Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-12-09

lark. The SWEEP tWniering Of wood
thrushes, the low humming of wild
bees. The pouring of the crystal va
rers between the TWO boulders above
the pool made music TO her, and blend
ed with If she seemed TO hear the voice
of big, clean, strong man
Il was thinking OF the difference be-
tween you and some other women
know
Then ray of hope shone into her
heart. Bill Dale was really a More
land and, therefore, OF the hill blood
even as she was OF the hill blood. and
that should make them more nearly
equal. She told herself that he wouldn't
he so apt to condemn her for being
able 20 take human life easily as
one OF another blood would be- he
would be more apt 10 understand. And
yet, the women he had known were
gentle. tender and refined ike, for in
stance. Patricia McLaurin. Soon the
ray OF hope died within her, and she
bent her head and sobbed again.
One Of her bare hands began to
grope idly in the snow at her side, and
she did not feel the cold Suddenly
she realized that her hand was full
Of shavings, WRITINGS. Some man
had been sitting there whiting with
Il pocket knife--it must have been "a
man. for who ever heard of q woman
whiting? She felt in the snow with
I.s Et1;
there were bushels Of WRITINGS. it
seemed TO her, lying there under the
snow.
Then she wondered-wondered who
it could have been.
1t was quite dark now, but the moou
was not yet up. A great, bright star
blazed above David Moreland's tomb
like q beacon fire. She heard the muf-
fed sounds Of slow masculine foot
steps in the snow behind her She
did not turn her head. In her soul
she knew it could be but one man.
Bill Dale's head was down, and he
moved as though he neither knew nor
cared whittier lie went. Then he saw
the dark heap on the rivers hank he
fore him, and he halted He knew in
his soul that il could be hut one Woul-
an.
Dale went on and sat down on u
stone the size OF a small barrel that
lay at the rivers rim.
'Babe?" he said. 1t was the mating
call of his heart in the Springtime of
his life.
who d-done all o this Within,
Bill?" asked Elizabeth.
II did" softly.
But thought you were so busy
here It's nobody but oilers, OF
course, that whittles-that is, most o
the time it's nobody but dIers that
whites"
But I'm not busy on Sundays, v
know" replied Dale.
Tell me this" Elizabeth asked
pointedly: ''What made you come to
this one spot to do your Within !
Couldn't you whittle up there in my
daddy's cabin yard?"
He answered her unheSitatngly :
Because ] like 10 be here This
place is shrine TO me. 1t was here
that | first loved you, Babe Now you
| tell me this: Why did you come 10
this particular spot 10 sit down in
the snow? There's snow in your dad
| dy's cabin yard !"
Said Elizabeth. in voice that sound
| ed smOthered: Because like TO he
here-this place is shrine 10 me,
too--it was here that first loved you,
Bill Dale!"
"Then why" he demanded. won't
you marry me?"
Because it was me that Shot-Ad-
am Ball."
She went on, and though emotion
had set every fibre Of her 10 Q1lverIng,
she did nor fall into the old hill talk.
, which was proof Of the magnficence
Of her:
"ISthought you wouldn't want me
If you knew that l did that, and
couldn't marry you without telling you.
But you know now! And do what
ever you feel like doing or saying, you
can'r hurt me; | can never he hurt
any-any m-nl-m-m0re--"
Bill Dale shot erect. Truly. this
Was q day OF surprises for him. He
stopped and caught her up.
"A real woman!" he said happily,
Strengthening with her in his arms. "A
real, all gold, pure gold woman You
loved me well enough to kill man
to save me. and wouldn't let me know