Show a V i 1 The The Bobba Mer I The Th V 1 nil C Co Publishers Publish i e a Ians t I ers er Tr In Sl i- i f a By HALLIE LIE I 1 S j L in ERNIE ERMINIE RIVES Wheeler 0 f V I. I V CHAPTER Tho The Song Sont of ot the Nightingale x 1 Along the thc dar dari dark turnpike John Vali Valiant Val Val- jant i nt rode rodo with his chin Mink unk on his breast Ho Ife was wretchedly glad of V ibo tho darkness for it covered co a thousand sights i ho had bad grown o n to love Jove oc V Yet ct through h tho the dark came drifting t founds that caught at him with clutching clutch clutch- lug ing bands the hands the bay ba of a hound from fome orne ome far off the whirring note of or frogs the impatient hl high h whinny of ot ofa V a a. hor horse horsa a across pasture bars bars and and his nostrils widened to tho the wild braided fra of tho the fields over which tho the mist was spinning its fairy fain carded wool Tho preparations for his Lis going goin bad had been beaD V quickly made He was leaving b behind hind him all but hut a single portmanteau portman portman- Undo Uncle Jefferson had bad already taken laken this with this with Chum to Churn to the station Tho old rho old man ha had bail l now gone sorrowfully afo afoot t to the blockhouse a half mile up tip tito tho track to bespeak the stopping of the express He Ue wo would ld go back on the horse hi his mister master was as riding ridin The lonely little depot a flamo showing showing- through b blow low clay day bank o ged b by rains Its windows iD were cre cf dark dark rl rlAnd and tho weather ti beaten plank platform was illuminated by by b n a tin single Je lantern that hung on ott a aMil I nail Mil b beside the locked door its name flame showing through b V streaking of lamp black k At Atone V one OD in the shadow was his bis bag baJ j and beside de it thu tho tethered bulldog f ceole sole spot of white against the choly chely lying lying with one splinted d Jc log leg like a swaddled led ramrod sticking strai straight bt out before himIn him In the pa saddle dle Valiant struck his b-a b hand d. d hard bard against his knee Surely it ita t tai a was ai a dreamt dream It could not Dot bo be that he was 1 aing Virginia J a Dam r V C Court uit leaving her ber But he knew that it was not a a. dream V araway away rounding mou tam tain ho heard hoard the tho long drawn hoot boot of tho coining train flinging its sky warning warn warn- in ing in a host of s scampering ech echoes ies Amon Among thc n mixed another sound far farup farup farup up tho the desolate road cowing coining olDin nearer nearer- V the sound of a horse hert a galloping in fast and hard Rift His own fid fidgeted tel flung up wide nostrils nos nos- trite and neighed shrilly Who was 35 coming omin along alon that that highway at t puch an hour lD in such euch breakneck fashion I f V I The train was as nearer now he could hear heir its low rumbling hum hunt ri rising to a roar roar and the click and spring of the V But t thon though h ho he lifted a foot from froDI the tIme stirrup he ho lid dill not dismount V Some Something thine iu iii th thc i whirlwind speed Of or V that coming caught and hold held him m mo n. n He lie had a R sudden curious feeling all the world l beside di did l 1 not wro only the tho sweeping ru o. o of l' l ibe the he nearing rin tram train impersonal impersonal onal he h he ittin flitting his se borse in the gloom l om oin and that tbt unknown rider whoso whose of speed outstripped tho steam to riding to whom 4 The road skirted tho the track truck as it farod cd the stati station n and all at once onen a white glare the the opened firo fire box boxy y flung itself blindingly acro across s the ther thep r p dark illuminating like a 11 flare fJar of sum Bum I i the tho patch of highway land nd d the tho rider Valiant staring ha hail haiJ J Jan an instants instant's vision of a streaming I V w cloak l ak of a a. girls girl's face set net in a tawny tawn swirl irL s1 rl of loosened ed h hair ir With a try fry cry that was lo host lott t Sn in n tb tho shriek brick of escaping he be dragged t d lila Iris Plu plunging in hO horse ee around round and the white hite blaze w him hint also 10 as aa the th rider pulled down at his side zide You 1 he Hn leaned and ht u bt the sUm slim hands bands d on OD the brid 1 shaking vow now 00 You Youl JJ V Ih brightness had gone Ione by j- j V and the air was full of tho the groaning of tho brakes brake as aa the tho Jon long line of darkened sleepers shuddered shudder d t to its enforced stop John John JohnH H He lie beard heard the tho sweet wild cry pierce t through rough the jumble of noises and something in It S set t his blood running run run- Din nine ning molten molton through his veins It held I au an a agony on of relief of shame and of ot appeal John John John JJ And knowing knowin- suddenly though not how bow or wh why that all barriers were swept wept awn aWa away his arms went out and around her and yi iP the shadow of ot the lonely little station they two in their saddles clung and swayed s-n-ayed to together with clasping hands and broken words while whilo tho tko train breathing heavily for a are are- re resentful re- re I. I second shrieked itself away int into tho the night and left only the tho fragrance fra ira grance from the misty fields the crowding crowd crowd- In ing silence il nce and tho the sprinkling stars The breeze had bad risen and was blowing tho mist a away a as they went back along the t tOad road ad A faint light fight was a lifting forerunner of the moon They rode side b by side and to the slow gait Kait of or orthe the tho horses touching noses Doses in low s of equine equino comradeship b by the faint they gazed into sac each others other's fares faces The adorable tweedy roughness of his shoulder thrilled d her checkI check I And you 00 were going awa away Yes YC yes c I know It was my ruy fault 1 I J misunderstood For Forgive o h-o me mo Ho TIC kit kissed sed her hand band As if there were anything to forgive for e Do you remember re rc- rc m member in in the woods sweetheart tI tho the day it rained 1 What a brute bruto I was was was- to fi fight bl so so And all aU the time I wanted t to take you yon iu in my mr arms arnis like liko a a. little hurt child u She turned toward him U Oh tOh Ob I wanted you to fight Even E though it was tie ijo use I r had given ien up but your strength th comforted me inc To have yoU Jol surrender r loo too too- It was your our face in the churchyard he he tout toM her bor How pate palo and worn you ou looked 1 It came to mo me thon thou for fur tho the first time how hot horribly selfish h it t would be he to sta stay how how much easier going coing would mako inako it ft for you rou a 4 An do think that it was wae Mad rad Anthony Did Anthony Did tho the clock dock really strike thirteen do you think Or did I fancy it Wh Why question it 1 he said Raid I II beli belive vo c in mysteries Tho Time greatest of or all nil is that you y 1 0 ab should uld love loe m me 1 I no miracle hereafter r D Dearest Dearo t dearest V At t the tho entrance of th tb the cherry Jane lane ho Imo fastened his horse to the tho hedge an and noiselessly let Jet down n tho the pasture bars barti for her golden Jo chestnut When ho carne came to W hero she stood waiting on tho on-tho tho iho edge of the lawn lau the tho hate lato m bi on golden c ventured W was WAB 8 just showing abo above c the rim of the tho hills biUs pR painting t the e deep soft foft ft blueness of the tho Virg night with a as 8 pure as prayer Above the tho fallen hood of her cloak k her hair shone shout like a nimbus and tb the loveliness lo lj of her ber face bee made him bim catch his hi breath for the wonderfulness wonderfulness wonder wonder- of tiC it it As they stood in each others other's arm arms II heart beating a against heart beart and the whole world throbbing to joy the nightingale on be beyond the ar- ar hors bora began to bubble bubblo and thrill its unimaginable un imaginable melody It It- Itc c came cam mc to them like the tho voice of th the magical rose- rose J scented ni night ht itself sot to the word- word tc Ics les music of oe tho the silver leaves leave It roe rose roseand and swelled exultant to break and die dic i in a n cascade casado of golden notes iotes s. s V But in n their hearts was WAS' the the-on that thatis i is fadeless immortal THE THED END ND V |