Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-24
A DISDAINFUL YOUTH

Leavtn' out the richest girl In town. Yor
fellows must be wanderin'. Ulyssa Belts
There's the name wrote down. Now the
question is. which of you aims to ask the
pleasure Of her comp'ny Wednesday night
April 1. to a party at the house OF Mr.
Josiah Hight"
There was a momentary silence on the
part Of the young fellows gathered round
the station agents desk. His big lamp
cast a mellow light on the broad shoulders
/ bronze faces, and rough woolens Of the
throns. 1t also picked out edges Of black
| and white in the punches of bills of lad.
ms hanging on the deal wall. and studded
with steely points the telesraphic instru-
| ment muttering crafty to itself below the
| iron-stayed window. Through the barred
panes the village wipked fitfully In the
gloom of the night. lying low In a lurch
of the Kentucky hills. Spring LEAKAGE
frothed the sides of the hollow in a mist
ing waste Of shadow, creeping up the steep
rises. and cresting them in furry darkness.
over which stared pale and blank the thin
face of new moon.
well. who lays off to take Lys to the
dancer repeated the station agent, listen
ing for the night express, and holding his
official blue pencil aloft to jot down the
name of the man who should speak first
Some one laughed.
It'd be much as eny fellows life was
worth to offer to carry Lys anywhere
while Vercamp's aroundI Heb, Bert? You
don't low any interference in tibet direc-
tom" The man stopped short. Vercamp
had uttered an angry exclamation.
He was lounging against the high desk
with his wide hat far back on his head in
a way which left in evidence the girlish
IOplx of ua1louy hof ah tic IL O
slight and handsome with a bronzed throat
which rose splendidly from the loose turn
of his gray flannel collar. Something in
the carriage of the blond young head, or
in the droop Of the fair mustache, or per-
haps in the line Of the lips themselves,
differentiated Vercamp from the other log
gers and the sprinkling of mill men and
stave workers about in the group. He look
ed, almost poetic. except, indeed. when he
looked, as at present, dangerously nettIed.
Look here" he rasped out, I'm sick of
this! l tell you all I'm sick of It'll II any
one mentions that subject again, 'sociating
my name with girl I've never looked at
scarcely. it won't be. well for him!'
The agent seemed to resent this. 81
don't know 1 lay out to rifle you up.
Bert" he delberated. but there amt no
man living can tell me what to mention
and what to let alone. See? And as far as
Clyssa Belts goes, you don't like her. We
all know that She knows 1t too. pore lit
tie skite! But seeing the whole town
Knows she thinks you're bout the likeliest
thing God ever turned His hand TO, why
you can't expect that folks won't run you
about it,
That's all right, Ed. L"
Then don't git of your base so brash.
'Tain't safe in Pulaski county. And IL
you're willing to take pointer
oh. go on! Looks like 1 can take most
anythingi"
why Just this. She amt over-pretty.
Lys amt"
II should say notr'
Fact is. l don't know as I ever set eyes
or to homelier sprtg of girl. But you
might dance with her now and agn with
out hurting yourself. Heb. fellers? He
wouldn't break no bones by acting a lit
tie decent would hep
There was a cordial growl of acuuiesc-
ence in this considerats view. Vercamp
scowled amiably.
ooh. she'll come to herself all right" he
surmised, indifferentlv. shes no more
than a child-fifteen or so. And she don't
need any PERSONS pity. She's proud as a
pea-fowl, and uppity as the cock a
vane."
True. she's always he'd a constitution
for soaring. She's been raised to think
the ground wasn't good enough for her TO
walk on. her being an orphan and inner
iting her grandpap's mon ey," conceded the
| agent. pulling the signal for n train TO
rass. but since you've handled wood for
the mill-a year back. amt N?-she's
knuckled! She hes that She's begun to
see that three hundred dollars a year can't
( make n black skin fair a big mouth
little. Well, sir If you won't take her to
the dance. I reckon I'll hev to. D'know's
I care much. so long as Balm hes put in
cinch claim on carrying Lobelia Ivens!
You and me II come to guns over that
girl Bainr'
In the midst OF the laugh which rose
upon this good-natured menace Vercamp
SfrO1lp6 q q a
He was very distinctly sensible of being
deeply irritated. In some sort she was
making him appear both ridiculous and
rude-thiS ugly little creature who had
chosen to anoint him king over her fancy.
1t only made the matter worse that she
was n person OF Importance, and lived in
the best house in town-a white-painted
frame, with green facings to its windows.
Had she been poor and obscure, no one
would have noticed her unfortunate re-
gard. But position accentuatesS personal
failings. and the villagers chuckled con-
siderably over Ulyssa's infatuation for a
man in whom 1t reused only a resentful
dspleasure.
II reckon better ask her out IN a
dance" meditat ted Nercamp, striding down
the rough road to his boarding house.
Folks seems to think I amt acting just
| right" And he kicked a stone out of his
way, exasperated that public opinion could
have an effect to coerce his judgment.
He was still resentful on the night of
the party as he tied his crimson scarf and
p!astered his fair locks down so smoothly
that his head seemed at last to be covered
with gold leaf. Even in the fntricacies of
his toilet making he was aware of re-
fecting with annoyance upon the single
thorn which his rose of pleasure hid. How
could he be happy as happy as the young
blood In his veins demanded. when he knew
that his gay banter over the hands of the
village beauties would be watched from
some melancholy corner bv a pair of dull
dark eyes pathetically helpless and hope
| less?
He groaned at the prospect, hurting his
brush at a hound pup which had stolen in
to his room. The yelp of panied surprise
which greeted this ill-tempered action gave
Vercamp a compunctious thrill. and he
pulled the dogs satiny ear as he went
forth to the dance.
1t was cool for April. The sun had long
| been down. but a broken band of bronze
still girded sky swept over with CLAM
or of pur2lish blue. Against 1t the cliff
submits leaned soft and black. Under the
dark rises river mists were weaving It's
| sues of dense white. Beyond the banks
| spanked the village lights, and still fur
Their on, like great red star fallen out of
| heaven, the railway signal shone from the
| tracks along the eastern heights.
The residence Of Mr.. Josiah Hight, the
| place Of business. 1t was half way up the
road and two steps below the curbless
street and as Vercamp approached his
eye noted the obl;que brightness which its
| gayly lighted porch cast over the road
| way.
| Girls in stiff muslin chartered on the rail-
less veran6a. Astride OF a keg the viii
| lage fiddler was already tuning up, and
as a sort of prelude TO the rustic cotillion