The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1921-02-24
The Commonplace
By MURfEL LEE
G.. ls2O. Western Newspaper Union }

the white radiance OF Iull lHpOH. II
was the more picturesque i,nd roman
tic because, like some sprit Of the
woodland, 1.-the, lisSome and loVay, a
young girl crossed an open stretCh
and gave life and interest to the
scene
Gladys Raymond hummcd Il quiet.
soothing tune as she entered a half
circular grouping of bushes and vines
forming sort of bower 1t was evil
IDENTIFY a favorite spot with her in the
daytime, for it had reclining chairs and
a rustic table. 1t was night now, the
mansion was several hundred yards
distant yet Gladys trtpped along as
fearlessIy as though it was broad day
light.
There was never q fear or dread in
her courageous nature because the
shadows were souber In places. Her
mind was too full of pretty, fanCifut
thoughts to allow morbid or imaginary
terrors to suggest themselves. Yet
she was in a frame of mind fringing
upon the edge of actual superstition,
or rather the airy, captivating infiu-
ence Of the oriental and occult.
From protracted visit TO the Far
East her Uncle Godfrey had returned
on Monday of the present week, and
In Gladys had found a willing and in
terested auditor TO his strange, thrill
Ing stories of year of scientific study
OF the sO-called mystics of central In-
dia. He told some remarkable things
of their neCromantic eXpertness, but
plainly showing that a good deal Of
the same was along the line of the
When. however, he got to reciting in
cidents where love charms, romance
and the like played a part, where sun
shine and sentiment were all inter-
woven with the dream life and devo-
ton far removed from the practical,
every day mortal, the vivid imagina-
ton Of Gladys rioted in a delightful
mental phantasmagora. The amulets
Of one of these mysticS became real
and potent. The charmed scarf of
fair maiden had been spell to win
prince, the lover, dazzling, handsome.
There was the glamour of rare Jewels,
of chlvalrlc deeds, of airy palaces
dreamland In which young souls rev.
eled and knew no waking to the So
Der realities of ordinary life
"Now, here is a hammock which I
secured as a souvenir" recfted Uncle
Geoffrey, charmed by three potent
magicians who aver that dreams
within 1t come true and fate works
out from slumberous suggestions the
beauties and joys of a perfect exist
ence. But In far India the youth or
maiden seek some sequestered spot
where the gentle, cooling tones of the
nightingale lull to dreamland and the
moonlight silvers all about, and the fit
ting Is radiantly harmonious. Fancy
will wreathe some fond visions amid
such an ideal environment"
SO Gladys sought the fascinating
spell and augured a vision In which
some princely mortal would hover in
her dreams. She could imagine the
fitting garb, the manly grace, but the
august dignity and exclusiysnesg of her
slumberous visions were only common
place. No dream lover visited her
thoughts. She awoke feeling chilly, for
the ntr had grown cooler. There was
the rnoonllt garden and the turreted
house In the distance, stiffness com
plata until sharp and sudden a pistol
shot rent the air.
II came from the direction of the
mansion, and Gladys, filled with fore
/ b0d3ngs and terror, sprang to her feet
She trembled and bent her ear and
straifed her gaze. OF sudden from
tha road 1.-THE, active form crossed
her range of vision. The moonlight,
revealed young man classic as to
feature, bohemianlike suggestiveness
| IN garb and manner, the ideal of ar
artist, a poet, dreamer There were
no princely habiliments, however, nc
cleaning jewels. naught of the orr
entail or occult.
The stranger was under some In
tense strain of watchfulness and sus
picion. With lightnlnglike rapidity
lie sprang alert as from the direction
OF the house there dashed a secont
form, that of squat, coarsely mold
ed person, dusky and with evil eye
tnat glowed viciously even at dis
tance. He carried In one hand re
volver, In the other q lacquered bo,
chat Gladys at once recognized as con
tanning the treasures of her uncle
There was meeting of the tw,
men, of him who had looted the hous
and had shot and wounded servant
and Thearle Desmond, city artist, seek
ing nature sketches along the road an
attracted to the garden by the shol
The latter bore the thief to the groun
and held him there, shouting for helr
It came readily, and once the midnigh
marauder was secured the man VIII
had hindered him stared at Gladys a
at some being the creature of a moor
light dream.
So out of all the sentiment an
ireaminess of this temperamental v
| sion ScOnp of GLADYS came only n