The Meeker herald., 1922-05-27

details In tile history OF thut sentl-
mental journey ind allusion to mat
tiers which have no part In this record.
Its substance being fully In the con.
seriousness Of the writer, he tenderly
folds 1t up and returns 1t to the pack
age-yeuow and brittle and faded and
having that curious fragrance OF pa
pers that have lain for scores Of years
In the gloom and silence Of locked
mahogany drawer. So alive are these
letters with the passion Of youth In
long forgotten years that the writer
ties the old ribbon and returns them
to their tomb with n feeling Of sad
ness. finding a singular pathos In the
contrast Of their look and their con-
tents. They are turning to dust, but
| the soul Of them has gone Into this
little history.
The young man and woman mounted
their horses and resumed their jour
ney. 1t was after two o'clock. The
Grand Prairie lay ahead Of them. The
settlement of Plains End was twenty
one miles away on Its farther side.
They could Just see Its tall oak trees
in the dim distance.
1--WE must hurry. II We get there
before dark" said the girl. above
all, we must be careful to keep our
direction. It's easy to get lost down
in the great prairie"
They heard cat-blrd singing In
a near thicket as they left their camp.
1t reminded BIN OF her favorite bal
| lad and she sang 1t with the spirit OF
| old:
"My sweetheart. come along
Don't you hear the glad song
| As the notes of the nightingale now3
| Don't you hear the fond tale of the
sweet nightingale
As she sings In the valleys belowf
AS she sings In the valleys below7"
They went on. shoulder-decp In the
| tall grass on the lower stretches Of
the prairie. Here md there 1t gave
Harry the impression that he was
swimming his horse In NOISY, vivid
green water" They startled herd
Of deer and a number Of wild horses.
When they lost sight Of the woods
Mt Plains End the young man. with
his cavalry training. wGs able TO ride
standing on his saddle until he had It
located.
It reminded him Of riding in the
Everglades and he told Of his adven-
lures there as they went on. but very
modestly. He sud not q word Of his
heroic fight the day TINT he and sixty
Of his comrades were cut OF and sur
rounded In the "land Of the grassy
waters" But BIN had heard the story
from other lips.
| Late In the afternoon the woods
doomed in front Of them. scarcely a
mile of. Near the end Of the prairie
they came to q road which led them
past the door Of a lonely cabin. 1t
seemed to be deserted. but Its win
dows were clean md a faint column
Of smoke rose from Its chimney. There
were hollyhocks and sunfiowers in Its
small and cleany dooryard. A morn
ing glory vine had been trained around
the windows.
BROAD creek Is just beyond" said
BIN. II don't know how the crossing
will be-"
Unexpectedly swollen. A man stood
on the farther shore with some seventy
feet Of deep and rapid water between
him and the travellers.
"That man looks like Stephen
Nuckles," said Harry.
ut Is Stephen Nuckles," BIN an
swered.
-Howdy, Steve!" the young soldier
called.
"Howdy, boy" said the old minis
ter. "That ar creek Is b'ilin' over. !
reckon you'll have to swim the bosses. :"
They tried. but Bins horse refused
to go beyond good footing.
"You kin light Mt that ar house an
spend the night, but the folks have
gone erway," the minister called.
II guess you'll have to marry us
right here and now" Harry proposed.
might is coming and that house is
our only refuge"
"Poor boy! There seems to be no
escape for you'll" BIN exclaimed with
a sigh. do you really and honestly
want to marry mel II there's any
doubt about 1t Ill leave the horses
| with you and swim the creek. You
could put them in the barn and swim
with me or spend the night In the
cabin"
"It's cool evening and the creek
is very wet" he answered. I'm 60
ing to take tllIs matter in my own
hands"
He called to the minister. Steve,
| this Is the luckiest moment of my life
and you are just the man Of oil others
| 1 would have chosen for Its most i'm.
portant Job. Can you stand right
where you are md marry usr'
"You bet, 1 kin. subj" the minister
answered. "rve often said could
marry any one half mile erway II
they would only talk as loud as kin.