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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1893)
6 THE HESPERIAN 41 blood that tingled through his own veins, just enough, perhaps, to make thorn droam of love. Ho sighed as ho wont on, leaving thorn to thoir sleop and their understanding. Ho turned asido into a road that ran between the fields. The rod harvest moon was just rising; on one side of tho road tho tall, green corn stood whispering and rustling in the moonrise, sighing fretfully now and then whon tho hot south breeze swept over it. On tho other side lay tho long fields of wheat whom tho poppies drooped among tho stubble and the sheaves gave out that odor o indcscribablo richness and ripeness which newly cut grain always has. From tho wavering line of locust trees tho song of tho whip-poor-will throbbed through the summer night. Above it all were the dark pino-clad mountains, in tho repose and strength of their immortality. The man's heart wont out to tho heart of the night, and he broke out into such a pas sion of music as made tho singer in the locusts sick with melody. As ho went on, . whistling, ho suddenly heard tho beat of a horse's feet upon the road, and silenced his chirping. "Like a? not its them government chaps," ho muttered. A cart came around tho bend in the road, Allen saw two men in it and turned asido into tho corn field, but ho was too late, they had already seen him. Ono of them raised his pistol and shouted, "Halt!" But Alien knew too well who they wore, and did not stop. Tho oflieer called again, and then fired. Allen stopped a moment, clutched the air above his head, cried "My Gawdl" and then ran wildly on. The officer was not a bad fellow, only young and a little hot headed, and that agonized cry took all tho norvo out of him, and ho drove back to ward town to get the ringing sound out of his ears. Allen ran on, plunging and floundering through tho corn like some wounded animal, tearing up stalk after stalk as ho clutched it in his pain. When ho reached the foot of tho mountain ho started up, dragging him- solf on by tho laurel and sumach bushes. Whon his legs failed him ho used his hands and knees, wrenching tho vinos and saplings to pieces and tearing tho iloah on hands as ho pulled himself up. At last ho roached tho chestnut troo and sank with a groan upon tho ground. But ho rose again muttoring to himsolf: "Sho'd bo skcorod to death if she soon mo layin' down." Ho braced himsolf against tho troo, all blood and dirt as ho was, his wedding clothes torn and soiled, and drawing his whito lips up in tho old way ho whistled for his love: "Nelly My shuts her eye When she goes to sleep, Hut in the morning when she wakes Then they begin to peep. High Nelly! Ho Nelly! listen unto me, I'll sing for you, I'll play for you a charming melody." Ho had not long to wait. She came softly through the black pines, holding her whito dress up carefully from tho dewy grass, with tho moonlight all about her in a halo, like a little Madonna of tho hills. She slipped up to him and loaned her cheek upon his breast. "Allen, my own boy! Why yo' all wot, Oh its blood! its blood! have they hurt yo' honey, have they hurt yo'?" Ho sank to tho ground, saying gently, "I'm afoerd they've done fo'. mo this rime, sweetheart. Its them damned revenue men n "Let me call Pap, Allen, he'll go fo' the doctor, let me go, Allen, please." "No, yo' shant leave me. It ain't fo' many minutea, a doctor won't do no good. Stay with me Noll, stay with mo, I'm afcerd to bo alone." Sho sat down and drew his head on her kneo and leaned hor face down to his. "Take kee, darlin', yo' goiu' to git yo' drees all bloody, yo' nice now frock what yo' goin' to wear to the Bothol picnic." "Oh Allen! there ain't no Bethel picnic no more, nor nothin' but yo'. Oh my boy! my boy!" and sho rocked herself over him as a mother does over a little baby that is in pain. 11