The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-12-29

| was time enough. Stepho would not
go away till Thursday. All. he would
20 away no more. for now on Tuesday
he must settle with the spirit of Alfred
| Drace.
Mists lowered about. but the island
was In blaze of light. Silently the
canoe slit the satin water. Silently
he landed. Determined vengeance may
pick Its way as softly as eager love !;
and In the cane, sharper of whisper
now that the weather was cool, he
made not sound. Out into the open
he peered. No one within sight. On
the bark OF the live oak were the dead
flowers Of yesterday. There In the
shade was the bcx that had served as
table, once so prettily strewn with
violets.
In spite of his vow Of vengeance and
his hatred of IStepho, these things
caught at Braces heart, shook his
fixed purpose of action. For many
minutes he waited-no sign of Stepho,
OF anyone. And then his blood leaped /;
for soft hands suddenly blinded him
from behind, soft laughter dubbed
over at his establishment. And dark
Thoughts and dark purposes fed on
the wind as he caught Nadine and
Rugged her close
"Now for your punishment" And
he kissed her
ooh, you must not again &.
Virgil cannot like you when you are
rude. You must not !"
II don't want you just to like me-"
"You do not? Then l viii try not to.
Come and sit down, Virgil
You worked so hard for your kisses
you must be tired. How did
you guess?"
Guess what?" he asked as she led
him TO the sofa and he sat gazing en-
tranced as she captured and impris-
oned her guerrilla bands of hair.
"That Father and Tony had gone
hunting today. But they may be back
at any time, Virgil. You must not
stay"
"But I must stay; you hold me pris-
oner. must stay until you love me
as madly as / do you"
"As madly as you do mel That
might not be so much mad, Virgil.
But why should love your"
Because you are to be my wife. We
are engaged"
"Are WEI did not know that.
Why you not tell me soonerT
II did, and now you must know It."
"But l did not. Then I must be
stupid, yes?"
1.-THE whole universe is stupid IL 1t
denies 1t. The angels are stupid IL
they fail to see It,"
oh, you must not talk like that 1t
is worse than swearing the big oath.
And am TO be your wife. Mrs.
virgil7 Then what do we do? Go
about and sing with the fiddler"
mo. we go to the beautiful places
on earth and look upon them-togeth-
er. We"
mo, no, you must not think like
that. You take my father by the wrist
ard he hate YOU. And do so
wrong to see you. I am the sinner. but
I believe that the Blessed One, she
ask for my forgiveness. No,
Virgil, we can only play together and
then =. 1t will live In the mind,
our childhood here. My ia
Their is not we'll all the time now, and
l must be good to him. Only
I must see you, sometimes. That is
the only wrong do him.
"For II love you. did not
want to tell you. but cannot keep 1t
all the time down In my heart.
I dream Of you all of the night. and
kneel down and pray that you always
love me. There. have told
you so much. And r kiss you. too.
Now-you may stay for little
time, and then you must CO."
Boy and girl they played. not from
the book but from loves ever-varying |
text. In his canoe they padded afar |
off where the lily-pads paved the sur
face Of the pond. They landed on
knoll where was spread over persim- |
mon saplIngs an arbor of muscadine; |
here an adventurous catbird had her |
nest Of young. She cried and fiut-
tered about In great alarm, but when |
she saw that they were not her en-
emies, that they caught grasshoppers |
TO feed her brood, she sat high among |
the vines, calling her mate, the musl-
clan, and here he came. scared at first. |
but when she had explained to him he
sang his medley, ending with the cat
call whence comes his unpoetic name. |
The sun had been speeding, and went |
behind a cloud. Fear seized Nadine, |
and taking virgils hand. she urged |
him toward the boat.
MY dear one. we must go now. The |
sun was jealous that we so happy and |
will go into the dark to pout.
VIII show you the near way for you |
% come again, the way came when
here was the fire. You can leave
he canoe In the rushes and you will |
iced 1t only to cross over to the cane.
But we must hurry now"
In the rushes opposite the island he
lid his canoe, and then she conducted |
Tim alonr a narrow and aopat,r,a.,