Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-13


white road like something wild.
The warm breeze blew softly on my
flushed cheek, and the scent of the haw-
thorn blossoms welled up from the dim
woods, and was very. very happy as /
murmured:
Stars, let me hear you shout,
Oh, leaves, hang not so still
Wind. call your music out;
My love has said, 81 will'
Oh, hour that bankrupts joy
But perfects natures plan,
| This morn was boy,
| But now ana man
Then came the long, sweet season, the
days of golden anticipation, the nights of
delicious dreams.
l used to hang around her at church,
and when they would go down to the
spring after water it used to make me
feel awful badly for any one else to hand
her dipper of water. wanted to do
that myself.
Had anybody told me then that one
day would lie in bed while she got up
and wrestled with the kindling of an OBJ
stinate fire l would have indignantly
refuted the suggestion.
Somehow she always kept me at a
distance. l had sort of dude cousin
that was older and better looking than
l, and she would go on powerfully with
him, but the moment would dare at
tempt little playful familiarity she
would swallow her tongue.
Had any one told me then that one
day she would call me up to confes-
sional and lay down certain precepts
and maxims of moral conduct and good
behavior, should have scorned the i'm
putation.
That was after we were engaged, too
She would greet me as coolly and call
me mister when Iwould go to see her,
and it was only after l had exhausted
every effort of brain and tongue that
away long late in the evening she would
thaw out little, and her eyes would
shine something like two stars in a sum-
mer sky.
Talk about literature, why told that
girl more love stories than, if they were
printed, you could stock in any book
store in town.
l didn't know then, as l afterward
learned. thas she would peep through the
window and watch for my coming, and
that the dear heart would go pit-a-pat
at the sound of the hoof beats of Black
Pompey. Nor did | dream that she
would remain in her room for some
time to get the blush out of her tell tale
cheeks and to string up her nerves to
give me dignifed greeting.
She was awful cunning, with all her
innocence, and all these years and cares
of welded life have but sharpened her
wits. and to me she grows more incom-
prehensible every day.
She knows just as we'll as do when
am perjuring myself and trying to whip
the devil around the stump to clear my
self of some misdeed.
Summer came and went, and the sweet
autumn time arrived in all its gorgeous
splendor. had been busy as a bee all
that year getting ready for certain i'm
portant event that was set to happen at
some indefinite period.
| We had quarrel or two, as all lovers
have, and once we broke it all up and
stayed away two whole weeks. | got
powerfully independent and began to
lavish my wounded affections on Black
Pompey. | bought new saddle and
bride and beautiful saddle cloth. and
curried Pompey and rubbed him till his
hide shone like silk. | resolved to leave
the tickle sex to their own devices, and
lead a life of freedom somewhere far
away, and assured myself that I'd soon
forget this trifiing episode.
And l succeeded beyond my expecta-
tions, for three whole days. But some
how l wanted to go back to the old
church once more, and see all the dear
familiar faces ere took my departure
for foreign parts.
There was big to do at Sardis that
day, and when l started for stroll
down to the old spring found group
of young people sitting under the shade
of the trees waiting for services to begin.
They were laughing and talking right
merrily, and in the midst of the group
sat the only woman on earth to me.
She had not fallen into any green and
yellow melancholy. No, sir; she was
just as fresh and bright and piquant as
could be, and her laugh was the mer-
riest of the merry.
"Well," thought 1, ''you don't seem to
miss me worth cent. believe that
since have given you rest you have
improved"
But who was that sitting by her toy
ing with her fan?
1t needed no second glance to confirm
my worst suspicious.
It was that jackanapes whom super
seded when | first began paying her at
tentions The presumptuous fellow was
trying to be restored to her good graces
"Ah, my fine fellow" thought I, ''you
shan't do that. I'll have my revenge on
you. I'll just make up with her long
enough to send you to the dingnation
bow-wows, and then I'll cut loose and
go on about my business"
But, my God, what time had! She
greeted me with casual greeting, and
kept on talking with him, and was too
proud to push myself forward. When
they started for the church she got right
in the center Of the party, and 1 was left
alone with my offended dignity.
/ suffered in silence for many loSg
hours that day, but along late in the
afternoon, when they were all going
home, watched my opportunity. Rid
- 10 II Tod md