The Red Cloud chief., 1884-05-17
lux in a bonny esp, trimmit willow
will We haze it trimmit?"

"Naes me. sic q daft whIgmeleerie,'
blurted the Disconnected man. the
wrinkles of his bronzed face deepening
and writing into something which
might have been 4 grimacc or a smile.
1t seemed so little ut home there that
| decidedly incline to t e latter belief.
| think Jeanie did, too: tor. us the
heaying of the pillow revealed the fur
settled on her swn.
And John saw that look and read 1t.
His first impulse was to resentment, as
open and obstinate rs needful: but the
quiet air of ALWAYS seeming to defer to
his wishes (althoagh it was evident she
never did defer to them), looked SO in
genious and SO winning that he had not
heart ( resort to resentment. OF STRAIT
egy he knew nothing. AS near as he
could approach to it was to form the
policy of neutrality, of nOn-commit-
ment- But. in the deeper diplomacy of
Jeanne. it WAS Indispensable that he
should be committed. So she cOntin-
ued:
..Shall we say trimmit wi cherry-rcd
or wi blue:?"
..Jeanie, hae mercy. l am
nae staumrel. Gamma put nv pow in
ony sic BAG Is that
Yes: he was committed.
Jeanne busted herself a moment in
picking the dried leaves from the win
dow-plants, and then, as she turned
toward the door. said:
Il haze it. 1t maun be blue, tae
match your cen"
The soft closing of the door made the
vehement demurrer heard only by the
attentive Natty. who merely wiped his
ewes and stared the harder ut the in
valid.
In due time the absurd artifice was
carried to 4 successful issue. Although
the neatly-trimmed cap was commonly
crumpled under his Eeck, ", when he
grew sleepy. was mashed over his eyes
like a surgical compress, he made ut
least n pretcnse OF wearing it until he
was able to leave the bed.
His convalcscence was rapid: but not
so rapid but that before he could leave
his room Jcanie'S little hand had 81
lently unwound the matted and I'M
slightly weeds of m~isanthropy (he
thought it suchl from his heart. and
touched and awakened chords he never
knew were there. And the strange.
new strings We're sweet. very sweet. if
not with harmony ut least with
prophecy.
so il came to pass that. more tha-
once. during their daily drives up tine
shady valley road, John tried hard to
say something, something which Jeu-
ME was o ut all 10th to hear. And
initiating failures, lie did not despair,
nor she.
One sunny afternoon he got so far as
to say. after many preliminary grim
aces:
Jennie. woman, are sc nae laneiy
aftentimeS here, syne YOU brother q
gang ABBOTT wi We nae mair:?"
Yes. John"
..Ye dinna'--he ven;ured, slowly rub
bling the back of old Meggy with the
stump of a whip-'le dinna like tae be
sac lonesome. Jeanie?'
l think JOAN did not know what else
to siy.
Nae, John"
"Jeanie, woman" (John was rub
hing old Me-gy's oack very hard. in
deed. and making SD numerous and 50
violent grimaces that that Staid animal.
looking back i'm protest. was utterly dis
concertcd) ~"jeanie, woman, hadna we
better-you an I-hadna we
But something got into his throat Al
this crisis. 1t made his face blush deep
l.. Jeanne thought to help him.
Better what, John"'
But it was of no Use. That something
stuck in his throat until John was COM
great emphasis. ..Hadna we better
gang hame:?' Before she could have
answered. even had she been so dis
posed, he had turned Mey ~sluarely
about and. under the Inspiration of the
vigorously piled whip. the bewildered
mare wa uon whirling them fast home
ward.
Days passed. and still that something
in tine throat proved fatal To his (their?
An, Jeanie, Jeanie.) most sincere en-
ueavorS.
Peacefully, almost happily. wore
away the long summer DAYS 10 the con-
valescent. And still the STRINGS in his
rugged breast were not stilled. nor
could he wish them stilled. Had she
conquered: No; he would not SAY
that; and yet he was conquered.
Ii was the last afternoon before his
departurc. They (John, Jeanie and
Meggy) were returning from their
daily drive up the valley. For some
miles they had logged along in silence.
Several attempts had John made to say
that ''sOmcthlng;" but that something
else in the throat always forced him to
patch out his sentences as gracefully
(Which was very ciumSily) as possible.
The silence was growing painful.
Jeanne made a great effort to appear
unconcerned, but ~wretchedly failed.
Now and then John would break the
silence 10y such overtures to Meggy as:
"Glang moo" and keep your tail
frae abOon the lines. will yep
But Meggy knew, as well as Jeanie
and John himself, that these were mis-
cradle sabterfugeS, and SO paid no heed
whatever to them.
At last, where the road crossed the
little vale: brook, Meggy stopped, I'M
der the shade of an overhanging elm.
to refresh herself with the cool, clear