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

pace me -s+ts al 244l-ArE AE sl14L %
his dusky helper
We'll. I suppose is ali II q life
ume but It's going 10 be mighty hard.
%ot decent house ia prospect, lot z
comp uiJla5le soul u take 10 Why.
-A.s j. wilderness further com
plaHed Philip. without ole rose"
"OA. dunno said black Jake.
'rescf1l Ike, il seems 10 NE. with
The road bakin in IL heat. an de
bugs ont hlmmin Sides. youse
ggt a big work % do mistah Lang
don. big contract 10 FL w. you has"
Il know. "the young ciyI engineer
answered grayely, that's my one in
ceuuye. We have To bear all depri-
yatloa-whats thatt" he stopped
sharply Down from the direction OF
z shabby old house on The hllI. came
ripple " song. merry, Hitting hap
py song that put expectation on edge,
and Knocked at desoiation
Reckon" said Jake griauing. "dey's
q song In DE- wilderness, chen II dey
amt rose.
The song continued 1t was a charm
Ing voice
Find out" phil said impulsively,
"who she is"
Jake returned at evening with his
Information. the engineer was busy
ia his shack
Jake showed his white teeth.
"Dat lady singer he announced,
shes Lem Hassin's wife"
Philip turned away in sudden, grip
ping disappointment. What differ
ence did it all make to him, he wen
dered contenptuously. The next morn
Ing the song awakened him like
triIl Of bird music He went up de-
liberately 10 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 PHI
said as he slowly drank the milk.
"Your voice is wonderfully sweet"
The woman's face flushed with
pleasure.
Il used TO sing In church before I
was married" she told him, now
only sing shout my work"
The engineer smiled grimly as he
went up and down his dusty path Of
labor
Another Illusion gone" he thought
disappontedly.
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 bis head came a low mel
ody love song In actual words. Phil
ip looked upward. A nymph Of a maid
sal 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 falry?"
The girl shook her head.
Ear from it," she replied I'm
prosy school teacher. and my school
being dismissed for the summer, l am
playing ut vacation. ] sit up In this
tree because il is cool and if you viii
20 away III come down. I've been
waiting in the hope that you would
GO. Are you stationary"
Her sauciness charmed him. her
laughing eyes dared him, her curying
lips We're. ne knew now, just made for
smiling and so1g. Il win not 20, he
said decidedly, until you sing for
me-"
The girl considered him sidewise,
and then down 70 them from the hill
top came q very volley Of sound a
soprano horuHke note that shook and
fingered.
DO not be alarmed" said the girl
I'm the tree. that is merely Linda
singing. she's Lem Haskins wife"
al" added the girl. board there"
Philip forgot his own surprise.
"Why. that's an awful place to
board" he said "desolate, barren"
q know it" the girl answered cheer
fully. II am not going to stay there
long. / happened TO come out here
with ms father In hope Of beueftlng
hi, health. When he died. | took the
school II was the only thing 10 do
mi the time l have rented cottage
across the brook" she went Oh bright
N. "aud one of my little school girls
win live with me there. We are go
tng a. have roses over the doorway
and
The strange girl grew silently remi-
utsceuf Fhll watched ter joyoUsly.
.... 1..,.3...-H rEfI.aa Ii.a Sn4i-ts.-