Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-12-13
A Tale of the FIatwoods 80
By DAVID ANDERSON
Author of 1.-THE Blue Moon"
Copyright by The Bobbs-Merrin ca.

east window, thrusting its stout
branches so close as almost to brush
the panes. Through it's opening bios
SONS and half sprung leaves enough
of the day remained to catch view
of the old bankers two or three acres
Of park-like orchard that lay between
the parsonage and the red-roofed cot
tage.
The. young preacher stood at the
window and gazed out over the or
chard, aromatic with promise, green
with its thick mat of bluegrass, white
under the trees where the blossoms
showed down.
The banker slapped him on the
shoulder. He must have been deeply
absorbed in the spell of the place, with
its quiet and repose, for he started and
laughed nervously.
Il must have been dreaming"
The old man tossed a hand toward
the window.
"Not s. bad, is it?"
1T is very beautiful"
II lowed y'u'd like it." The old man
rubbed his long bony hands together
in sort of grim satisfaction. My
daughter fools away hours and hours
in ethat seat yonder under the big
maple by the spring. / low Their amt
bird comes by she cayn't mock"
The preacher looked at him Curl
ously, half sternly.
xr,oll I1oIRox1<N sold
"A girl like your daughter. with her
quite obvious gifts and possibilities,
and so much a part of this wonderful
profusion of wild nature about her,
would naturally seek some such diver
sion to keep her life from starving
in this out-of-the-way place
The money-lender pondered these
words and seemed on the point of re-
senting them; but only jerked his
thumb toward the window again.
Took a right smart pile t. fix it
up like that Money wasted, tell 'er.
Well go across that way t. the house,
if y'u like"
1T would please me greatly"
The momentary sternness had left
the eyes behind the spectacles, the
jerky precise voice had resumed its
ELUSIVE drawl.
When they came down, Texie and
Jack had already gone out into the
yard. Mrs Mason was standing In
the door, talking to them.
The gray-haired gentlewoman turned
to the preacher.
Brother Hopkins, won't you please
run over for a few minutes after sup
peri nave so longed to talk with a
minister since-since-"
ct is a minister's duty to go where
his people call him." he said, in voice
pitched to reach the ears of the others,
as it might have seemed. 81 shall be
very pleased to come"
He bowed himself out and Joined
the half impatient banker on the door
step.
Come on" the old man called to
the others down the walk, "we're gOin'
across the orchid Brother Hopkins
lows he'd like to-"
There was no gate between the
bankers park-like orchard and the
parsonage yard. The fence had to be
climbed. When they reached 1t the
preacher offered his hand to the girl,
who, to the amazement Of the woods
man., took it and allowed him to lift
her down-a concession that meant
much in the Flatwoods.
At the bridge over Eagle run
merely huge foot log broad-axed fat
along the top-the girl allowed the
preacher to assist her again, and the
woodsman was treated to his second
surprise. He had seen her, hundreds
of times, skip across that log as sure
footed as squirrel.
The path beyond led past the big
maple with the rustic seat beneath the
shelter of its far-fung branches At it's
roots spring gushed up, tapping the
white pebbles of the tiny gutter it had
worn for itself on its way to Eagle run.
Whispering spring" said Texie SIM
ply, raising her eyes to the preacher.
Jack named it that. He can think
Of s. many names FIR things. He's a
poet, guess"
The woodsman fidgeted. The preach
er glanced toward him, but made no
comment.
my brother, Ken, use. t. tell me the
fairies come down out of the cliffs at
night t. dance around Whispering
spring, and l b'lieved hin-I b'lieved
everything he told me them days-and
l USE t. watch FIR the fairies"
She looked up at the preacher; then
back into the spring.
do you b'lieve in fairies?" She
asked the question as If she hoped he
did believe in them.
He glanced down at the reflected
face in the water. Eyes; there's
fairy peeping into the spring right
now"
The old banker grunted; the woods
man turned to the face behind the
huge spectacles. 1t was the first thing
the preacher had said that caught his
interest.
The girl was so entirely an I'M
spoiled creature of the woods that she
let the preacher see how much the neat
compliment pleased her. With the
color tingling over her face, she