THE YOUNG EAGLE STRIKES A farming village like Rock River is one of the quietest, most humdrum communities in the world till some sudden upheaval of primitive passion reveals the tiger, the ram, and the wolf which decent and orderly procedure has hidden.

Cases of murder arise from the dead level of everyday village routine like volcanic mountain peaks in the midst of a flowering plain.
The citizens of Rock River were amazed and horrified one Monday morning to learn that Dot Burland had eloped with the clerk in the principal bank in the town, a married man and the leader of the choir in the First Church.

Some of the people when they heard of it, said: "I do not believe it," and when they were convinced, the tears came to their eyes.
"She was such a pretty girl, and think of Mrs.Willard--and then Sam--who would have supposed Sam Willard could do such a thing." To most of the citizens it was drama; it broke the tedious monotony of everyday life; it was more productive of interesting conversation than a case of embezzlement or the burning of the county courthouse.

There were those who smiled while they said: "Too bad, too bad! Any p'ticlers ?" Some of the women recalled their dislike of the lazy, pink-and-white creature whom they had often seen loitering on the streets or lying day after day in a hammock reading "domestic novels." The young girls drew together and conveyed the news in whispers.

It seemed to overturn the whole social world so far as they knew it, and some of them hastened to disclaim any friendship with "the dreadful thing." Of course the related persons came into the talk.