Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-02-18
THE SINGING GIRL
By MILDRED WHITE


his dusky helper
Wei, I suppose lis all IL a life
time. bur its going 10 De- mighty hard.
: @ot q decent house in prospect. not Z
compaul0nahle soul ~ take 10 Why,
This j. a wilderness" further com
plane'l Philip. without one rose"
"OA. / DUNN said black Jake
-'rescful ike, il seems 70 ne. wish
The road bakin' il de heat. an De
bugs out a hummin Sides. youse
ut a big work - Do. mistah Lang
don. big contract to I'll UP, you has"
4 know. the young civll engineer
answered grayely. that's my one in
ceutive We have 10 bear all depri-
yatioEl-whats that?" be stopped
sharply. Down from the direction OF
shabby old house On the hil. came
a ripple " song. merry. lifting hap
py song. that put expectation Oh edge,
and Knocked st desoiation
Reckon" said Jake grinning. -dey's
q song In d. wilderness. chen If dey
amt rose"
The song continued. 1t was a charm
ing voice.
"Find out" Phil said lmpulslvely.
'-who she is"
Jake returned at evening with his
Information. the engineer was busy
ia his shack
lake showed his white teeth.
Dat lady singer he announced,
shes Lem Haskin's wife"
Philip turned away In sudden, grip
ping Disappointment What differ
ence did it all make to him. he won
dered con-emptuousIy The next morn
ing the song awakened him like a
trjll Of bird music. He went up de-
liberately to the house under a pre-
tense Of buying milk The woman
who opened the door. had an old
young face. her eyes were wistful and
her dress was faded.
Il have heard you singing" Phil
said as he slowly drank the milk.
your voice IS wonderfully sweet"
The womans face flushed with
pleasure.
Il used to sing in church before I
was married" she told him, now I
only sing about my work"
The engineer smiled grimly rs he
went up ana down his dusty path Of
labor
Another illusion gone" he thought
diSappojntedly
Through the busy days that fol-
lowed. snatcheS Of song came to him;
came and influenced him to encour-
agement or TO sadness He sat up
abruptly In his musings From the
bough over his head came a low mel
ody, love song In actual words Phil
ip looked upward. A nymph Of a maid
sat smiling down at him from among
the tree branches. He stared, unbe-
lieving but the maid smiled on.
"Who are you?" Philip asked at
length smiling too. "a wood fairy?"
The girl shook her head
Far from IT," She replied. I'm a
prosy school teacher, and my school
being dismissed for the summer. | am
playing ut vacation. ] sit up in this
tree because it is cool, and if you will
20 away I'll come down. I've been
waiting in the hope that you would
60. Are you stationary"
Her saucineSs charmed him. her
laughing eyes dared him her curying
lips We're. he knew now, just made for
smiling and song Il viii not 90" he
said decidedly until you sing for
me"
The girl considered him sidewise,
and then down to them from the hill
top came very volley Of sound, a
soprano hornBke note that shook and
fingered.
"po not be alarmed" said the girl
in the tree. that is merely Linda
singing. she's Lem Haskins' wife"
az" added the girl. board there"
Philip forgot his own surprise.
"Why, that's an awful place to
board" be said. "desolate, barren"
Il know it," the girl answered cheer
fully Il am not going to stay there
long. | happened 10 come cut here
with my father In hope Of beuefting
his health. When he died. / took the
school Ii was the only thing to do
M the time / have rented Il cottage
across the brook" she went on bright
Is. "aud one of my little schooI girls
will live with me there. We are go
ln1 t. have roses over the doorway
and "
The strange girl grew silently remi-
ui~cent I'hil watched her joyoUsly,
wonderinc'y Then lac spoke;
ia love a cottage beside brook
with r,~cs over lis doorway. and a
little wife to NEE, me There when l
came .n aH firrd and muddy from the
roads A wife who could sing and
swing ON the boueh of a tree and teach
stupid children, and be happy in her
exile as Vell'
The girls eyes were round and
large
Are You" sbe asked miSchleyeusly.
"uying to ask me 10 marry yout'
Il ann asking you. declared Philip.
The girl laughed shaki%.
1T must he june that's the matter
with both Of rs" she said.