The Yale expositor., 1921-03-31

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 II
waiting for the song to start again
The tinile of the rifle where the wa
ter walked up at the lower edge of the
pool came out of the silence.
"The telegram came" he went on
after 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 mother driver
forth to die in loneliness and poverty;
to a grave on a hill overlooking the
river, where the hand of friend had
laid her; to a great, silent house; to
a stern old man relenting in his last
hours
81 shan't 60 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.
II shant either" He paused a mo-
ment; went on. "Tm going to tear
down the old cabin at Fallen Rock
clear out the underbrush. lay out
grounds. and build house. Why
should | leave the FlatwOOdS? All
that l care for In the world is here:
my father. my mother, and-you."
The last word came hard for him.
The girl lifted hurried. shy half
glance to his face; dropped her eyes
again to the quiet water.
1.-THE Blue Moon" he went on, els
somehow-well, it oughtn't to pass
from hand TO hand for just-money
Mother spent her life for 1t. l now
know why" There came a pause. "I'll
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
allw
III 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 little catch to her
breath. And there was note in his
voice that had never been there be
fore. III reckon there's nobody left
but just-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 l have no present"
"rhe most wonderful 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
sun; the light 1t is given a man but
once 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--wlth shaft
Of living bronze. A little breeze came
by, lifted strand Of her hair, laid il
across his face and slipped away to
tell the trees.