, he
simply watched her. With the eye of
an artist he delighted in her gestures,
her ripping enthusiasm, her utter ir-
repressible girlishness that all of time
had not years enough to kill.
Bill stood watching her, his hands
deep in his pockets. evidently a COM
panion of the best. Her father gazed
at her with amused tolerance. And
Dan-he didn't know In just what way
he did look at her. And be didn't have
time TO decide. In less than fifteen
minutes, and wholly without warning,
she sprang up from her chair and
started toward the door.
"Good Lord" Dan breathed. "If
you make such sudden motions as that
TIL have heart failure. Where are
you going now?"
Back to my watch" she answered,
her tone wholly lacking the personal
note which men have learned to ex-
pect In the voices OF women And an
instant later the three Of them saw
her retreating shadow as she vanished
among the pines.
Dan had to be helped to bed. The
long ride had been too hard on his
shattered lungs; and nerves and body
collapsed an instant after the door
was closed behind the departing girl
He laughed weakly and begged their
pardon and the two men were really
very gentle. They told him 1t was
their own fault for permitting him to
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